How to Take Great Fall Photos of Your Children at Home

This step can be quite straightforward or elaborate, depending on your approach. I opted for a minimalist design. I picked up a selection of pumpkins from Walmart and arranged them in my front yard alongside a small ladder as a prop. If you don’t have a wooden ladder, you can simply spread the pumpkins across the grass.

I'm a professional photographer with a high-quality camera, but to demonstrate that great photos can be taken with simpler tools, I used just my iPhone 13! To achieve stunning results, set your camera to portrait mode and select studio lighting. The golden hour is truly magical; it offers the perfect lighting! While it's still bright outside for natural light, the shade can prevent your photos from becoming overexposed.

Taking photos can be challenging, especially when working with children! It's a good idea to have a helper behind the camera to grab your child's attention. Having someone who can make silly faces or try to elicit laughter can be particularly beneficial! When you take pictures, remember to get down to the child’s eye level and experiment with various angles. The key is to continuously press the camera button while your assistant entertains behind the scenes, increasing the chances of capturing some delightful candid moments! If your little one is a bit older and can follow directions, you can try some more posed shots. For instance, you might ask them to sit cross-legged while holding a pumpkin in the air and smiling, or to lay on their stomach surrounded by pumpkins, resting their chin in their hands. No matter the pose, your child is bound to look adorable!

There are countless apps available for photo editing, but no tall of them are equally effective! My top three favorites are Lightroom Mobile, Tezza, and VSCO. While these apps do require payment, I believe it's worth the investment to have high-quality family photos that I can print and cherish for years.

When selecting your preferred app, consider the following:

Lightroom is an Adobe product widely used by professionals. Although anyone can download it, achieving good presets may require some additional steps. What I appreciate about Lightroom is its presets; unlike filters, which merely overlay an image, presets are collections of settings that influence the entire photo.

I also use filters for quick social media posts, where Tezza and VSCO shine. Both offer free filters that maintain good quality if you choose not to pay for the premium version. When picking a filter, avoid those that compromise image quality, such as ones that add yellow tones, introduce grain, or reduce clarity.

If you're uncertain about your choice, don’t hesitate to ask a friend! If you’re torn between two options and their opinion doesn’t resonate with you, then you’ll know which one you truly prefer!