Did you all happen to catch the gorgeous weather this past weekend? We spent a good chunk of our weekend driving across PA to celebrate a first birthday with family and the perk of the long drive was getting to see the mountains on fire with fall colors. There’s something about the oranges, golds, and reds against a bright blue sky that just lightens my heart and makes me breathe deeper, taking in as much of fall as possible. As we came back into Pittsburgh last evening, we started planning our trip to the pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins.
This is a yearly excursion for us and I always bring my camera for two reasons-
#1- I like this tradition. We go to the same place. We do the same thing and I take very similar pictures. It’s a ritual and when we look back over time, I like seeing my kids grow.
#2- I love the farm that we go to. We love Shenot Farm. It’s quiet. It’s beautiful. It’s not very crowded. It’s perfect for our family. We’ve tried other places but they don’t compare to this spot.
Last year, I shared a little about the different pumpkin patches that we’ve visited in the ares as well as some of our family pictures.
This year, I thought I would share some pumpkin patch photo tips!
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Pumpkin Patch Photo Tips
First– It’s important to consider time of day when you’re heading out to the pumpkin patch. The Golden Hour is a real thing and provides beautiful light. This is the time of day just after sunrise or just before sunset. For our family, it isn’t necessarily planning for the light but rather, leaving the pumpkin trip to the last minute that means we’re there just before sunset (usually one of the last tractor rides out to the field). If you have to go in the middle of the day, try to pick an overcast day. The clouds will diffuse the bright sun and create much nicer pictures (not to mention you can avoid squinty faces from bright sun)
Second– Dress your kids comfortably. Kids do not like getting pictures when they are uncomfortable and your competing with a lot of entertaining distractions.
Third– Make sure to give your kids a break (little ones and big ones). They want to pick their pumpkins and explore. Take a couple of shots and then suggest a walk to a new spot.
Finally– and this is key… remember you’re there to have fun as a family. Focus your attention on watching and documenting how your kids explore and not commanding their attention. This shouldn’t be about getting a perfect picture. This should be about telling the story of your family so take the pressure off of yourself and your kids.
And, if you would love professional images, contact me and we can schedule a pumpkin patch session 🙂
So this weekend, we’ll be heading out to the farm, enjoying our apples, going for another try at the corn maze and picking out our pumpkins.
