There are four seasons and 12 months in a year (duh), but you’d never know it by looking at the majority of family photos.

What’s the deal with fall photos?

In short: the varying colors of leaves give visual texture and variation to your photos.

And people like pretty things in the background of their photos. *shrug*

But leaves aren’t what makes your photos great. Family photos don’t need fall color in order to be amazing.

When should you take your family photos?

Let’s set aside the landscape for a second, because to be honest, what matters more is LOGISTICS.

If you have children off at college or in the working world, or especially active youngsters, your options are already limited.

If you have adult children…

…the big challenge is finding a time when you can all be together. Time them at the same time as an activity you do together: a birthday or holiday.

Pros: Everyone is already there, so no special travel plans.

Cons: Lack of flexibility. If something goes sideways, you probably have to forfeit photos until next time. If possible, have a backup plan in case your first date gets rained out or someone gets sick.

If you have activity-heavy kids…

…schedule photos outside their heaviest activity months.

It doesn’t matter if that’s not fall. Your photos will still be great. Otherwise, you’ll drive yourself (and your photographer) a little bonkers with last-minute changes, because there’s always just one more tournament that Coach decides to put the team into.

If you have kids under 6-7…

…choose months with earlier sunsets, like the fall or early spring.

If your niños must be tucked snugly into bed by 7:30pm or they turn into Gremlins, go with September or October instead of June.

(Try this handy tool to find sunset times where you live.)

• March, April, November, or December works too, if you live somewhere the weather doesn’t try to kill you half the year like I do (Midwest ftw).
• Avoid May, June, and July entirely if your kids are young.

Tiny babies that nap 3x a day can usually hang later than toddlers.

YOU KNOW YOUR KIDS BEST.

If their bedtimes are a hard stop, choose a month when sunset and bedtimes pair nicely.

If all options are on the table, which month is REALLY best?

Here in Iowa, I start outdoor sessions May 1. Before that, the weather’s a crapshoot.

Exhibit A: This is my children on APRIL SEVENTEENTH, YOU GUYS.

But there isn’t a single “best” month, because they ALL have their pros and cons.

What to expect each month of the “shooting season” in the Midwest

May

Pros

• Lots of bright greens
• Blooming trees, if the timing’s right: big white flowers, purple crabapple blooms, etc.
• Some wildflowers, but these aren’t usually blooming in the spots that are best for lighting! If you’re lucky, they’ll be nearby and you can pick some to carry around for extra color.

Cons

• It’s rainy; some locations may be off-limits due to mud or high water
• The damn bugs. Good thing gnats are easily deterred with Absorbine Jr. and Bug Soother.
• Start time: LATE. In Iowa, I start my May photo sessions around 7pm-7:30pm

June

Pros

• More bright greens
• You can have bare arms and legs and still be totally comfortable
• Some wildflowers are starting to show up

Cons

• That classic Midwest humidity
• It’s often rainy, making some locations unusable due to mud or high water
• Some limitations on clothing colors (because of sweat)
• Still some gnats, but not as bad as May
• Start time: VERY LATE. June photo sessions start after 7:30pm.

July

Pros

• Plenty of greens, but not the crazy neon greens from May/June
• WILDFLOWERS, particularly in late July. Black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and so many more!
• You’ll be comfortable once things are cooling down toward sunset
• Perfect weather to incorporate water in your session: beachside, creek stomping, wading,

Cons

• HEAT! July in Iowa is not cool and comfortable
• Limited colors and fabrics due to sweat
• Start time: LATE. Expect around a 7pm start

August

Pros

• The heat means there’s rarely mud or flooding; most any location is going to be usable
• Plentiful wildflowers in early August, potentially through the month’s end depending on weather. Some sunflowers fields are planted to bloom around this time, too!
• Start time: DECENT. Between 6pm and 7pm. Sunset time changes a LOT in August; by a full hour over the course of the month!

Cons

• Heat. It can be blazing in August!
• Limited colors (sorry, gray) and fabrics due to the heat.

If the heat doesn’t bother you, August is a great month to do your family photos… everyone’s comfortable, and sunset isn’t crazy late.

September

Pros

• Late summer wildflowers and goldenrod
• Fall color, toward the end of the month
• Start time: GOOD—Between 6:20pm (early September) and 5:30pm (late in the month)

Late September is when fall color starts to show up in Iowa, but in the early part of the month, it still looks a lot like August.

There are some late summer blooms, like goldenrod, that make an appearance. See them in the background of this photo?

By the last week of September, some maples will be brilliant and fiery red, which is SUPER pretty.

September is still plenty warm enough for bare arms and summery clothing, but it’s beginning to look like fall, so you get the best of both worlds.

Cons

• School’s started back up again, which makes scheduling harder.

October

Pros

• Color! Peak fall color usually hits the first 3 weeks of October. Expect lots of yellows, browns, and some dark reds.
• Start time: EARLY. Start times in October are 5:30pm early in the month, and by month’s end we’re starting around 4:30pm.

Cons

• Fall beauty is fleeting. It can start earlier or later than “normal,” and it’s a very small window of time. Many leaves have completely checked out by the end of the month!
• Unpredictable weather is October’s calling card: everything from upper 70s to low 40s. Clothing layers you can add or remove are key.

There’s a stark difference in color as October progresses. Check it out:

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Best colors to wear for outdoor fall photos

November

Cold-weather photos are not my fave, so I wrap my outdoor season the first weekend of November.

If you can find a photographer who’s brave enough to venture out in November or December, go for it!

Pros

• If you’re lucky, a few stragglers will still have colorful leaves. But it’s a long shot in Iowa. Especially after about November 10th.
• Colorful outfits are a good thing! The environment is really brown/neutral, so if your outfits are neutral colored, you’ll look like another deer in the woods. And November is bow hunting season. EEKS.
• Start time: SUPER EARLY. Before Daylight Saving Time, I start sessions at 4:30pm. After the time change, I need to start between 3pm and 3:30pm!

Cons

• The weather. It can be freezing cold or unusually warm, so you’ll need to default to being warm. Like, REALLY warm. Tights, warm shoes, and no single layers at all unless it’s a super thick one.

Related: What to wear for family photos when it’s cold

December, January, February, March, and April

I’m not a fan of bare-tree-branch photos. I just can’t get past the stark and cold feeling.

BUT there’s some good news: this is the perfect time for some in-home family photos.

And if your first thought is “Rock hard pass, Lydia,” then allow me to convince you! They’re way more awesome than you think.

The lovely Tiffany Crenshaw says it better than I ever could: Why in-home family photography is perfect for moms

Ready to plan your family photos?

Now that you know you have options far beyond October, the sky’s the limit for your family photos!

Come on, friend! Let’s make it happen.