Fall in Charlottesville is magical. With the Blue Ridge Mountains as our backdrop and the University of Virginia’s stunning grounds framing our neighborhoods, there’s no shortage of gorgeous locations for Charlottesville fall family photos.

But after years of the same golden field sessions, many families crave something fresh.

As a photographer who’s lived in Charlottesville for over 10 years and captured hundreds of families around the area, I’ve learned that the most fun experiences often come from stepping outside the traditional mold. There are countless ways to create authentic, beautiful family photos that reflect who you are in a particular season – but sometimes it’s hard to name what that might look like without some examples.

That’s where this list comes in handy!

I’ve gathered 6 ideas for creative approaches to make your Charlottesville fall family photos feel fresh, meaningful, and uniquely yours. If you’re used to doing the same thing year after year and are feeling a little bored of it – maybe it’s time to mix it up!

1. Embrace the Comfort of Home Sessions

Why home sessions work so well for busy families:

There’s something deeply authentic about capturing your family in the space where you actually live and love. Home sessions eliminate the stress of getting everyone perfectly dressed and out the door by a certain time (which tends to be one of the biggest stressors for fall family photos!). They also allow us to lean into personal touches that make this season unique for your family – even if it’s hard to see it in the moment.

Bonus ideas for making the most of your home session:

• Don’t even get dressed! I’m not suggesting anything wild, here, but matching pajamas? Sweats and your favorite football jerseys? Did you just sigh or smile at the thought? Maybe it’s time to dress down this year! By setting the location at home, we invite natural moments that pair well with a super casual look – playing a game by the fireplace, baking together in the kitchen, or snuggling up reading books. Sprinkling these real-life elements amongst more naturally posed sets within your session make for tons of variety and a session that feels really special, too.

• Fall backyard magic: Our home has tons of trees that dump buckets of leaves in the fall, so giant leaf tossing piles are a standard tradition around here. If your home is the same, imagine how fun it would be to include that in your session! The backyard, front porch, garden, neighborhood paths, culdesacs – they all expand the intimate setting of home and the ways you spend your time together while nodding to the autumn foliage for your Charlottesville fall family photos.

• Personal touches: Sessions at home make including family pets so much simpler. There’s also the items that tell their own part of the story – bikes in the driveway, favorite lovies, or even the extreme Halloween decorations that are part of your neighborhood fall energy! These elements make photos uniquely yours and create conversation starters for years to come.

Pro tip: Home sessions work especially well for families with toddlers who might feel more comfortable in familiar surroundings. On the flip side, they’re also excellent locations for including elderly family members with special accessibility and comfort needs.

Read more: Check out this early October session at home with triplet one year olds!

2. Include Seasonal Activities That Bring Fun To Experience

Make the fall activity part of the session:

I feel like the best Charlottesville fall family photos capture authentic moments of connection, and seasonal activities provide natural opportunities for genuine smiles and interactions. Luckily, there is so much opportunity for family fun in the fall.

Activity ideas that photograph beautifully:

• Pumpkin carving or decorating: Set it up on your kitchen table or outside on a picnic table. The concentration, teamwork, and inevitable giggles create perfect candid moments to end your session!

• Apple picking adventures: We have amazing orchards like Carter’s Mountain and Chile’s Peach Orchard, Henley Orchard in Crozet, and several other amazing options in the area. Roaming around and playing through the apple tress is an activity gets everyone moving and breaks up posing with natural play.

• Baking together: Do you have a favorite family recipe? The flour-dusted faces and collaborative cooking moments with kids up on the counter are gold for telling family stories.

• Leaf pile jumping: The pure joy on children’s faces as they leap into carefully raked piles never gets old.

• Cozy bonfire moments: You literally can not go wrong with a fall s’more moment. Yes I will have one, too.
  • Little known fact: after years as a summer camp counselor, I am also a professional s’mores maker.

Why activities work so well:

When families are engaged in doing something they enjoy, they forget about the camera and their true personalities shine through. Plus, you’ll have beautiful photos that actually represent how your family spends time together in the fall.

See more images and go behind the scenes of this featured session at Chile’s Peach Orchard in early October.

3. Get Intentional About Your Time of Year

Choosing your perfect fall window.

Charlottesville’s fall season spans roughly from late September through early November, but each phase offers distinctly different opportunities.

Early fall (late September – early October):

• Weather benefits: Warmer temperatures (often still in the 70s), perfect for outdoor activities and lighter clothing
• Foliage: Early color changes, still plenty of green mixed with gold and light orange
• Best for: Families with young children who might get cranky in cold weather, outdoor activities like apple picking or playground sessions

(morning family session in late September)

Peak fall (mid to late October + early November):

• Weather benefits: Crisp, comfortable temperatures ideal for layering fall clothing, cozy knits sweaters, boots… the whole bit
• Foliage: Peak color throughout Charlottesville and surrounding areas
• Best for: Vibrant background colors, comfortable temperatures, activities like leaf jumping and pumpkin carving, families with young kids who have an earlier bedtime but still want evening timing for their session!

(evening maternity session in mid October)

Late fall (mid to late November):

• Weather benefits: it starts getting colder. If you like the idea of bundling up for cozy, snuggled-up moments or your family doesn’t mind the colder weather!
• Foliage: It’s always hard to predict exactly when trees will completely shed, but we usually start seeing bare trees by mid November. This isn’t always bad though, as the winter landscape adds its own touch of texture and vibes.
• Best for: Families who don’t mind gambling a little on the foliage or weather, are okay with bundling up, and have slightly older kids who can hang with the temperatures better than toddlers can

(evening family session in mid November)

Pro tip:

Consider your family’s comfort level and energy. Some families thrive in crisp weather, while others prefer the ease of warmer days. There’s no wrong choice – you know your family best!

Also, consider the time change when scheduling into November, especially if you have younger kids. The sun begins to set so early, that sometimes a session start time butts into nap windows, so be cognizant if that will play a role in when you schedule!

An important note:

I’m including a lot of considerations and “things to think about,” but please don’t let decisions deter you. While these suggestions come from experience and general understanding of what tends to be the case, I’ve had exceptions to every single one of these scenarios.

Newborns in the winter.

Teens in the morning.

All of it is still okay – remember, you know your family best AND I’m a pro, which means I can make anything work 😉

4. Include the Grandparents

Extended family photos are some of the most urgently valuable.

All photos become increasingly precious over time as we age, but including grandparents with their grandchildren captures a very unique stage of life.

Making it work for everyone:

• Choose accessible locations: Depending on grandparents ages and need for accessibility, I can help you choose locations with easy parking and minimal walking (including at home like I mentioned in idea #1!).

• Invite them to the beginning or end: It’s completely fine to invite grandparents to participate in the whole session (and I highly encourage it!), but if you’d rather, you can also offer for them to just come for the first or last 20 minutes, to keep things simple and low pressure.

• Activity suggestions: Just like in immediate family sessions, sometimes including activities can loosen people up and get them engaging more naturally. Simple activities like reading together, baking something, or playing a game with their grandchildren can photograph beautifully tell a story about relationships that will be really meaningful to everyone.

5. Rethink Your “Ideal” Time of Day for Opening up Alternative Locations

Moving beyond the sunset field session:

While golden hour field photos are gorgeous (and I’ll never stop loving them!), I’m not tied to them as the end-all-be-all timing for sessions. Planning your session around different times to coordinate better with your families needs or a specific activity can help use create something really authentic and beautifully different.

Morning magic in urban Charlottesville:

• Timing benefits: Softer, even lighting that’s flattering for all skin tones; cooler temperatures; less crowded locations
• Activity integration: Morning coffee for parents & hot cocoa for kids (my favorite spots are Marie Bette and Lone Light Coffee), breakfast picnics, or exploring the Downtown Mall (chalk wall, carousel, Code Building steps) before it gets busy!
• Other pros:
  • Historic downtown architecture provides gorgeous backdrops with interesting textures
  • Local coffee shops with outdoor seating areas and quaint vibes
  • Variety of colorful grafitti walls
  • Great if you’re not a “nature” person and prefer a bit more vibrance!

Why urban sessions work:

• Different color palette: There’s a different tone of light than the open warm sunset vibe and more color to the background/setting
• Less competition/more privacy: You might think urban = less private. But popular scenic photo spots can get crowded in the fall, so if you consider the right timing, urband locations can be excellent!
• Better for young children: Many kids are at their happiest and most engaged in the morning (no matter what location you’re in!).

Embracing our city: Charlottesville has such character and history, including recognizable local elements that become family staples. When you embrace a more urban setting for your Charlottesville fall family photos, we can create a sense of belonging in the place you’ve chosen to raise your family.

Try mornings at home!

A lot of the same timing “pros” apply to shooting at home, too, especially as they relate to attitudes of young kids. Lighting is not as much of a concern when we’re doing home sessions – outdoor or indoor – so there’s a ton more flexibility.

If you’ve always been turned off of family photos because you think it has to be at sunset – let this be your sign the there are so many more options to make it work for you.

// TL:DR //

The most important thing about your Charlottesville family photos isn’t following trends, copying what you see online, or trying to emulate someone else’s Christmas card from last year – it’s being true to who you are and honoring your lives together.

The “right” approach is whatever feels most like you.

As your Charlottesville photographer, I love helping families discover new ways to find delight in their lives. It’s my job to reflect the beauty in your relationships back to you so you can savor them and continue fighting for them.

Our city offers endless possibilities in the fall, from the stunning natural beauty of our surroundings to the character of our neighborhoods. There’s no perfect session, only one that’s honest to who you are.

Remember, these photos will hang on your walls and fill your albums for years to come.

They should make you smile not just because they’re beautiful (though they obviously will be!), but because they capture who your family really is – the way you laugh together, the activities you love, the grandparents who adore your children, and the place you call home.

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Looking for a Charlottesville photographer who specializes in authentic family storytelling? Reach out here to start planning your fall family session. Whether you’re dreaming of cozy home moments or exploring your favorite family spots, let’s create something uniquely yours.