The fall family photo shoot in Carlton, Minnesota.
This was the first year I advertised my fall family photo shoots in Carlton, Minnesota. I didn't sell out but came close and for me that is a win. I do something not every photographer does or can do. I offer the fall family photo shoot on my private property. I am blessed to live in the country surrounded by fields but also have some incredible birch and walking trails on my property. The trails are short, maybe 50 yards in total but for pictures, that is all one needs. The story of how some of the trails came to be is a funny one that had nothing to do with pictures. More on that later...
Last year I did a few fall shoots on my property, and I was personally amazed at how well they photographed. So much so that I went into this fall knowing I would try and offer fall family photo sessions. Since I didn't have any current photos to promote, I enlisted my daughter and her family to be my free models and took a bunch of pics of them and posted on my business Facebook page. I didn't have any paid ads and was simply operating on word of mouth. I had my first session the last Sunday in September, my yard was about 30% turned for colors, but it didn't matter, I was able to position the mom and daughter duo where the colors were popping and got some great shots of them in my back field. This family was a repeat customer of mine from last year and they return for the birch trees. I have plenty of them.
My second weekend of fall pictures was the first weekend in October. My yard was about 50% turned and I had several families out. These families had not been here before, and it warmed my heart to hear their reaction. They all loved my property and the trails. It really reassured me that offering fall sessions at my place and not battling crowds at state parks or other more traditional places for family photos was the way to go.
What was a bummer for me is that I had committed several months ago to work a photography event in North Carolina the second weekend in October. Guess what happened? My yard was at peak this weekend. I had several families that I could have scheduled if I would have been around that weekend. So many, that I would have made the same amount of money staying home vs traveling for work. Lesson learned for the upcoming years!
In addition to offering fall family shoots on my property, I do make myself available at a higher rate to travel to another destination, such as a state parks or one of the many lakes and rivers that northern Minnesota has to offer. I have found it is hard to convince people to take pictures at a place that they haven't been to before... my backyard. Even though I post pictures of families from my property, people want to go where they are familiar with.
My original mindset for taking fall family pictures on my property was that I was familiar with the lighting, my property has different elements for some different looks and it's private. We wouldn't be battling other photographers or crowds. It has turned into something so much more. The families have a few acres roam around on, kids can run around while I take pictures of the parents, their dogs can be off leashes. In one case this fall, I was looking around to see where the grandparents disappeared to and found them sitting around my firepit. I loved that. I like how people feel at home. Other people are not watching them. Getting your picture taken is not always enjoyable for people. I really try to make it fun and lighthearted and when no one else is watching, that is when some of the best emotions come out.
I find that the dads or grandparents like to walk the property a bit before getting their picture taken. I have come accustomed to asking if they see a place on my land where they like. I tell them what suggestions I have, but if families see something that piques their interest, I like to accommodate.
Mom and son fall photo shoot, this when my yard was about 50% turned. Shot with Nikon z9, 70-200 lens at 70mm, at 2.8 with shutter speed of 500 and 320 ISO.
These kiddos were so funny, I had just prompted the parents to go in for a quick kiss while I was taking a picture of the kids. They instantly turned to look!
Mission accomplished! These two pics were shot with Nikon z9, 70-200 lens at 95 mm, Fstop at 2,8 , 400 IS0 and shutter speed of 500.
Setting the Scene
My backyard naturally has a few wide paths. In the fall when the leaves drop, they instantly turn into a kaleidoscope of reds and oranges on the ground. This particular picture would be a perfect fun shot of a family and their dog if it WAS their dog. Since this was my daughter's photo shoot and our dogs are besties, my dog was following them around for part of it.
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Scenes from my field
Our property is surrounded by fields, and we are fortunate to have our own untouched acre in our back yard. We personally do not have any livestock, but there are times when our four-legged neighbors are curious and make a surprise appearance. As seen below, one of the cows was interested photo bombing. One particular photoshoot, four siblings came prepared in some western apparel. It made for a fun session with some epic shots!
