Fall is knocking at the door in the Northern Hemisphere, inviting us to consider its beautiful colors when picking the next location for a photo session. It sure can be the perfect backdrop, regardless of your photographic genre of choice. Fall has a side for everyone, from the incurable romantics to productivity enthusiasts. At the same time, it’s easy to fall for the much-used cliches: meaningless autumn foliage spread everywhere, excessive use of filters and post-processing, popular outfits, pumpkins and pies, and the well-known fall color palette. So, here is how to find locations for an authentic and unique fall photo session that will enhance storytelling and help you create meaningful work.
Fall Photo Location Scout Starts with a Storyboard
Whenever you prepare a photo session, you have a narrative in mind. You want to photograph a certain subject matter to convey a message to your audience. In many cases, the location is not the main subject but the background. It is in charge of creating an atmosphere, localizing the story in time and place, and enhancing the emotions you want to convey. So, get to the drawing board and imagine the ideal location. Consider landmarks, geographical elements, human-made elements, colors, textures, light qualities, and anything else that seems important for your work.
Here is an example: It is a trash-the-dress photo session. For logistical reasons, it must be in the UK. You want to recreate the couple’s journey from their meet-cute in a café in Southern France to their wedding day. So, you need a seaside café, golden hour light, some hills to make for their shared hiking passion, romantic architecture, and soft, subtle fall colors. If you put all these on your storyboard, you may get something like Llandudno, Wales, UK.
Photo by Tayybah Yasin on Unsplash
A Bit of Psychology Knowledge Goes a Long Way
You need to know your emotions before invoking them in others. Autumn has a complex symbolistic and can convey very different emotions. For example, if you think about crops, harvest time, and splendid foliage, you may say autumn is maternal, generous, and romantic. But if you think about falling leaves, cold, rainy days, and the departure of the migratory birds, you may see autumn as sad, lonely, and even bitter.
The color palette also varies. There are bright yellow and golden trees and leaves that spark joy and enthusiasm, and bleak shades of brown and gray that leave one feeling lost, sad, and grieving. Each place is better or worse at conveying certain emotions in one season than the others. They have different vibrations and energies, and that gets into your photos.
Here is an example: A forest in Vejle, Denmark, with gold and ruby leaves, an inviting path, and enough light coming through the branches to give you hope will spark nostalgia and gratitude.
Photo by Louise Pilgaard on Unsplash
But take a denser forest, in which the foliage goes mainly brown in autumn and very little light passes through the thick branches, such as the one in Goderich, Canada, and your photos will convey loneliness, sadness, and even despair. Still a forest and a path, but a very different story.
Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash
Consider Temporary Photography Opportunities
Location facilitates access to short-lived subject matters such as festivals, harvest-related events, markets, wildlife timeline events, and meteorological events. Some of them may happen only in the autumn, for a few weeks or even days. These temporary opportunities encompass not only the magic of the fall but also the culture and traditions around it, enriching your stories with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Here is an example: If you want Vietnam’s golden rice fields in your photographs, you have only one month to take the picture (late September to late October). If you want to experience the original Oktoberfest in Germany, which is much more than just drinking beer, you have only two weeks (in 2025, these two weeks are Sat, Sep 20, 2025 – Sun, Oct 5).
Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash
Conclusion
In the end, choosing the right location for a fall photo session is about much more than leaves or colors. It’s an opportunity to tell a unique story through your lens, a story to which each place contributes with its own palette and character and distinct emotional resonance.
Cover photo by Peter Lewis on Unsplash