One of the most popular and important questions after families book their outdoor session is "where should we go?" I have quite a number of places that I am familiar with and love for various reasons. There are a few factors to consider. The most important for me is lighting. It's the number one thing that can make or break a photo. Therefore, the locations that I prefer to use have really great light, but also gives us pockets of shade where I can control how harsh the light hits you. It's all about the balance of having that beautiful warm glow of the sun without it being too much. Speaking of warm glow, this is why I schedule all of my sessions about an hour and a half before sunset. In summer months, this means we have a start time as late as 7:30pm. In fall we'll start around 4:30-6pm. The fall season brings later sunrises in the morning, which means I'm able to accomodate some morning sessions around 9am in certain locations. This is a great option for toddlers and pre-school aged children.
Secondly, you as a family have to decide how far you want to travel. Most of my locations are within Hamilton, Burlington or Oakville so as long as your family is local, you won't be driving too far a distance.
The last consideration is crowds - for the most part, weekday sessions will be far less crowded than Fri-Sun evenings. There are a few locations (such as the beach and urban/downtown locations) which I won't even bother using on weekends because they are overrun with people which will be visible in the background of images.
I've been photographing families for 10 years now, so I have a vast collection of places I have used. During the fall season, most families are looking for a location that showcases the beautiful coloured leaves. While I can't guarantee that mother nature will perfectly cooperate with the exact timing of your session date, but here's a few locations that typically produce stunning fall colours.
KERNCLIFF PARK
Burlington, ON
This is one of my favourite locations year-round. It's not too crowded and there is a small parking lot that is free of charge and always has spots open on weeknights. It features lots of trees, a beautiful rockcliff wall, rocky ground, a short boardwalk trail along the tall marshy grass and wooded areas. The evening light when it's sunny is phenomenal and it's doesn't require a lot of walking for little ones or expecting mamas.
CITYVIEW PARK
Burlington, ON
Just up the hill from Kerncliff is City View Park and this has lots of thick trees that get gorgeous leaves in the fall. There are wood-chip trails and open fields with tall grass. The parking is ample and this location is not too crowded on weeknights in the fall. It's right off Dundas Street and is easy to get to. It's a nice simple location without distracting elements in the background.
BRONTE CREEK PARK
Oakville, ON
A rustic farm setting with fields, barns and lots of trees. An admission per car of $17 is required for entry. This is my #1 location for morning sessions in the fall because there are so many trees and buildings where I can control how the light falls on my subjects. It also works great for evening sessions as well. There is a ton of parking and just a short walk into the farm area where I like to photograph. It's perfect for families of all ages, especially those with active kids because they can run around and the farm setting keeps them engaged in the location.
PRINCESS POINT
Hamilton, ON
A lovely walking path by the lake in Hamilton. There are giant trees, open fields with tall grass that turns golden in the fall, beautiful light at sunset and quite a few trees that change colour in October. The view of the lake is really pretty and there is a good-sized paid parking lot (I think it's about $3-4 per car for around 1-2 hours of time or free with an RBG membership parking pass).
DUNDURN CASTLE
Hamilton, ON
This is one of my favourite locations, year round and one I recommend often. It’s easy to get to, has a big, free parking lot and gives families a ton of variety of backgrounds. There are tree-lined pathways, white walls with cream pillars, green shutters and doors, rustic stables, stonework and greenery and obviously the castle makes a stunning backdrop. There are quite a few maple trees on property which do turn into nice fall colours and later in the season you'll get piles on leaves on the ground.
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