Pictures in the Fall Leave

Northwest Portraits in the Fall

Once again it’s fall in the Pacific Northwest and this year is shaping up to be spectacular.  On deck in the very near future is an explosion of orange and red foliage that is going to be nothing short of epic.  So NOW is the time to capitalize on nature's brief but dazzling display by having your family portraits taken in the fall leaves.  If that sounds like a great idea or even something you were already planning then allow me to help you get the most out of your family's leafy adventure in portrait land by introducing you to an amazing new tool.

The Fall Foliage Prediction Map

In the past photographers had to be savvy and use tools like the Farmers Almanac or keep year to year records to predict the best date to shoot fall family portraits.  Well, at least I did.  But now we have the interactive Fall Foliage Prediction map.  The map allows your to move a slider to a specific date (like the one you had in mind for your family portraits) and it shows you what the leaves will look like.  Now you can predict whether or not the leaves will be green, brilliantly orange and red, or dead and yucky.

Now I know what your thinking.  Why don’t I keep such an  awesome (at least I think so) tool to myself?  Why would I share this tool with my clients and possibly competing photographers?  Because I know the heartache of desperately trying to get my clients to schedule their fall leaves sessions early enough, only to have everyone wait until the last minute and find that the leaves are dead and gone by the time they schedule their appointment.  Now with the Fall Foliage Prediction Map you guys can actually see for yourself when the leaves in your area will be at their best without all of the nerdy almanacs and OCD notetaking.  Of course this is all based on the weatherman's best guess but it should get you in the ballpark and give you a fighting chance at getting your stunning fall family portrait.

Now that you know exactly what date you need to schedule your portrait session on, I have one more monkey wrench you need to consider.  Time.  Or rather what time the sun sets in the fall.  As we get later and later into the season the sun starts to set earlier and earlier.  Toward the middle of fall the sun starts setting around 5:30-6pm making after-work photo sessions impossible for most.  This means that weekend appointment times are a must for most families and those times are the first to be snapped up on our schedule.  So once you've used the Foliage prediction map to determine the weekend that the leaves will be at their best you need to book that date with us ASAP.

So there it is.  A very cool tool help you and your family get that stunning family photo for your Christmas cards that will make your sister-in-law and her family green with jealous envy.   (OK perhaps I'm projecting my own family issues into this blog) But you really do deserve an incredible family portrait and now you have the information (and the photographer) to make it happen.

Daniel Troutman

Daniel Troutman
daniel@troutmanphoto.com
Albany, OR

Daniel Troutman started his career in 1999. Daniel is an internationally published photographer. He began as a staff travel photographer, and is now runs a retail studio in Albany, Oregon. His images have been published by some of the largest agencies in the world, such as Newsweek, VH1 Music Television, The Food Network and Best Western Hotels.

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