Fall Senior Photos in Central Illinois

Fall is one of my favorite times to take senior portraits. The warm colors make for stunning senior photos. It seriously makes everyone look 10x more gorgeous. As a senior photographer, I really value creating the perfect mood for the session based on the person and their hobbies and personality. Read all about how to get a perfect fall senior photo session with Always Flourishing Photography.

WHEN ARE SENIOR PICTURES TAKEN?

Most of my senior clients have their sessions in the Fall, but I get in some last minute ones during the Spring too! Everyone loves the fall colors and the weather is perfect for a photoshoot. Fall senior pictures always turn out gorgeous, but getting them perfect can be a little tricky.

I usually book senior sessions for weekday evenings—usually shortly after school lets out. I love getting as many sessions in at golden hour (when the sun is at it’s best) as I can. Catching that light is a delicate balance, so I will usually choose the start time of the session based on the weather that day. If it’s overcast we will lose the light quicker, so we will want to start earlier. If we have full sun, we will time the session so we end in those perfect golden hour minutes. Senior photo sessions last 2 hours with outfit and location changes.

Fall colors are usually at their peak the last week of October to the first week of November. Most people think September is best for fall senior photos, but those true, deep fall colors are later in the season! If you wait too long, though, you risk the chance of the weather dropping. You never know with this Central Illinois weather—I remember one year it snowed on Halloween. Illinois can be truly unpredictable, so it’s best to get your session booked as early as possible so you can get a date in the prime days of fall!

We also hit daylight savings on November 6th - this often gets forgotten about! This means sunset is way earlier and most likely will not give us enough time to do a full shoot after school. If you are hoping for those deep colors in the trees, we will try to schedule you at the end of October. Note that it can be pretty chilly, so take that into consideration when planning outfits!

WHEN TO BOOK SENIOR PORTRAITS

Ideally, you will want to book your senior session as early as possible. Even though school isn’t in session yet, it is best to get your senior photo session booked during the summer. Especially if you want fall senior pics, getting on the books early on will make sure you can get a session with a date that will work best for you!

FALL SENIOR PICTURE OUTFIT IDEAS

Fall wardrobe is everyone’s favorite, right? Fall senior picture outfit ideas are much more plentiful than any other season. I LOVE the variety that my seniors put into their clothing options during the fall. You can cozy up with layers, wear your sports uniforms, throw on a sweater and some jeans, or dress it up!

Outfit changes allow you to get the most out of your session! Depending on the weather, you can rock short sleeves or dresses and use your outfit change for a cozy sweater outfit. You can truly get the best of both worlds! Take a look through some of my past seniors for all of the fall senior picture outfit ideas and inspiration.

SENIOR PHOTOS LOCATIONS

If your session is booked for August-September and there isn’t fall color quite yet… that is totally okay! We can still get the fall mood. If you haven’t noticed, I love a good overgrown field. An open field can often get you those fall colors along with my editing style and what you wear! All you need is a cute sweater and we can find the ultimate overgrown field location for your senior photos to absolutely scream fall.

My base senior photo package allows for 2 locations with add on locations available. Location scouting is a big part of what I do. Making sure your locations give you what you want from your session is my mission! We will work together when planning your session to pick out the ultimate locations. If you prefer a certain type of location (downtown, flower fields, nature, etc.), let me know when you reach out to book and I will get some gorgeous options ready!

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER | ALWAYS FLOURISHING PHOTOGRAPHY

Senior portraits are some of my favorite sessions. I love getting to be a part of such a special time—especially with fall senior photos! Everyone deserves to have some stunning photos to capture the changing times of senior year. Read all about the Always Flourishing Senior Experience, check out some of my past work and reach out to book your session! I can’t wait to connect!!!

BOOK YOUR SENIOR SESSION