The Best Time of Year to Get Family Portraits Done in New England
As a photographer, I can create a stunning family photo shoot in any season here in New England, but there’s something truly brilliant about capturing family portraits during the autumn months. It’s magical—an absolute visual delight, especially for those of us who love storytelling through bold, vibrant colors.
Why Do the Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
The timing of when leaves change color is primarily determined by the length of nights, which grow longer as autumn approaches. This leads to cooler temperatures, triggering the process of senescence—the gradual aging and deterioration of leaves. Weather also plays a key role in fall foliage. A wet growing season followed by warm, dry, sunny days and cool nights creates the most vibrant colors!
So when is the best time for fall photos? It varies from year to year and location to location. Most of my family portrait clients are based in Worcester, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties, so I’ve included a list of peak fall foliage dates for these and a few other areas below!
Source: https://newengland.com/foliage/foliage/peak-fall-foliage-map/
Peak Fall Foliage Dates by County:
Norfolk County: November 1st through 17th
Suffolk County: November 1st through 17th
Worcester County: November 5th through 10th
Essex County: November 8th through November 12th
Middlesex County: November 8th through November 12th
Fall Photo Session | Westford, MA
Last autumn, I had the pleasure of photographing the G family. Their boys were full of energy—rambunctious, wild, and simply being happy, healthy kids! Every parent of young children worries they’ll leave a session without any usable images, but I promise you, I’ve got you covered. I won’t let you leave without knowing I’ve curated an amazing story from our time together.
These parents will remember the silliness and joyful chaos of capturing family photos while their boys were still little. And the boys? They’ll remember wrestling, climbing, jumping, and snuggling! The air was crisp, the colors were vibrant, and everyone left feeling happy.