An outdoor family photo shoot in nature is a wonderful opportunity to take pictures of the whole family. In this post, I’ll show you some beautiful locations and share tips and ideas
Do you want to have family photos taken outdoors but aren’t sure where, when, or how to go about it? That’s exactly what this is about: figuring out which location is right for you, when the light is best, what to do if it rains, and how to ensure a smooth outdoor photo shoot with kids.
In this post, I’ll share tips and ideas for your outdoor family photo shoot. Whether in a city park, out in the countryside, in the mountains, or by a lake, every location has its own charm and offers great opportunities for photos of the whole family.
Here you will find a brief summary of the main content of the article:
- The location depends on you, not on the most beautiful backdrop. A forest, a lake, a meadow, a park, the city, or your own backyard: the best place is usually somewhere you enjoy spending time.
- The best time of day is the golden hour—that is, the one to two hours before sunset. A day with even cloud cover works just as well and is often the better compromise when you have small children.
- Every season comes and goes. Don’t wait for the perfect month—just take photos whenever the occasion calls for it. What varies are the lighting, the colors, and how long the kids will cooperate.
- If it rains, we’ll reschedule. If it’s cloudy, we’ll take photos, because a gray sky is better for photography than bright sunshine.
- An outdoor photo shoot with me usually lasts one to two hours. You should bring a change of clothes, snacks, and something to drink; I’ll bring everything else.
- In a nutshell: Relaxed family photos outdoors
- Why You Should Do an Outdoor Family Photo Shoot
- At which locations can you have your picture taken outdoors?
- What time of year is best for your outdoor family photo shoot?
- What do we do when it's raining, windy, or hot?
- More tips and ideas for your family photos outdoors
- Frequently Asked Questions About Outdoor Family Photo Shoots
- Take a look at my family photography offer
- Check out more posts for your outdoor family photo shoot
Photos taken outdoors turn out differently than those taken in a studio. Your children don’t have to sit still, the evening light is soft rather than harsh, and the location is beautiful. In this atmosphere, the photos won’t look staged later on.
Your children are allowed to move around. No one has to stay sitting on a blanket. The kids climb, gather things, run off, and come back, and I take pictures of them as they go about their business. As a mother of three, I know how short the window of time is during which a child will cooperate. Outdoors, that window gets longer because the child has something to do on their own.
You’ll forget me sooner. The low afternoon sun replaces any flash, and I take photos from a safe distance while you’re busy with each other. That’s how the photos you’ll love the most later on are taken. There’s plenty of room: grandparents, siblings, and the dog are all welcome to join in.
There isn’t just one “best” location. There’s the location that’s right for your family. The key question isn’t where it looks the most beautiful, but where your children will quickly feel at home.
Think about where you and your family like to spend time anyway. By the water, in the woods, in a meadow, or at the park around the corner. If you have a place that means something to you, feel free to suggest it.
Forest: sheltered light and tranquility
The forest is the most reliable place I know. The canopy filters the sun, which is why it’s still a great place to be at noon, when everything else outside is too brightly lit. It’s sheltered from the wind, it’s quiet, and kids find something to do here within seconds: sticks, moss, pinecones, fallen trees.
The downside is the flip side of the upside. On a heavily overcast day in late fall, it gets very dark in the forest. So we head to the edge of the forest, where it’s brighter but the atmosphere remains the same.
Lake and River: Water, Gravel, and Movement
Water captivates children like almost nothing else. Throwing stones into the water, wading in, collecting pebbles—these aren’t photo opportunities; they just do these things on their own. Then there’s the quality of the light. Water reflects and illuminates faces from below, especially in the evening.
Expect the kids to get wet by the water. That’s not a problem—it’s part of the photo shoot—as long as you bring a change of clothes.
Meadows and Fields: Vastness and Soft Backlighting
A meadow is the classic setting for family photos taken against the light. In the evening, the sun is low in the sky behind you, the grass glows, and you get that warm, open look that many families want. The open space also means that no one will be walking through the background.
Two practical tips: Ticks are a concern in tall grass, so wearing long pants is a good idea. And in the height of summer, there’s no shade, so we don’t take photos there until late afternoon or evening.
Park: close by, easily accessible, with a playground
The park is the practical choice. It’s a short drive away, has parking, often has a restroom nearby, and features a playground as a backup plan if a child suddenly loses interest. For families with young children and a tight schedule, this is often the best option.
Sometimes, the trade-off is having other people in the shot. I counter this by using framing and perspective, and I know which spots are quiet even on a Sunday afternoon.
Urban: Walls, Stairs, City Lights
Brick walls, staircases, underpasses, graffiti. This urban look is a good fit for families with older children and teenagers who aren’t really into lawns and flowers.
In my experience, this is rarely the right place for young children because there’s nothing for them to explore there, and they quickly lose patience.
Your garden or your outdoor living space
The most familiar place of all. No commute, no unfamiliar surroundings—the kids are at home and act accordingly. With babies and toddlers, your own backyard is often the most relaxing option of all: the changing table, nap time, and snacks are just a few steps away.
You don’t need a perfect garden for this. A hedge, a tree, a corner of the house, or a blanket on the grass are more than enough.
Any time of year is fine. What varies are the light, the colors, and how long your kids can stay outside. So you don’t have to wait for the perfect month.
I generally recommend timing the photo shoot to coincide with a special occasion: during pregnancy, in the first few months with the baby, for a birthday, etc. The occasion is more important than the season. If you wait until the leaves turn golden, you’ll often find that the baby in the pictures has grown into a toddler.
Outdoor family photo shoot in spring
In the spring, everything becomes bright. The trees begin to bud, the greenery is still fresh, and fruit trees and meadows are in bloom. The temperatures are mild enough that even small children can spend an hour outside enjoying themselves.
A practical tip: The grass is still short until about the end of April, so a toddler won’t get lost in it. The fruit blossoms last only about two weeks. If you want them as a backdrop, you’ll need to be able to make a last-minute decision. And it’s best to plan an alternate date right away—the weather is still unpredictable.
Family photos outside in summer
Summer means long days, warm light, and temperatures that make for great conditions well into the evening. It’s the season for vibrant photos: by the lake, in a field, in the park.
Expect everything to be pushed back. In June, the sun sets late, so the best light is in the late evening. At noon, the shadows are harsh and it’s hard to keep your eyes open, which is why I don’t take photos in open areas at that time. If the late shoot conflicts with bedtime, we’ll switch to the early morning, choose a suitable location, or deliberately pick a cloudy day.
Outdoor family shoot in fall
Fall is the most popular time for outdoor family photos. The leaves turn red, orange, and yellow, the light becomes softer, and the cooler temperatures are pleasant for taking pictures. You can dress in layers, which adds extra color and texture to the photo. Piles of leaves and chestnuts keep kids busy on their own, without anyone having to tell them what to do.
The catch is that the sun sets early. Starting in late October, it starts to get dark as early as the beginning of the evening, so the window of opportunity gets narrower.
Outdoor family photo shoot in winter
Winter has a tranquility that no other season offers. Snow acts as a giant natural highlighter: it reflects light from below and makes faces look soft, even on a gray day. Because the sun is low in the sky all day in December, a winter photo shoot can even take place at noon. Hats, scarves, and gloves add color to the photos.
Winter photo shoots are shorter for that reason. Young children get cold quickly. So I schedule less time, and we work with greater focus.
A cloudy sky is fine, and light drizzle is okay. If it rains continuously, we’ll reschedule the photo session. So you don’t have to hope for sunshine on the day of the shoot. You just need to know how we’ll handle the weather.
A uniformly gray sky is the biggest softbox there is: soft light, no harsh shadows, no squinted eyes. Many of my favorite family photos were taken on days when the parents asked beforehand if we’d rather cancel. If it’s really raining, we reschedule anyway—not because of the camera, but because kids quickly lose interest when they get wet.
Wind is more of a hairstyling issue than a problem for the photo shoot. Windblown hair can look very beautiful, and if the wind gets too strong, we’ll head into the woods or find a sheltered corner of a building. Heat, on the other hand, is often underestimated: when it’s over 30 degrees, kids get cranky and their faces turn red. In that case, we’ll schedule the session for late evening or early morning and look for shade. Cold weather and snow are great for photography, but they do shorten the shoot. Dress in layers and plan for a break in a warm place if needed.
The best ideas for family photos outdoors don’t require a concept—they require an activity. When you’re doing something, you’re not posing. Here are the things that work well for me when I’m outdoors.
Outdoor photo shoot: suitable motifs in nature
Nature provides the props; you don’t need to bring anything. Keep an eye out for elements you can use: an old tree, a wooden fence, a small stream, a fallen log that everyone can sit on. The seasons provide the perfect natural backdrops: a pile of fallen leaves in the fall, a flower-filled meadow in the spring, and a frozen lake in the winter.
Movement is more important than any pose. A family race, jumping over obstacles, throwing leaves, carrying children on your shoulders, running down a hill together. Scenes like these capture genuine expressions because no one has time to put on a face.
And then there are your own rituals: the picnic on the blanket, the Sunday walk, reading aloud under the tree, the walk to your favorite playground. Tell me beforehand what you actually do outdoors as a family, and we’ll work that into the plan.
You can find more ideas that aren’t tied to a specific location—such as moods, groupings, and poses—in my post on ideas for your family photo shoot.
The right outfit for your outdoor shoot
When you’re outdoors, one thing is especially important: colors found in nature blend harmoniously with the surroundings. Earth tones, muted green, beige, soft blue. Dress in layers so you can adapt to changes in the weather, and wear shoes suitable for meadows, forest floors, and gravel. For the kids, bring a change of clothes.
I’ve summarized everything else about colors, patterns, and coordinating outfits in my post on outfits for your family photo shoot.
The best time: Golden hour and diffuse light
Lighting is crucial for outdoor photography. The best conditions are during the golden hour—that is, the one to two hours before sunset. The light comes from low in the sky and from the side; it’s warm and soft.
If this time doesn’t work for you, that’s no problem. A day with even cloud cover is often even better for photography than bright sunshine: the light is diffused, there are no harsh shadows, and no squinting eyes. And at noon or in the afternoon, we’ll look for shade—at the edge of the forest, under a cluster of trees, or against a house wall. Your children’s rhythm is more important than perfect light anyway. A well-rested child in the afternoon often makes for better photos than a tired child during the golden hour.
How to Keep Your Kids Happy
Your children don’t have to participate. They just need to feel comfortable. I take pictures around them, and if a child doesn’t want to at that moment, we wait instead of pushing them. Here’s what helps:
- Don’t set any expectations. Don’t say beforehand, “You have to smile nicely later.” Instead, say, “We’re going for a walk, and someone is coming along to take pictures.”
- Don’t promise a reward. Saying, “If you’re good, you’ll get ice cream,” creates pressure and results in exactly the kind of forced smile you don’t want.
- Pack some snacks and drinks. A hungry child isn’t a photogenic child.
- Plan for breaks. With young children, they often run out of steam after just a short while. Then we sit down, and I take a picture of the break.
- Take children seriously. When a child wants to show me something, I look at them. After that, they’re almost always willing to cooperate.
- Don’t schedule the shoot during nap time. Tiredness is the most common reason a shoot drags on, and it’s the easiest one to avoid.
What You Should Bring
In a nutshell:
- A change of clothes for the children, and feel free to bring a change of socks as well
- Snacks and something to drink
- A blanket to sit on
- Sun Protection in the Summer
- Hats and Gloves in Winter
- Mosquito Control in Meadows and Near Water
- A favorite stuffed animal, if you have one
- Sturdy shoes that are suitable for the terrain
I’ll bring everything else. If you want to know how else to prepare for your photo shoot, check out my post on preparing for your family photo shoot.
