Autumn Leaves © Tim Pannell Photography

Our family just got back from a trip to Utah.  The autumn leaves were incredible!  I love this time of year.

We have 2 older children that are going to college up there and my wife and I both have extended family there as well.

It was nice to go up and see everyone as well as get out of the surprise 100 degree weather that showed back up here in Arizona last week.

We had a great time visiting with family and wish we were still up there.

One of the things I enjoy most about the Fall is the colors.  It’s so much fun seeing all the vibrant colors and how quickly they change from day to day.

We took advantage of the weather and shot lots of pictures of our kids with their cousins.

I purposely shot as simply as possible this week because I wanted to use these images as instructional pictures for my Photo Mommies Workshop that starts on November 9th.

Red Leaf © Tim Pannell Photography

Sometimes when the scenery is so pretty, it’s hard to not overdo things and get an image that becomes cluttered with no real direction to it.

If you’re shooting your kids, be sure to keep them strong in the photograph.  It’s about them, make sure the photos you take reflect that.

Find activities that the kids like to do and capture them doing it.

Help Your Sister! © Tim Pannell Photography

Be sure to shoot at the optimal times of day…..just after sunrise and just before sunset.  If you have to shoot in the middle of the day do your best to shoot in open shade.

You can also take advantage of backlighting which makes the colors in your backgrounds really pop.  The sun stays lower in the sky this time of year so the quality of light is better than during summer months.

The colors don’t last long so be sure not to procrastinate.  Get out there and shoot like crazy while the colors are still there.

Be sure to register for the next Photo Mommies Online Workshop if you haven’t already.  It starts on November 9th, runs for 4 weeks and only costs $150. I hope to see you all there in the forum.