What to Wear for Fall Family Photos in Portland

While I grew up here in the PNW, I lived in Tennessee for a few years after college and worked in a Montessori school and took photos on the side part-time. Fall, however, was nearly full-time hours as it's the busiest season for any photographer, but especially when the Smoky Mountains are bursting with color at the end of October/early November. Fall foliage is in abundance in that part of the United States.

In Portland by comparison? Not so much. There is fall foliage in manicured parks around the city like at Hoyt Arboretum and Laurelhurst Park. However, Oregon's native trees are mostly coniferous and do not change colors throughout the year (which is what makes winter photo sessions particularly magical in the snow). But in nature parks where the grass grows freely with a more natural look, there isn't much fall foliage.

This is why what you wear matters more when getting your family portraits done here in northwest Oregon. What you wear can easily give your not-east-coast-fall-foliage- a much more cozy, autumn feel.

Sweaters, Hats & Scarves Serve a Purpose More Than Just Staying Warm

Showing up to your fall photo session in Portland in knitted sweaters, a flowy plaid scarf and tall brown boots will instantly scream "FALL" even if there's not an ounce of red or yellow leaves anywhere in sight.

But let's also talk about colors. Portland often has gray skies in the fall mixed with cold wind and rain but with a lot of green trees still. So what color clothing should you wear?

Think natural autumn colors: burnt orange, browns, forest green & mustard yellow. Even black works well for this time of year. These warm, darker tones will immensely contribute to that warm & cozy feel we were talking about.

See here for some examples:

Final Thoughts

So even if you don't have that Vermont-sitting-by-the-fire atmosphere here in Portland, you can still achieve that cozy feel through the type of clothing, the knitted or wool fabric, and color choices.

If you'd like to know more about how to select the right clothing for your photo shoot, you can visit my wardrobe page all about clothing, no matter the season. Stay warm this fall!

More About Clothing

Home