How to Take Photos in a Pumpkin Patch

If you are looking for a place to take lovely family photos for the holiday season, you might want to consider visiting a pumpkin patch. Nothing says fall like a field full of harvested pumpkins. Pumpkin patches are the perfect backdrop for some quality family fall photos. With all the orange pumpkins and other gourds, they provide the perfect autumn scene to take some perfect holiday photographs. To take great pumpkin patch photos, follow these simple tips.

Things You'll Need

• Pumpkin patch
• Camera
• Props (optional)

Instructions

1. Find a pumpkin patch near you. Keep in mind that some patches may require you to pay a fee to take pictures in their patch. Others might offer a professional photographer who will take photos for you. Small pumpkin patches organized by churches or schools may let you take photos free of charge—but they may want you to come by on a slow day so as not to interrupt customers. They will probably expect you to take home a few pumpkins as well!

2. Arrange the pumpkins as desired. Stack some of your pumpkins on top of one another to create dimension and height. Or, spread all the pumpkins out flat to give the illusion of an even wider field of pumpkins.

3. 

   Pose your subjects within the pumpkin patch. Small children look particularly great sitting on top of or in between large pumpkins. Not only will this make the pumpkins look bigger, your child will look cuter and more diminutive by comparison.

4. Add visual interest to your shot. Dress your subject in a pumpkin costume, draw faces on the pumpkin, or give the subject props that will add interest to your photograph. Be creative and take multiple photographs.

5. 

   Get candid. Though it is obvious these photos are in a staged location (it is not often most of us find ourselves strolling through pumpkin patches), it does not mean your photos can’t have a fun, candid feel. Keep the camera clicking to create unique, spur-of-the-moment shots.

6. Consider your lighting. Pumpkins look great in all lights, but they look particularly great in softer lights. Wait for the sun to begin to set (not when it is completely dark!) or photograph in a well-shaded area. The softer and warmer the light looks, the more harvest-like your photo will feel.

7. Try new angles. Like most things, changing your angle when looking through your camera will give you a whole new perspective. Don’t be afraid to take photos from above, angled up, or from the side. In fact, vary your angles as much as possible.