It may be one of the hottest summers yet, but it's never too early to start dreaming of crisp air and fall leaves...
Fall sessions are just around the corner. Richmond has a ton of beautiful places to catch a myriad of changing leaves. Below is a list of my favorite locations and a few tips for when to time everything just right so you get peak foliage and best lighting.
Locations
Dogwood Dell
Always my first pick location for fall photos! Located near Maymont in Richmond, Virginia, Dogwood Dell is versatile and has a ton of leaves.
- Easy parking
- sidewalks, paths, and an open field perfect for throwing leaves and running around
- good for morning and afternoon sessions
- Peak leaf color around the second week of November
Monument AVE
The most dramatic foliage around! Bright reds, oranges, and yellows. These trees only show off their colors for a couple of weeks and its a spectacular rainbow.
- These trees will give photos a quintessential "Fall in Richmond" look
- Best for afternoon sessions but can be used for early morning sessions (when it isn't too cold!)
- Peak leaf color is around the third to fourth week of October
University of Richmond
From the lake, to the quad around the school of law, to the greek theater, U of R has a lot of options for different settings for a fall shoot.
- conveniently located
- dark evergreen trees
- bright red maples around the lake
- Great for morning or afternoon sessions
- Good for curious kids that like to be on the move
Crump Park (Glen Allen,) Brown's Island, Libby Hill and Midlothian Mines all get honorable mentions for better afternoon locations. Tuckahoe Gardens (West End,) The VMFA, and Jefferson Park (Churchill) are great for morning sessions. Maymont is the old standby--great any time of day, any day of the year.
And don't forget to think of your home as a possible location! For some children the familiar setting can help put them at ease and you can't beat that convenience.
You can see more examples from all of my favorite locations below.
