5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Fall Family Photo Session in Winnipeg

Mar 26, 2025 | Family, Tips for Families

The warmer season is just around the corner and you might be planning your family’s annual photo session at this point. I’m going to share 5 ways to plan your session for success this year.

NUMBER 1: BOOK YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER IN ADVANCE

Good photographers tend to book up fast during the most popular dates of the year, so reserving yours ahead of time means you’ll get the best option. You want to avoid scrambling at the last minute to book a photographer when the season is almost over and photographers have very little availability left.

NUMBER 2: BOOK THE BEST DATE

When is the best date for outdoor family photos in Winnipeg? In the 17 years I’ve been doing this, the most beautiful colours and weather tends to be between September 28 and October 10. And the prettiest hour of light on those days is generally between 5pm and 6pm.

Some people prefer spring photos, or even winter photos, but the vast majority of my clients love fall photos. The weather isn’t too hot or too cold, the colours are spectacular and the beautiful pre-sunset time is at a reasonable time of the day for kiddos who might be going to be early. It’s a win-win for a lot of families.

NUMBER 3: PICK A LOCATION THAT WORKS WELL FOR PHOTOS

Some of my favourite locations are ones that have lots of trees, but also a lot of variety in landscape. This means picking locations that have a mix of forest, water, fields, trails, elevation, etc. I also avoid picking locations that only have wide open spaces because not having any shade to use could be a problem on a very sunny day.

A good location also factors in accessibility (it has to be easy to get to for all family members). However, if your family is up for an adventure, picking a location that includes some hiking or trailblazing to find the best spots could be fun!

Here are some of my favourite locations in Winnipeg for fall photos:

NUMBER 4: DECIDE WHAT TO WEAR

One of the most common questions asked is what should the family wear for their photos. My go to answer is always this:

For colours, I recommend a light & neutral colour palette. For example, greys, beige, cream mixed in with pastels of pinks, greens and/or blues is good. You can add one or two patterns (a floral or a low contrast stripe in the same colour palette). Things to avoid: bright saturated colours, high contrast, logos, graphics or lettering. I also recommend avoiding wearing black (if possible) as black cotton tends to show white lint a lot more on camera than when we see it in real life.

I have a Pinterest board with photo examples of what works well. Click here to see it:

Click here to view my Pinterest board with ideas for how to pick outfits for your family photo shoot.

NUMBER 5: TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

One of the hardest things is to trust the photographer to lead you, if you haven’t had much experience with a professional photo shoot before. I know how much work and energy it takes to plan a photo shoot for your family, and when you finally do show up, the stakes feel high. I often have moms arrive at a session worried their kids won’t cooperate, or that their outfits don’t work, or that everyone will look awkward posing for photos.

All I can say is – trust your photographer.

I’m the professional and my job is to take all the personality dynamics, the energy, the colours, backgrounds, sunlight, angles and MAKE SURE your photos turn out amazing.

I’m just as invested in the outcome of the photos as my families are. I want my families to be happy with their photos, but I also want the photos to look amazing for my own portfolio! Taking photos of families especially with younger kids is my specialty, and I’m more than prepared for the challenge.

I also know that kids can move quickly, and making sure to catch action shots, or shallow depth of field photos can be hard. I often use the auto-eye-tracker on my mirrorless cameras to nail the focus, even in fast moving subjects (hello toddlers!). Combined with my beautiful Sigma Art Lens, I’m all about catching those gorgeous moments that I’m seeing moving quickly before me.

So remember, trust your photographer and give yourself permission to let loose to enjoy the process. The family photo session is a place for you to play, to enjoy the company of your family and to spend time bonding with your spouse and kids. When that is your only focus, the rest will fall into place. I promise.

Real Estate Headshots in Winnipeg: Idunnu Tokurah

Mar 13, 2025 | Headshot Photography

Idunnu was looking to get professional headshots for her real estate work and I had the pleasure of meeting her up at a friend’s beautiful modern house to take the photos.

We took some with natural light and some with studio lights in front of a white backdrop. I also made sure to include the natural environment of the home in the background to include more context and warmth for her headshots. And to add to the variety of photos, we had 3 outfits to keep things more interesting!

Here are some of the photos she picked for her website:

K + N: Maternity Photography at The Leaf

Feb 24, 2025 | Maternity

The last trimester: that time when the last few weeks are counting down, and soon you’re going from two to three. There’s a certain excitement, anticipation and wonder that comes with this time. It’s such a joy to capture!

With Kim and Nic, there’s no hiding their absolute love for each other. They are so connected to each other and it’s so beautiful to see their love growing into a new chapter in their life. Their story is building and being there to preserve the feelings and memories for them is such a delight.

We met up at The Leaf at Assiniboine Park, and it is my absolute favourite location to visit in Winnipeg in the middle of the winter! Not only for the warmth, the live plants, and all the lush greenery, but also for the gorgeous backdrops for photo shoots.

We started off in the Tropical Biome then we went to the Mediterranean Biome and Babs Asper Display House. I was so happy to see the sunlight poke through the overcast skies to get that warm, humid glowing light that only a tropical setting can give you. My lenses were fogging up – and for a few shots, I intentionally left the fog on my lens for that extra “mood”. Why not? 🙂

Headshot and Clinic Photos for DBT Winnipeg

Jan 5, 2025 | Commercial Photography, Headshot Photography

The team at DBT Winnipeg, a mental health collective, needed updated photos for their website so I came in for an afternoon to do their headshots and interior office photography.

DBT Winnipeg’s Home Page

I was instantly greeted by some of the kindest and warmest people and walked into a beautiful space in the heart of Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District. Beautifully designed and decorated, their spaces were as warm and inviting as their clinicians.

It was a joy to take their photos and provide high-quality photos for them to update their website.

In late fall, natural window light can be tricky to work with so I came in with three off-camera lights to help light the photos. Here are a few highlights from the session including some behind the scenes photos.

DBT Winnipeg’s Website

Need new photos that showcase your team and space with professionalism?

Let’s connect!

Contact Gabrielle

Fall Mini Sessions: Winnipeg 2024

Oct 8, 2024 | Family, Mini Sessions

Every September I host mini family sessions in Winnipeg and the spots sell out so quickly! Families with little kids or older teenagers love these types of sessions because it’s not too long, and it keeps everyone engaged (and not bored!) for just the right amount of time.

This year I did the mini sessions at Kings Park on a Saturday afternoon and into the early evening, and it was absolutely beautiful! Fifteen minutes may seem like a short amount of time, but it’s enough to capture posed pictures and candid shots. I also love taking close up portraits of each kid (and headshots for the adults, if they want one).

Here’s a preview of some of the photos that we took this year. I still have a few more mini session and half-session spots left for October 2024. Just contact me to see my available dates!