Fall Family Photography in Ottawa – Best locations

Fall Family Photography in Ottawa – Best locations. Fall is such a beautiful time of year. It’s my favourite time of year to do family photos in. The colours are just so pretty and I love being able to accessorize my outfits with scarves and other fun layers. We’re so very lucky to live in Ottawa as the colours here are spectacular this time of year. On top of that, we have so many beautiful places to take family photos in. Below is a list of some of my favourites:

1 – Gatineau Park – Gatineau park is by far one of the best spots to visit in Fall. There are so many beautiful backdrops to use for family photos and you can take advantage of many locations during Fall Rhapsody. The park is about 15 minutes from downtown Ottawa and you can visit trails, lakes and and many scenic lookouts.

2 – Eagle’s Nest Lookout – Located in Calabogie, Eagle’s Nest Lookout will amaze you with its beautiful view once you reach the top. You do need to hike to this spot so come prepared! And be prepared to take some beautiful photos as the Fall colours won’t disappoint.

3 – Arboretum – This is one of my favourite spots to photograph families all year round. Although the Arboretum doesn’t turn as colourful as some other parts of the city, the Arboretum is home to more than 2,000 varieties of trees and shrubs that make for some beautiful backdrops no matter the time of the year.

4 – Mer Bleue Bog – There are about 20 kms of trails to enjoy at this spot. You can also stroll the 1-km boardwalk to take some lovely Fall family photos. There are so many rare plants and bird life at this location that it’s just another reason to visit this beautiful place.

5 – Hog’s Back Falls – One of the prettiest waterfalls in Ottawa… and how beautiful will those family photos look with charming waterfalls, rocks and trees behind you? Make sure you walk around the area to enjoy various vantage points.

If you’re looking for a Photographer to help you capture those beautiful family shots, make sure to take a peek at my packages. Every year I offer Fall Mini Sessions and this year is no different! Spots fill up quick so make sure you reserve your booking soon. 🙂

Whether you are looking to get some professional photos done or whether you’re just looking to enjoy the Fall season on your own, all of the locations above will be worth a visit and definitely won’t disappoint. 😉

Photography safety procedures during Coronavirus

The last few months have been very trying for many due to Covid-19. As businesses start to re-open, I want to assure you that Little Wagon Photography will be taking all possible measures to maintain the safety of your family (and ours) during your family photo session. While Photographers are once again open for business, here are some of the things that I’ll be doing on my end to prevent the spread of the virus:

1 – Maintaining social distance. At this time, Little Wagon Photography will only be offering outdoor photography sessions in the Ottawa area. This will help me ensure that I can keep a distance of of 6 feet (or 2 meters) from your family at all times.

2 – Choosing the location wisely. While there are many beautiful spots in Ottawa to photograph at, I will be choosing photo locations that offer plenty of space for us to photograph at without being crowded by people around us.

3 – Bringing a sanitizer. Yes, sanitizers are finally available again! And I will be bringing one along for myself and any clients that would like to use it before/after our session.

4 – Wearing a mask. I’m lucky that my mom made some very cute masks for my family to wear. So I’ll be wearing a fashionable pink mask when you see me for your family photo session. 🙂

5 – Making sure we’re all healthy prior to our photo session. Prior to our photography photo-shoot, I will contact all clients to make sure everyone is feeling healthy and have no symptoms of Coronavirus (cough, fever, cold-like symptoms, etc). I will definitely let you know the same about me.

6 – Following local guidelines. At this time, Photographers in Ottawa are allowed to photograph outdoors as long as we keep 6 feet away from our clients and as long as we don’t exceed a group of 10 people. If these guidelines change, I will be letting all of my clients know ahead of our photo session.

My goal is to provide a safe environment and fun experience for all who are entrusting me with their photo session. If you have any questions about the above, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m looking forward to helping your family capture some beautiful photos for you to cherish!

Tips on what to wear for an outdoor family photo session in Ottawa

Considering what to wear for an outdoor family photography session in Ottawa can be a stressful thing for some but it really doesn’t have to be! Here are some tips on how to make this part of the planning fun and stress-free.

1. Allow plenty of time to plan for this occasion. The more time you have, the less stressed you’ll feel.
2. Take some time to go through your Photographer’s website and Pinterest to get some ideas. This will give you lots of inspiration and samples of colours, textures, etc that could work for you. It will also help you decide the styles that you like and the styles that you don’t like to make it easier for you.
3. Consider the season you’ll be doing your family photos in. The time of year you take your family photos definitely affects what you wear, especially when living in a city with all four seasons such as Ottawa. For example: in Spring, skirts, dresses, bright colours are all great choices. For Fall, you’ll be looking at deeper tones as well as more texture; adding vests, scarves, etc to your look.
4. Choose colours that go well together but that are not matching. Long are the days where everyone wore a black shirt and jeans for their family photo shoot. By choosing a colour scheme that you like and adding hues that go well with one another you will achieve a more natural look. A good rule of thumb is to choose two main colours and add softer tones to compliment your colour choice.
5. Keep the location of your Ottawa photo session in mind. Are you going to be surrounded by green trees (if so, avoid wearing green)? Will you be surrounded by pink blossoms (softer tones such as white and blue might look beautiful here), will there be fall leaves all over the ground? Choose a colour scheme that will go well with your background and not compete with it. If you’re unsure of your location, contact your Photographer so she can give you some feedback.
6. Avoid large patterns or logos. Your 2 year-old might want to wear his favourite t-shirt that has a large dinosaur on it while your 18 year-old might want to wear his favourite sweater with a huge logo written across it. In both situations, those could be quite distracting and take the attention away from your faces.
7. Make sure you’re all comfortable with the outfits you choose for your photography session. If your toddler is unhappy, you’ll all be unhappy… 😉
8. Consider your home decor. Since you might want to print some of these photos and display them throughout your home, make sure that you select clothes that you think would look good with the colour and decor of your home.
9. Accessories, accessories, accessories… a vest, a scarf, a hat… those are all cute pieces that can be easily included in your family photography session. Want a different look for a couple of photos? Just remove that scarf/vest/hat. They’re fun and easy to bring along so why not try?
10. Lay each family member’s outfit together to see what they look like as a group. This will give you a great final look to see if they’re working well together or if something needs to be changed before the photo session.
11. Timeless portrait. If you’re short in time or if coordinating colours is not your thing, opt for soft, neutral tones. Staying classic will ensure that you have timeless photos, regardless of what is in style or not.
12. Enjoy the process! This should be fun and the most important thing is that everyone is comfortable with what they’re wearing so that they can enjoy their time during the photo shoot. Ottawa is a beautiful place with wonderful scenery and a great Photographer will guide you with any help that you might need with the process. 🙂

Family Photography Ottawa – Outdoor Summer Session

I often blog mostly about newborn sessions because, let’s face it, everyone wants to see photos of cute little babies! 🙂 But a lot of my work is spent outdoors photographing amazing families during the warmer months. Outdoor family photography sessions usually begin around March or April and sometimes go as late as December! But I’m all about going outdoors in Winter too for those more adventurous families. I have known this particular family for about 5 years now and I absolutely love watching their kids grow. The first time I met them, their daughter was just a little baby! It was so fun seeing the kids personalities fully formed now. They are such great and fun-loving kids!

There are so many beautiful places around the city of Ottawa to do family photos. You can turn most parks, trails, etc in a beautiful backdrop for your family photography session. Personally, I love photographing families towards the end of the day. The sun is softer and the lighting is dreamy. However, a lot of families with younger kids prefer taking photos earlier in the day. And that is totally ok! Many places offer beautiful open shaded areas that will work wonders for any photography session.

When clients book a session with me, we talk about location, best time to book (based on the light as well as their kids ages) and even suggestions on what to wear. And no, you don’t have to go buying a whole new wardrobe for your photo session. 😉 There are many simple outfits that will look beautiful for a family photo session. If I can give you one piece of advice is to avoid green! You don’t want to blend with the grass and the trees…

Please click here to see more samples of family photos in the Ottawa area. And feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the beautiful Summer weather!