When people start thinking about fall family photos, October is usually the first month that comes to mind.

But if you’re planning your Kansas City family photos, there’s a pretty good reason to consider doing them in September instead.

September can give you the feeling of fall without quite as much of the unpredictable fall weather.

September Weather Is Just a Little More Comfortable

Come October, Kansas City weather can change quickly.

Mornings and evenings in September are AMAZING. So mild and not hot AT ALL. In contrast, October brings a much bigger drop in temperatureS… especially for those morning sessions! That difference matters when you’re standing outside taking family photos, willing your kiddos to be magical with amazing smiles.

Nobody wants to spend an hour trying to look happy while they’re secretly thinking, “I can’t feel my fingers.”

And while we obviously can’t control Kansas City weather, we’d much rather have a little extra warmth available than be hoping for one of those unusually warm October evenings.

You Have More Daylight to Work With

This is another advantage of doing your family photos earlier in the fall.

As we move through September and into October, the days get shorter. By the end of October, there is significantly less daylight than at the beginning of September.

That means our options for those beautiful evening sessions gradually move closer to the end of the school and workday. Where evening sessions during the summer would start as late as 7:30pm, as we move into the end of October, they start at 4-5pm!

September gives us more flexibility with scheduling, especially for families with school, sports, work, and all of the other things that seem to fill up the calendar once fall starts.

And let’s be honest—fall calendars get busy fast.

You Don’t Have to Wait for October to Get Beautiful Photos

We know the beautiful fall colors are one reason families wait until October. But the truth is, we never know exactly when the leaves will be at their peak. Some years they’re early, some years they’re late.

And really, the leaves aren’t the most important part of your family photos anyway.

Your family is.

The hugs, laughter, connections, and relationships are what you’ll treasure years from now.

So don’t wait for the “perfect” leaves. September can be a beautiful time to capture your family just as you are right now.

September Gives Us More Wiggle Room

This might be our favorite reason to schedule your family photos earlier.

Let’s say we have a September session scheduled and the weather doesn’t cooperate. No big deal…

There’s still time to reschedule without suddenly finding ourselves pushing the session into colder weather or running out of good dates.

Waiting until late October can make things more stressful.

If your October session gets rained out—or it’s suddenly 40 degrees and windy—we have fewer opportunities to move things around before we’ve lost comfortable shooting weather for the year.

The earlier you schedule, the more flexibility you have.

The goal is to create great photographs of your family while everyone is comfortable, relaxed, and actually enjoying themselves.

So if you’ve been thinking about fall family photos, don’t wait for October.

September might just be the better choice.

[Plan Your Fall Family Session →]