If you didn't know by now my prime season is FALL. It is my favorite time of year with the weather changes, beautiful fall foliage and the start of cozy season. There's just something about it, even though the weather gets colder everything else around you feels warmer!
Fall also happens to be busy season for us photographers. We are trying to get the fall shoots in, the fall colors, planning for Christmas in Septemeber - you know, the usual. It all tends to fall within a few weeks too because once those leaves start to change color you are on the clock! Needless to say most October's come and go and I don't get the chance to do any "creative" sessions. Now that's a-okay because busy is good! This year, on the other hand, I "carved" (get it like carving pumpkins) out time specifically hoping to pull this together.
I have wanted to do the oh-so trendy pumpkin head fall photoshoot for two falls now. It's the combination of everything I love! During the fall, a little spooky AND I'm behind the camera - yes please! Luckily my best friends were available to help me bring this to life, right at peak fall foliage, nonetheless.
I learned a thing or two about putting this together as I gave it my first shot. I went to a local garden center and looked at their biggest pumpkins. I tried to eyeball it being able to fit on someones head and I did a relatively good job. ha! However - here are some things to keep in mind if you would like to try this at home!
Picking out the perfect Pumpkin Head for a Fall Photoshoot:
- look for good height
- I say this because I found one with good height and the other a smidge shorter. The one that was shorter we had to carve more of the bottom off to fit the width of the models head, which led to obviously a shorter pumpkin head lol. It worked out great but there were a few times her shower cap was exposed or her chin wasn't completely covered depending on the way the pumpkin fell.
- look for even roundness around the whole pumpkin, not just one side
- My poor friends nose was squished up against the pumpkin because the back was flatter than the front. When I picked them out all I was really hoping for was that their heads would fit. Not thinking that once their head was in the pumpkin it would lay a certain way depending on the shape.
- a good stem is helpful and adds some character , that is all 🙂
Here are a few other things to keep in mind when planning your own pumpkin head fall photoshoot.
Try to keep hair clean - especially if you plan to do some pictures without the pumpkins on. Originally I thought I would line the pumpkin with plastic wrap in the back and top but then thought it would just fall of with nothing really to stick to. Then I thought of shower caps! They worked out great, my friends stopped and grabbed some from the dollar store on their way to the shoot.
Try to get your friends or family to dress neutral or spooky. Orange can be a harsh color and trying to edit it with any other wild or harsh colors could turn into an editing nightmare. Have them wear their best fall outfit or all black is also a safe bet! That way the pumpkins are really the focus point and stand out amongst the other tones in the fall leaves!
Peak fall foliage up north is normally a three week window with week two normally being prime. It is very dependent on weather like rain, sun, wind (even snow) as variables that could change this timeframe. So be ready to act the week after those leaves start to change color!
You'll need some good carving tools for that pumpkin head of yours! I kept my designs simple and free hand carved them. That would be much harder if I didn't have the right tools. A good carving knife and a guts scooper will help keep the process moving! I don't have this set but the one I do have is very similar. Something like this should do the trick! Carving Kits on Amazon
I went crazy and bought a fog machine to add some effect to the background. It created a fun spooky environment but definitely not necessary! Get creative with it. I was torn between going full blown spooky and creepy or more of a spoopy feel. I went spoopy (kinda spooky but kinda cute) because that's the vibe I felt from my models!
If you're in Northern New Jersey and would like to book a pumpkin head fall photoshoot let me know! We will get you on the calendar! Reach out to Ash here!
