There is no question that autumn in New York is absolutely my favorite season. If you’re planning to be here for any part of the magic that is fall in NYC, you’re in for a real treat.

This is truly the time of year where the weather makes it so pleasant to be outside that you’ll inexplicably find yourself hitting 10,000 steps a day with ease because one of the best things to do is walk around and enjoy yourself.

That being said, creating great content during this time of year does require some planning, so I wanted to do the heavy lifting for you and give you a complete guide to having a fall-themed photo shoot in New York City.

Read on to learn:

When the leaves change in NYC
What to wear for a fall photo shoot
15 fall photo shoot ideas to try in New York City
Fall photo shoot tips
Tips for editing photos
Autumn motifs/props to use in photos
How to get creative with your photo shoot ideas

When do the leaves change in NYC?

Incorporating fall foliage into your imagery is probably one of the best parts of autumn in New York.

So that just begs the question - when do the leaves start to change colors in the city?

Based on when they changed in 2021, this year we can expect the leaves to be at their peak fall colors in NYC from mid-October to early November.

Want the most up-to-date data and information about when the leaves change colors in the entirety of New York State? The I Love NY Instagram account has you covered.

They publish weekly leaf-tracking reports documenting when the leaves first start to change all the way through their peak colors to when they start to drop off.

What to wear for a fall photo shoot

I love dressing for fall weather, and some of the pieces you choose to wear for your photo shoot can really help set the scene in a photo.

From evergreen fall trends like houndstooth or plaid to interesting fabrics like leather and wool, dressing inspired by the season will help bring your autumn photo shoot to life.

In general, I recommend leaning into fall tones and colors—from mustard yellow to burgundy red any of the warm tones in the color spectrum will fit right into your fall photo shoot concept.

Some of my favorite items to wear for fall photoshoots include:

Beanie hats
Chunky knit sweaters
Maxi dresses
Over-the-knee boots
Cardigans
Leather jackets
Lug sole combat boots

Here are a few more ideas to help you put together fall outfits! Click on any image below to shop.

Shop fall fashion:

Need additional fall photo shoot outfit ideas? Check out my recent blog post about how to style white boots for fall.

At the end of the day, you can put your own unique spin on fall style and wear something that makes you feel confident and beautiful.

15 fall photo shoot ideas in New York City

It’s hard to go wrong with choosing a photo shoot location in the city during this time of year in the city, but here are a few ideas to get you going.

1. Take photos at a restaurant

A girl’s got to eat so you might as well get some content while you do it! Early fall is a great time to soak up the final days of peak outdoor dining weather, so pop by your favorite restaurant in a cute fall outfit with a friend and take each other’s photos.

2. Find fun fall installations

Each year Pier17 does some sort of fall installation that is definitely worth checking out in the city. Last year they did a big pumpkin arch (and here’s a look at the 2022 arch!) You can keep your outfit simple and let the background speak for itself.

3. You can’t beat Central Park

Visiting Central Park in autumn is absolutely essential. Every corner of the park is pure magic and great for taking photos. Whether you wander up on top of the rocks to see the skyline, pop down by the reservoir or take photos on one of the many adorable bridges, you can’t lose.

4. Sit on a bench

With perfectly crisp temperatures that would make any New Yorker swoon, autumn is the best time of the year to sit on a bench outside. Bring a prop like a book or a cup of coffee and try different poses. Sitting shots can add some variety to your feed if you primarily post standing photos.

5. Pose with leaves

This is one of those photo ideas that I’ll admit feels awkward at the moment, but the photos always turn out so cute. If you’re visiting NYC before the leaves change, all you need is to find one great leaf in a warm shade to pose with for this one!

6. Match outfits with a friend

Fall is better with friends, especially when it comes to fall fashion. You don’t need to be perfectly matched with a companion (although you can be!) but even dressing in similar shades or colors can make for a great fall photo. Pro tip: these close-up images make for great reels covers.

7. Strolling cute neighborhoods

Taking a long walk through NoLita, the West Village or Williamsburg is one of my favorite things to do this time of year. Bring your tripod to snap a few picks or grab coffee with a friend and bring them along for a good stroll and catch up.

8. Find fall colored backgrounds

If dressing in fall colors isn’t your thing, you can always find cute spots to pose in front of that incorporate fall colors. Some of my favorite options for this are to find doorways in jewel tones, stoops with Halloween decor, or really any brick wall to incorporate fall tones into your imagery.

9. Pose at iconic locations

Some of the best-known spots in New York really thrive during fall. Some favorites include Grand Army Plaza and Washington Square Park, but wherever you are in NYC, there are recognizable spots on every corner.

10. Walk along the waterfront

The NYC waterfront is one of my year-round favorite places to be (except during windy winter days) and during autumn is a great time to take in the panoramic views of the city while snapping some cute photos (just bring an extra layer you can remove for the photos in case it’s windy!)

11. Hop over to Roosevelt Island

Speaking of waterfronts, Roosevelt Island is a majorly underrated fall photo destination. Not only can you walk through Four Freedoms Park on the south side of the island when the trees turn but you can also walk by the abandoned smallpox hospital and take photos there. Spooky!

12. Every city park shines in autumn

Central Park does get a lot of love during this time of year and it’s easy to see why, but don’t sleep on the other amazing NYC parks like Madison Square Park. You can even bring some sandwiches and a blanket and have a picnic photo shoot.

13. Pose in front of cute storefronts

If you’re tight on time, fit a photo shoot in with a social activity like getting breakfast or dinner with a friend. All of these were taken when meeting up with friends for coffee, drinks or dinner and this also gave me inspiration for what to include in the captions of my photos because I was able to review the restaurants, describe my day and more.

14. Find a simple sidewalk or street corner

When in doubt, sometimes a simple background is best to let your outfit stand out. Sometimes a plain street corner or a quiet sidewalk is the best place to get the shot. I typically recommend walking around lower Manhattan for this (photos below were shot in the Financial District and Greenwich Village respectively, but wherever you are in the city you can make it work.

15. Take a drive and get out of the city

If you feel like you’ve gotten your city fix of photos and you have access to a car or Amtrak, consider making moves upstate to enjoy more of what New York has to offer during fall.

I recommend checking out the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers or if you’re feeling brave checking out Breakneck Ridge and taking in the foliage from the mountain top.

Bonus: I also love the Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park up in Washington Heights during this time of year but couldn’t find any photos I’ve taken up there to share in this post. I’ll have to make a trip up there this year and update the post later!

Fall photo shoot tips

Whether you’re heading out on a solo mission to take pictures or you have some help, here are a few tips for getting the perfect shot.

By looking at this blog post, you’re already doing some research for ideas before you head out for a photo shoot. You can take it one step further and look up where you want to take photos on Instagram before you head out to save time.

I’d make a point to head to the tagged photos tab on an account or recent photos of a location tag of wherever you may want to go to see what that place looks like right now.

If you’re taking your own photos - bring a tripod (I recommend this one) and turn on the self-timer setting with your phone. Prepare to be patient and take more photos than you think you’ll need. Use the back-facing camera for better quality.

If someone is helping you take photos - give them a heads up that you want to take photos and give them simple framing instructions once you arrive at your spot. You can even have them stand in for a test shot so you can show them what you’re looking for.

Tips for editing fall photos

When it comes to putting the perfect fall spin on any photos or videos you may capture, it’s easier than ever with our phones and computers.

One of my favorite ways to enhance photos more for fall is to increase the warmth on the photo. You can do this in any photo editing app or even in your phone’s camera roll. Open the editor, select the thermometer icon and increase the warmth.

Another trick you can do in Adobe Photoshop is to mask certain parts of your image and change the color of them without altering the colors in the rest of the photo.

For example, if you went to Central Park and the leaves hadn’t quite changed colors yet, you can do some editing magic and enhance certain colors or tones in the photo to bring out more of the color and make it pop in the image.

My friend Karya has a really helpful TikTok tutorial showing how to do this technique in Photoshop that you can watch here.

If you don’t feel like doing a ton of work to edit photos, you can also purchase Lightroom presets on Etsy!

Just search “fall presets” on Etsy and be sure to read the fine print before you buy to understand if the presets are meant for images shot in RAW or JPEG format so you will be happy with the results.

Fall motifs / props to include in images

autumn foliage - duh!
brick walls
ivy-covered walls
pumpkins
fall drinks (PSL, hot chai tea latte, apple cider)
Halloween decor
a bouquet of fall flowers
apple cider donuts
hardcover books
beanies
hard-brim hats
scarves

Get creative with your photo shoot concepts

When in doubt, adding a bit of spice, humor or action into your shots is a fun way to shake up a classic photo opp. Plus, you’re not limited to outdoor photo shoot ideas. Try one of these:

Some ideas to try include:

toss leaves above your head
toss a scarf towards the camera for a dramatic, elongated visual effect
try a detail shot while cozied up at a coffee shop
make your home the backdrop and wrap yourself in a blanket with a warm cuppa
mimic Halloween decorations you see out and about

And there you have it! Plenty of ideas to get you started with creating a great fall photoshoot in New York City.

During this time of year there is truly magic on every corner of the city so no matter what neighborhood you’re in, keep your eyes peeled for storefronts, crosswalks and aesthetic backdrops that would look great in photos.
Were you inspired by this post? Have additional cute fall photo shoot ideas to share? Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

Want more New York City photo shoot ideas? Check out my recent blog post about planning a birthday photo shoot in NYC.

yours,

Austen

Photos by Karya Schanilec, Jessie Alcheh, Victoria Saperstein, and others.

How To Plan an Amazing Fall Photo Shoot in NYC