You’re the apple of my eye!
It’s one of my favourite times of year: apple picking season!  If you’re planning to head out to the orchard with your family, here are some of my favourite tips for taking photos amongst the apple trees:

1.  Keep it simple.  If you’d like to take photos to print or share with family and friends, try to keep your child’s outfit simple.  Avoiding logos, words on clothing, bold patterns, and other distracting design elements will help keep the focus on the rich red and green colours and your child’s face.  If your child is older and loves to climb trees, make sure they’re wearing shoes that will allow them to explore the orchard!  

2.  Bring a blanket.  If your baby isn’t yet holding up their head or sitting on their own, bring a small blanket you can lay under the apple tree so you can have photos of them surrounded by apples.  It’s also a great way to keep them dry because the ground under the trees is often wet from rotting apples and the dew. 

3.  Watch the sun.  It’s hard to direct where your kids pick apples from keep in mind that ideally you want to take photos of them under the tree with their faces out towards the light.  This means you’ll be able to see them as well as the trees and apples in the background.  

4.  Not today.  Apple picking is not a day to request a “look at me and smile!” photo.   Not only will your kids be distracted by the busyness of other families enjoying the orchard but they’ll also be more concerned about picking (and eating) the apples.  Instead of focusing on posed portraits, take the time to focus on their experience of being at the orchard.  Some of my favourite photos to take:

  • their facial expressions as they are picking apples off the trees
  • action shots of them running and climbing in the orchard
  • their curiosity as they watch the people around them
  • their messy hands and face as they enjoy a sweet treat
  • their adorably clumsy efforts at dragging the giant bag of apples around with them
  • the interaction between parents and siblings as they work together to get the higher or reddest apples

If you want them to stay in one place for a longer period of time, challenge them to find an apple with the most red or an apple with no holes (or an apple with one or two holes!).  Another fun request is to get them to find the highest apple they can reach to pick and show you.

5. Ditch the plastic.  If you’re looking for some ‘picture perfect’ moments, consider bringing your own cloth bag to collect the apples as its much more photogenic than the plastic bags the orchards have on hands.