Fall Is Coming! Autumn Sessions, Christmas Photos & a Little Studio Update
August 22, 2026
It feels a little crazy to say this already, but we are officially heading into my busiest and absolute favorite time of year! There is A LOT happening over here between finishing summer galleries, updating the website, planning autumn sessions, adding more winery dates, and getting ready for all of my Christmas sessions.
So I thought this would be a good time to put everything in one place. Here’s a little update on what I’m working on, what’s coming up, and a few things I want you to know as we head into fall and the holidays.
First, a few website updates!
I’ve been doing a little work behind the scenes on my website, and my Milestone and Cake Smash pages have both had an update!
The Milestone page has more information about the different ways we can celebrate all of those fun in between stages of childhood, including themed milestone sessions and different options depending on what you have in mind. Glitter Sessions will also be joining this page soon as a year round option!
My Cake Smash page has also been updated with more information about planning your baby’s first birthday session, including the different session options, backdrops, custom setups, and how far in advance you should start planning. If you have a first birthday coming up, especially if you have something custom in mind, take a peek sooner rather than later.
Now, a little gallery update!
I’m working on getting Glitter Mini galleries finished and out this weekend, and then I’ll be moving on to Beach Minis next week! I’ll be out of town Thursday through Wednesday, so I’ll get as much done as I can before I leave and then pick right back up with Beach Minis when I get home.
I know waiting for your photos is hard when you’re excited to see them, and I really appreciate everyone being patient with me while I work through each gallery. Every gallery is individually edited by me, and that takes time. I don’t want to rush through your images just to get them out the door. I want you to receive a gallery that I’m proud of and that you’re excited to keep.
And that brings me to one of my biggest reminders as we head into busy season…
If you need your photos by a certain date, book early!
If you need your photos for Christmas cards, gifts, prints, announcements, or anything else with a deadline, please don’t wait until the last minute to schedule your session. The earlier we photograph your session, the earlier your gallery gets into my editing queue and the sooner you’ll have those photos in your hands.
Once October and November arrive, I’m photographing a LOT of families. Sessions photographed earlier in the season are naturally going to be edited and delivered before sessions photographed closer to Christmas.
So if you’re someone who wants Christmas cards ordered early, wants to give framed photos as gifts, or simply doesn’t want to be anxiously checking your email in December waiting for pictures, choose the earlier session date when you can. Future you will be very happy you did!
Let’s talk AUTUMN!
I still have lots of golden hour availability for families who want autumn photos this year. If you’ve been thinking about Vasona Lake, Mount Madonna, or another outdoor location, there is still time to get something on the calendar.
And these absolutely do not have to be minis! If you want more time, more variety, have a larger family, or just want a slower session without watching the clock, we can plan a full family session instead.
Autumn is one of my favorite times of year to photograph families. The colors, the cooler evenings, and that gorgeous golden light are just so good. If you have a location in mind or aren’t sure where you want to go, send me a message and we can figure it out together.
More Autumn in the Winery!
Yes…I opened up more winery dates.
I was trying to be nice and not take over all of Tim’s weekends because he comes along and helps me with these sessions. Then he told me that he really doesn’t mind working with me on the weekends.
So obviously I’m going to make him regret telling me that.
I’ve officially added November 21st and November 22nd as two more Autumn in the Winery dates! If you’ve been wanting one of these sessions but couldn’t make one of the earlier dates work, you now have a couple more opportunities later in the season.
You can see the available dates and times and grab your session directly through the booking page:
And of course…CHRISTMAS!
Christmas sessions are OPEN and there is still plenty of availability!
I have both studio and outdoor Christmas sessions this year, so there are options whether you want something styled and festive or something outdoors with more of that natural holiday feeling.
If Christmas photos are on your list this year, don’t feel like you need to wait until November or December to take them. Remember that earlier sessions mean earlier galleries, which gives you so much more breathing room for cards, prints, gifts, and everything else that somehow piles up during the holidays.
I’ve put all of the Christmas options together on my Holiday page so you can easily look through the different sessions, dates, pricing, and availability in one place.
Getting the whole family together for the holidays?
Christmas Minis aren’t the only reason to think about photos during the holiday season.
This is also one of those rare times of year when everyone actually manages to be in the same place. Grandparents are visiting, grown kids come home, siblings are together, grandkids are running around, and family members who may live hours or even states apart suddenly end up under the same roof.
Take the picture.
I offer Generational Family Sessions for exactly this reason. These sessions give us time to photograph everyone together, along with grandparents and grandchildren, siblings, individual families, couples, cousins, and all of those smaller combinations that make up your family.
If everyone is going to be together this Thanksgiving or Christmas and your family has been saying, “We really need a picture of all of us,” for years…this might be the year to actually do it.
These are the photographs that become more important with time.
Explore Family & Generational Sessions
A reminder about payment plans
I also want to remind everyone that payment plans are available for larger sessions.
If there’s a session you really want, but paying for the entire thing at once feels like a lot, talk to me about setting up a payment plan. It’s a great way to book the session you actually want and slowly pay toward it leading up to your date.
This can be especially helpful for longer sessions and larger Generational Family Sessions. You don’t necessarily have to choose a smaller session simply because it’s easier to pay for all at once. We can plan ahead and break things up in a way that works better for you.
Glitter Sessions are here to stay!
My Glitter Minis have been SO much fun, and I’m excited to officially bring them to my website as a year round Milestone Session!
That means you won’t have to wait around for me to announce another round of Glitter Minis. If your little one has a birthday coming up, loves everything sparkly, or you just want an excuse to let them make a giant glittery mess while I photograph it, you’ll be able to book one throughout the year.
I’ll be adding all of the details to my Milestone page soon!
And probably my biggest reminder…please talk to me!
I love self booking. I love that you can go to my website at 11:00 at night in your pajamas, look through everything, choose your session, find a date, pay your deposit, and have it completely taken care of without ever having to wait for me.
But I never want self booking to make you feel like you have to figure everything out on your own.
I genuinely love talking to my families and helping you plan. That’s part of what I’m here for.
If you don’t know which session you need, aren’t sure about a location, need help finding a date, want to talk about a payment plan, have a larger family, or have an idea that doesn’t quite fit into something you see on my website, reach out.
Sometimes all you need to send me is, “Hey Theresa, here’s what I’m thinking…”
We can go from there.
As much as I love making booking convenient, what’s more important to me is making sure we’re planning the session you actually want. I want to hear your ideas. I want to know what you’re picturing. And if you’re completely lost and have no idea what you want, I can help with that too!
So whether you’re thinking about autumn family photos, Christmas sessions, getting the entire family together, a milestone, a cake smash, or something completely different, don’t be afraid to ask.
Have a question? Send me a message
There’s a LOT coming over the next few months, and I’m very excited for all of it.
Now I’m going to get back to editing those Glitter Minis!
Theresa