Fall in Minnesota is a genuinely special thing. The light gets softer, the air gets crisp, and the landscape turns into something that photographers dream about all year. For high school seniors, a fall session in the Twin Cities metro offers a backdrop that is almost impossible to replicate in any other season. But fall also moves fast, books up faster, and requires a little more planning than a summer session. Here's everything you need to know to make yours count.
When to Book Your Fall Session
This is the single most important piece of advice I can give you: book early. Fall senior sessions in the Twin Cities fill up starting in late spring and early summer, and by the time school starts in August, most photographers who shoot in September and October are already at capacity or close to it.
The sweet spot for fall foliage in the Twin Cities metro is typically the last two weeks of September through the first week of October. That's when the colors peak across most of the northwest suburbs, including Coon Rapids, Blaine, Andover, Maple Grove, and the areas around Bunker Hills and Elm Creek. That's a narrow window, and it gets split between a lot of seniors.
Booking Tip
If you want a September or early October date, reach out in June or July at the latest. For the most in-demand weekend slots, even earlier. A 50% retainer holds your date once you book.
If you miss the peak foliage window, don't panic. Late October still offers beautiful light and texture, just with more muted tones and bare branches that create their own kind of dramatic backdrop. Some of the most striking senior portraits I've shot in Minnesota came from late October sessions when the color was mostly gone but the light was doing something extraordinary.
Best Locations for Fall Senior Photos in the Twin Cities
One of the biggest advantages of shooting fall sessions in the northwest metro is the sheer variety of location options within a short drive of each other. You don't have to pick just one backdrop when you can move between a wooded trail, an open field, and an urban street within the same session.
Bunker Hills Regional Park, Andover
This is one of my most-used locations for fall sessions and for good reason. The park has a mix of wooded paths that turn gold and orange in late September, open meadow sections with big sky, and a lake that reflects the fall light beautifully in the late afternoon. It's versatile enough to give you three or four completely different looks within a 20-minute walk.
Elm Creek Park Reserve, Maple Grove
Elm Creek is massive, which means you can always find a quiet corner even on a busy weekend. The trails through the wooded sections are particularly good in early October, and the open grassland areas near the trailheads give you that wide-open, editorial feel that photographs really well in fall light.
Downtown Minneapolis
If your senior wants something completely different from the typical fall foliage backdrop, the city is always an option. The North Loop, Northeast Minneapolis, and the Stone Arch Bridge area all offer textures and light that contrast beautifully with fall styling. Urban sessions book up fast too, so plan accordingly.
Your Own Neighborhood
Don't overlook the obvious. Mature tree-lined residential streets throughout Coon Rapids, Blaine, Andover, and the surrounding suburbs turn into natural tunnels of fall color in late September. Some of the most personal and memorable senior portraits I've captured were shot within a few blocks of where the senior grew up.
"Fall light in Minnesota has a warmth and quality to it that doesn't exist in any other season. The sun sits lower in the sky, which means even a midday session can produce golden, directional light that summer sessions only get for a narrow window at sunset."
What to Wear to Your Fall Senior Session
Outfit planning for a fall session is one of the most fun parts of the process, and it's also where a lot of seniors either nail it or leave potential on the table. Here's how to think about it.
Lean into the season, don't fight it
Fall tones work with fall backdrops. Warm neutrals, rust, burgundy, olive, camel, cream, and forest green all photograph beautifully against fall foliage. Bright neon colors, cool pastels, and stark white can work in the right conditions but require more intentional styling. When in doubt, warm tones are safe.
Layers are your friend
A well-chosen jacket, flannel, or cozy sweater adds dimension and texture to the frame in a way that a single-layer outfit usually doesn't. They also give you the option to shoot with and without the layer, effectively giving you two looks from one outfit change.
Bring more than you think you need
The Essential package allows up to 2 outfits, the Deluxe allows 3, and the Premiere allows 4. Use them. Having options on location is always better than wishing you'd brought one more choice. Even if you don't use everything, the variety in the gallery will feel much richer.
Think about shoes
Fall sessions often involve walking on trails, grass, and uneven ground. Wear shoes you can actually move in, especially for location-to-location transitions. If you want a specific pair of shoes in the portraits, bring them and change on site.
Outfit Tip
After you book, we'll connect to talk through your outfit ideas before the session. Bring photos of what you're thinking and we'll talk through what will work best for your chosen location and the time of year.
Timing Your Session for the Best Light
In September and October, the golden hour in the Twin Cities hits earlier than it does in summer. By late September, sunset is around 7pm, which means golden hour starts around 5:30 to 6pm. By mid-October, sunset is closer to 6:15pm, and golden hour compresses accordingly.
If you want that warm, glowing fall light that makes foliage backgrounds look like they're lit from inside, a late afternoon session starting around 4 to 5pm is the move. It gives you enough time to get through outfit changes and multiple locations before the light gets too low.
That said, overcast fall days are genuinely underrated. A flat gray sky acts as a giant softbox, eliminating harsh shadows and giving you even, flattering light across the entire session. Some of the most editorial-looking senior portraits I've shot were on days when the sun never came out at all. Don't reschedule at the first sign of clouds.
The Drone Advantage in Fall Foliage
Every senior portrait session with Steve Lunden Photography includes a drone aerial portrait via DJI Mavic Air 2, and fall is hands down the best time of year to use it. Looking straight down at a senior surrounded by a canopy of orange and gold foliage from 100 feet up produces an image that is genuinely unlike anything you can get from ground level.
Drone aerials are weather-dependent and subject to FAA airspace regulations, so not every location allows them. Bunker Hills and Elm Creek are both generally drone-friendly. We'll confirm logistics before your session based on your chosen location.
Now Booking: Class of 2027
If you're a Class of 2027 senior in the Twin Cities metro, specifically in Coon Rapids, Blaine, Andover, Maple Grove, or anywhere in the northwest suburbs, fall dates are filling up now. The best way to secure your preferred date is to book as soon as you have a rough idea of when you want to shoot.
Three packages are available starting at $250. All include drone aerials, professional off-camera lighting, and a private online gallery delivered within 7 to 10 days. A 50% non-refundable retainer holds your date.
Browse the full details on the seniors page or head straight to booking below.