The Best London Parks for an Autumn Photoshoot
The best London parks for an autumn family photoshoot, if you want the deep reds and oranges rather than a carpet of brown, are Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon, Regent's Park and St James's Park.
If you want golden ferns, wild deer and backlight at sunset, then Richmond Park is my top pick. And if you're staying in town and want somewhere on your doorstep, Hyde Park along the Long Water does autumn beautifully too.
I've photographed families in every one of them, most autumns for a decade now, and each has its own colour, its own light, and its own best week. So if you are looking to get gorgeous Autumn photos with your family this Autumn, here's where I'd send you, and when.
Which London park has the best autumn colour?
If I had to pick then it is Cannizaro Park. Every time.
It's a small park in Wimbledon Village, right next to Wimbledon Common (which is also lovely for autumn shoots, and worth the walk on the same morning). The reason I love it so much is that it's a planted garden rather than an open park, with old, well-established trees and a LOT of maples. So instead of the browns and golds you get in most London parks, you get deep, deep reds and glorious oranges. It's the difference between an autumn photo and an AUTUMN photo, if you know what I mean.
It's where I run my autumn mini sessions every year, and if you can get yourself to Wimbledon Village in the second half of October, it's one of my top recommendations in the whole of London.
When it peaks: mid-October to mid-November, with a narrow window of about a week when it's at its absolute best. I time my minis for the second half of October and the first weekend of November to catch it.
Is Regent's Park good for autumn photos?
Yes, and it's my first suggestion for families visiting London from abroad who want proper autumn colour in a big, established, very London park. Regent's Park has reds and oranges as well as the golds, alongside beautifully manicured and stylised garden beds and stone fountains, and it's easy to get to from almost anywhere you're likely to be staying.
Last autumn I photographed two dads and their adorable baby girl there, and the colour behind them was as good as anywhere in the city. I've also run midweek mini sessions in Regent's Park in autumn for exactly that reason. And at the very end of this August a New York family I first photographed there in 2023 rang me out of the blue to squeeze in a return visit, and the drought had turned so many leaves early that the children spent the shoot throwing "autumn" leaves at each other. Nobody told them it was still summer. (If the leaves are already turning in August, October is going to be something.)
When it peaks: the beginning of October right through to mid-November.
Where in Richmond Park is best for a photoshoot in autumn?
The area around Pen Ponds. That's my top pick for Richmond at this time of year, and my go-to for sunset sessions from September all the way through to November.
Richmond is a different kind of autumn. It's wilder, and bigger, with proper wildlife vibes: there are deer wandering about, swans on the water, squirrels scampering around the place, AND my favourite thing, the ferns around Pen Ponds turning from green to gold. There's a wooded stretch there that feels like a forest, all greens and golds, and as the sun drops it comes streaming through the trees from behind. Backlight, golden ferns, a deer in the distance. It is like being in a fairytale. In the best way.
When it peaks: late September through to November. Richmond turns earlier than Cannizaro, so if you want autumn photos in September, this is the park.
When to book it: late afternoon into early evening. Golden hour is THE time for Richmond Park. Remember that sunset gets very early very fast in autumn (by early November the sun is down before half past four), so an "afternoon" shoot in Richmond in November starts at about three.
Can we get autumn colour AND Buckingham Palace in the same photos?
You can, and that's St James's Park. It has fantastic reds and oranges of its own (Cannizaro doesn't have a monopoly), plus golden leaves, the lake, and at one end a view of Buckingham Palace through the trees. From certain spots it looks a bit like a fairy-tale castle. (Buckingham Palace itself is more stately than fairy-tale, in fairness.) At the other end you've got Horse Guards Parade, with those grand, unmistakable Georgian buildings.
So for a visiting family who wants autumn colour with a landmark or two in the background, without a big march across the city, St James's Park does it all in one go.
Is Hyde Park good for autumn photos?
It is, with one honest caveat. Hyde Park doesn't do the reds and oranges the way Regent's does; it's more greens, golds and browns, but it has LOTS of trees and it's beautiful for sunset sessions in the autumn. If you're staying near Hyde Park, or you have a particular attachment to it, you actually get incredible autumn colour right along the Serpentine and the Long Water. That's my pick for Hyde Park, in the afternoon, when all the golden light comes in low across the water.
When it peaks: from now until November, best in the afternoon light.
What about Hampstead Heath for Autumn photos?
Hampstead Heath is lovely in autumn, and the one I'd choose for atmosphere. I photographed a family at the Pergola on Hampstead Heath one autumn on a misty day and it was so ethereal I still think about it. Mist plus old stone columns plus turning leaves is a combination you can't plan for, but if you get it, you'll never forget the photos. The Heath itself has all the autumnal vibes you could want.
What if our favourite park isn't on this list?
Then tell me about it. If you live in London and there's a park near you that does the reds and the golds beautifully, I will come to you. Some of my favourite family photos have been taken in a park I'd never have thought of, because a mum knew exactly where the best colours were. You know your park. I know the light. Between us, we'll get perfect Autumn photos in a place you love.
What time of day is best for autumn photos in London?
In the early Autumn, I suggest morning, before 10am, or the two hours before sunset. Those are the windows I book for autumn.
But I'll let you into a little secret, the thing I love most about this time of year is that in late October and throughout November we don't get many hours of daylight, which sounds like bad news, but because the sun never climbs to that harsh midday height, the light stays soft and warm all day long. It's why I love photographing in autumn and winter so much: when the sun's out, the light is gorgeous at almost any hour, and when it's overcast, you get that beautiful, soft, even light that makes everyone look lovely and the colours really pop.
So don't panic about a grey forecast. Grey is fine. Grey is very flattering. AND the leaves do the colour for us.
How much does an autumn family photoshoot in London cost?
A one-hour family photoshoot is £695 on a weekday and £795 at the weekend, and it's the one most families book: enough time for a proper wander through one of the parks above, a snack stop, and everyone warmed up and forgetting the camera. A 30-minute midweek mini is £525 (Tuesday to Thursday). Every session includes a pre-shoot chat, location and outfit guidance, and your professionally edited digital images in a private online gallery within 10 to 14 days. A £175 deposit secures your date and the balance is due a week before we shoot.
If you'd like autumn colour on a smaller budget, that's exactly what my autumn mini sessions are for.
Do you run autumn mini sessions?
I do, every year, at Cannizaro Park, timed for the week it's at its best. This year's dates are 17 and 18 October and 7 November, they're 25 minutes each, and they're £400 including five digital images of your choice and a 12" × 8" fine art print. They sell out every year (four years running now), and my waitlist gets first pick before anything goes on the website. My Seasonal Mini Session page has the details and whatever is still available.
Ready for the reds and golds?
Autumn is a very short season and the good weeks are shorter still. If you want Cannizaro at its peak you're looking at a handful of days in late October; if you want Richmond at sunset you're looking at a start time that creeps earlier every week. So if this autumn is the one you want for your family photos, now is the moment to get in touch, tell me which park (or which corner of London you're staying in), and let me sort the rest.
A mum I've photographed since her daughter was nine months old put it like this recently: "We have done photoshoots at home, in parks, autumn themed and London sights. Each session has been well thought out and the time flies by." That's the plan for yours too.
Planning a trip to London this autumn? My London family vacation photography page has everything visiting families need to know. And if you're thinking ahead to December, here's my guide to a Christmas family photoshoot in London.
Good Questions, Honest Answers
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Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon. It's a planted garden full of maples, so you get deep reds and oranges rather than the browns and golds of most London parks. Regent's Park and St James's Park also have good reds; Richmond Park is best for golden ferns and sunset backlight.
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It depends on the park. Richmond Park is beautiful from late September to November. Regent's Park and Hyde Park peak from early October to mid-November. Cannizaro Park peaks from mid-October to mid-November, with about a week when it's at its very best.
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Before 10am, or the two hours before sunset. In late October and November the sun stays low all day, so the light is soft and flattering for much longer than in summer. Overcast days work beautifully too.
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Yes. If you live in London and have a favourite park that turns beautifully in autumn, I'll come to you.
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A one-hour session is £695 on a weekday or £795 at the weekend, with edited digital images delivered in a private online gallery within 10 to 14 days. A 30-minute midweek mini is £525. Autumn mini sessions at Cannizaro Park are £400.
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Yes. They run at Cannizaro Park in the second half of October and the first weekend of November, are 25 minutes long, and cost £400 including five digital images and a fine art print. They sell out every year, and the waitlist books first.