Fall in love with fall: The best photo book ideas for the coziest season

If you’re a fall fanatic, you’re not alone. According to a CBS News report, fall ranks as America’s favorite season by far. Just a few of the things that make the season so delightful are cooler, yet still mild weather, nature’s spectacular show of color-changing leaves, the timeless fun of Halloween, and an all-around embrace of everything cozy.

One more favorite thing about fall is that it’s fabulously photogenic. Capture all the season’s adventures on camera, from outings to the pumpkin patch (where you’re all adorably dressed!) to family gatherings around feasts of comfort food. Then, preserve all those memories in a fall-themed photo book, the perfect project idea to delve into as you start spending more time indoors.

Here are some suggestions—and recommended themes—for fall photo books. Dedicate an entire book to one of these ideas, or bring them all together in an ode to autumn.

Tip: These ideas could also inspire the fall sections of a year-in-review book.

Spectacular fall foliage adventures

The fall phenomenon of leaves changing from greens to fiery hues occurs wherever there are deciduous trees, but certain regions are known for putting on a truly breathtaking show. Locations like New England, southeastern Canada, and parts of the Appalachians become major tourist destinations just for leaf-peeping. If you’re taking a trip to a prime fall foliage destination, or you’re lucky enough to live in one, then consider dedicating a photo book to those incredible memories.

Choose a simple or minimalist travel book theme, such as our Full Photo, Elegant Everyday Minimalist, or White Grid themes, to let the brilliant colors of the photos really shine. Include a variety of landscape shots and portraits of people (with fall foliage backgrounds), plus closeups, mid-range, and panoramic shots of foliage. If you have a playful pup or small kids, don’t miss the chance to photograph them frolicking amid piles of fallen leaves.

Fall fun at the pumpkin patch

For families with kids, or anyone who loves fall, a day out to the local pumpkin patch is a must. Snap adorable pics of hayrides, picking out pumpkins, and displays of all kinds of interesting looking gourds. Families can dress in their favorite fall outfits—think plaid shirts, woolen scarves and hats, cozy jackets, and tall boots—and find countless props and backdrops around the pumpkin patch. Bring a picnic blanket as another handy photo prop.

You could probably fill an entire photo book with pics from the pumpkin patch, but consider adding more thematic photos as well. Take photos of your pumpkin-carving sessions and illuminated jack o’lanterns. Find pics from previous years’ pumpkin patch excursions and see how the kids have grown with the annual tradition. The Fall Memories and Shades of Autumn book themes are both perfect for this fall photo book idea.

A photo book for football fans

For sports fans, the best thing about fall is the return of football season. Whether you have kids who play on a local or school team, or you love watching your pro team on TV or from the stands, why not use the gridiron action as inspiration for a photo book?

The Football Sports Collection is designed especially for youth sports teams. Start taking tons of pics of the team, practices, and games with the goal of dedicating a photo book to the whole season. The Vintage Football theme is more versatile. Customize it to create commemorative photo books for your entire fantasy league or to document family outings to watch football games. How about making an old-fashioned scrapbook full of paraphernalia, photos, and memories of a lifelong football fandom?

An homage to Halloween

Do you love Halloween? Everything about the holiday is photo-worthy, from adorable costumed kids to the spookiest of haunted houses. So, it makes a lot of sense to create a photo book just for Halloween pics.

You could document all the happenings this year, or gather favorite pictures from past Halloweens. Put together a photo collage of all the different costumes your family has worn over the years, and all the decorations you’ve put up to welcome trick-or-treaters. Take photos at community or school events and parties, and follow the kids as they collect candy and get excited about their haul!

Mixbook has several photo book themes designed just for Halloween. Check out Modern Halloween, Happy Halloween, and Happy Halloween by Black Lamb Studio. They all feature fun stickers, backgrounds, text prompts, and color schemes fit for the spooky season.

A Thanksgiving & gratitude book

Marking the end of the fall season, Thanksgiving is an annual opportunity for family gatherings, feasts, and feeling grateful for all the wonderful things in your life. What better inspiration could there be for a fall photo book idea? Along with photos of the whole family sharing delicious food and good company, this photo book idea can also function as a gratitude journal.

Expressing thanks—a traditional ritual around the Thanksgiving dinner table—has profound benefits and the power to lift your mood. It’s easy to put together a Thanksgiving photo book / gratitude journal with themes like Thankful, So Thankful by 1canoe2, and Thankful & Grateful. These themes offer content prompts that help you put your gratitude into words and pictures, preserving the memories and emotions forever.

A “best of fall” recipe book

Is food the reason that fall is America’s favorite season? Think about it. The season’s holidays have their origins in age-old harvest festivals. Thanksgiving revolves entirely around an elaborate feast. Fall is when it’s finally cool enough to turn our ovens back on, so bakers get going on pies, cookies, and pastries galore. It’s the season for apple-picking, evening cups of cocoa, roasted root vegetables, and pumpkin-spiced everything. Even football-watching is more fun with a spread of hors d'oeuvres!

Perhaps, then, the most appropriate fall photo book idea is a custom recipe book. If you enjoy cooking, or you can coax recipes out of all the best cooks in the family, then it’s time to write your own recipe book. With easily customizable themes like the Family Recipe Cookbook and Recipe Book by 1canoe2, you can put together a professional-quality fall-themed cookbook before the season is through.

Share your fall photo book ideas

Have you ever made a photo book just for your favorite fall photos? Share your customer story, email us at hello@mixbook.com, and use #Mixbook on social!