What Season Should I Book For My Senior Photos?
There are THREE main seasons to my available dates for senior sessions; spring, summer, and fall! However, these categories are broad. While spring may mean March through May, the look you’ll get in each of those months is vastly different, even though there are all considered spring! While each month is different, all of them are awesome to photograph!
Taking a look through this blog post should give you some more insight on what is in bloom and when and the look you’ll get in the month you choose! Let’s dive in! To figure out the look we want, we can break down nature features into FIVE categories:
Green Foliage, Fall Foliage, Spring Foliage, Wildflowers, and Roses!
Green Foliage
Late April — September
Think green trees, grasses, bushes! Nature is a pretty vibrant green, diffusing the sunshine so beautifully!
Fall Foliage
mid-October — Early November
Think yellow, orange, and red trees! As well as dried, golden fields that illuminate the golden light!
Spring Foliage
Late March — Mid April
These pretties are amazing to photograph! White trees start flowering at the very end of March, with the pink trees tagging along around the first week of April. These trees last for a couple of weeks and then turn green!
Wildflowers
July — Early September
My personal favorite; the colors are so amazing! Wildflowers bring lots of bugs! While they are bugs, they won’t bug us; other than just being annoying ;)
Roses
Late May — Early October
Beautifully blooming roses are the best at the Loose Park Rose Garden. Same as wildflowers, roses bring bees and bugs. Just BEE aware ;)
Let’s Chat More About Wildflowers!
While the season for wildflowers is vast, the types of wildflowers frequently change throughout those months, so let’s make sure you get the wildflowers you are hoping for!
White Wildflowers (Queen Anne’s Lace)
Mid-July to mid August
They usually pop up early to mid July and are usually dried up by the last week of August! They are super dainty + pretty AND bloom in huge bundles!
Yellow + Pink Wildflowers
July — August
I call these my true summer wildflowers. They last for the majority of the summer months and pop up in random places! They are super vibrant + colorful!
Yellow Wildflowers
September
Little yellow September flowers!! These are a favorite of everyone; they photograph so nicely! While they are smaller in size than the summer yellow flowers, they are still awesome. These pop up the first week of September and last for a few weeks!
Little, Violet Wildflowers
Early October
These teeny, purple flowers are so fun! They pop against the fields so well! They usually pop up at the beginning of October and only last a week!
If I’m picking a city location, the season doesn’t matter, right?
You may think for a city location, the season doesn’t matter! While that’s mostly true, there are still trees all around the city, and the color/state that they are in can drastically change how the photo looks! Below are some examples:
Downtown Rooftop
This is one of my favorite rooftops! While the man-made features don’t change through the seasons, the nature aspects around them do, which alters the look a lot! Below we see April, August, and early November!
Nelson Atkins
This location has the iconic stone stairs with trees all around the lawn. These colors change a lot from spring to fall! Below we see March, August, and early November!
Other Things to Factor in Your Decision:
SUNSETS:
Are you wanting the best chance for a sunset? The best golden glow happens during the summer! There are more chances for rain in the fall and especially in the spring. Colorful sunsets happen periodically — most have been in the summer, but late fall has led to some awesome ones!
TEMPERATURES:
Summer days can get HOT; I’ve had sessions that were pushing 100 degrees. I’ve always had really cold sessions in November. If you don’t want to be too hot or too cold, but want a summery look, book your session in May, June, or September!
YEARBOOK DEADLINES:
If you want to submit photos to your yearbook, be sure and find out when your school’s yearbook deadline is! Most yearbook deadlines are in the fall, but each school is different. If this is important to you, find out when your deadline is and make sure you take your photos long before then! TIP: Take your senior photos before your senior year even starts! June + July are great because you don’t have school, don’t have to rush to get them in, don’t have to fear rescheduling because of rain, AND you’ll have your gallery back way before school even starts!
OUTFITS:
Think about what you want to wear for your senior photos? Are you are wanting layers + jeans? Are you thinking of a dress? I don’t want you to be super hot or super cold, so plan your outfits and season together!
Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee exactly what nature is going to do. However, after years of experience with photographing, location scouting, and keeping track of the scenery, this blog post is pretty spot on. Each year things can be different and change quickly, depending on weather and wind. If you’re super set on a certain look, be sure to mention that to me when you inquire and I can help you pick a date that will most likely get you the look you want!
No matter what season or month you choose, YOU will be
the spotlight and that’s the most important part :)
I cannot wait to see what season you choose!
Want to see what season is best for you?
Take the Senior Photo Seasons QUIZ!