What Season Should I Book My Family Photos?

Client Experience

Wondering what season is the best to book your family photos?

Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of each season for outdoor family photos.

Winter

Pros:

Life finally slows down a bit. The number one reason why most families don't schedule a family photo shoot is because they are just too busy. For most people, winter is a lot slower than the rest of the year. You finally have some evenings and weekends completely free on your calendar.
The sunset is before bedtime. In photography, proper lighting is one of the most important aspects of making an ok photo, great and I always strive for greatness. Proper lighting is best achieved when the sun just risen, or is setting soon. This is why I only offer my outdoor sessions around sunrise or sunset. In the winter, the sun sets around 5-6:30, one of the few times of the year that the timing of photo shoots don't conflict with bedtime for little ones.
Popular locations aren't busy. In the summer and fall a few of the most popular locations are so busy that you may be waiting for a parking spot, or even to take a photo. This simply doesn't happen in the winter. It's so nice to have a park to yourself.
I pride myself in quick and efficient family photo shoots, especially in the winter. The weather is cold, you may not want to be outside for an hour. We can capture whimsical and emotional family photos quickly and efficiently, which is something the whole family can get behind.
Your family photos will be unique and different, especially if there is snow. Not many people take winter family photos so yours will be unique and special! If there is snow on the ground, we can also make a snowman, have a snowball fight, or make snow angels. Now those would make great memories and photos.
You can bundle up in cute outfits. I don't know about you but I love layers and bundling up in a fur coat or my favorite shacket which is something you just can't do in the summer.

Cons:

The most obvious con to a winter family photoshoot is that it's cold. To help with this, all of my locations are really close to the parking lot, I provide a style guide that helps you to bundle up in warm clothes while choosing something flattering and I pride myself in quick and efficient family photo shoots.
The most common myth about winter photo shoots is that there aren't any pretty locations in the winter. While there are some location limitations, I have worked so hard to find great winter locations that are absolutely stunning. What I find beautiful in the winter are the things that are unchanging. For example: barns, evergreen trees, downtowns, tall tan grasses, and lakes. All of the locations on my winter location guide have at least one of those features.

Spring

Pros:

The sunset in spring is at the perfect time. In photography, proper lighting is one of the most important aspects of making an ok photo, great and I always strive for greatness. Proper lighting is best achieved when the sun has just risen, or is setting soon. This is why I only offer my outdoor sessions around sunrise or sunset. In the spring, the sunset is around 7:30-8:30 which means that your session will start after dinner and oftentimes before bedtime. You can easily have a session after work or on the weekends.
The temperature is perfect to be outside. In spring, temperatures range from 40-70 which means in March you can dress is layers and not be too cold, and in May you can wear that dress you've been dreaming of wearing since fall.
If you're wanting to book a session with your whole family this year, the best season for an extended family photo shoot is spring. This is mainly because the weather isn't too hot yet and the sun set is at a perfect time for little ones. Most extended family photo shoots take around an hour. April and May are the perfect months to be outside for an hour without getting cold or hot!
Like stated above, spring is typically not too hot and not too cold. July and August can oftentimes be so hot that it's hard to be outside for more than 30-45 minutes but spring is the perfect temperature for family photos.
Another great thing about spring family photos is that most locations aren’t busy. When it comes to family photos, it's important to have room to run and play, as well as little distractions which is why spring family photo shoots are great.

Cons:

The biggest downfall to spring photos are that until mid to late April, the leaves haven’t grown back. This limits your location options but don't fret, I have spent a lot of time compiling a list of locations that are beautiful even without leaves on the trees. I have a ton of locations with water, barns, buildings, and a field of grasses.
The most common myth about spring photo shoots is that it may rain, ruining your photos. Well, it's only partly a myth because it may rain... BUT if it does, it won't ruin your photos. We can easily reschedule your session for a time that works for the both of us. If you want unique family photos, we can also continue with your session in the rain! I will bring clear umbrellas, you can bring your rain boots and we can capture truly candid photos of your family playing in the rain.

Summer

Pros:

The best thing about a summer family photo shoot is that everything is pretty. The trees have leaves, the grass is green, lakes, and streams are beautiful. No matter where we go for your photo shoot, the backdrop will be gorgeous.
Schools out! This makes it easy to book a photo shoot on weekdays. My weekend sessions book up so quickly, most of my clients have to have weekday photo shoots. Since school is out and the sunset is late, it's easy for most families to have a weekday session.
Do you want candids of your family playing on the beach? Summer is the best season for water/beach photos. I love candid photos and they are easiest to capture when your family is doing an activity. Playing on the beach or in the lake at Stoney Creek Metropark is a great way to capture beautiful candids of your family.

Cons:

The most obvious one is that it's hot and it can often be hard to have a long family photo shoot without sweating through your clothes. Family photo shoots involve a lot of play, making sweat common and even more so in July and August. Most families are comfortable outside for 30 minutes or so but much longer can be hard some days with the heat.
In summer, some locations can be busy, so busy that I recommend booking them only on weekdays. A few of my locations like Troy Farm Park or Douglas Evans Nature Preserve have small parking lots making it impossible to park there some weekends. While other locations like the pine line by Sheldon Estates at Stoney Creek can be so busy that you have to wait in line to take photos. But again, I have so many locations on my guide that we can easily pick one that will have the space for your family.
Lastly, in summer the sunset is so late that it's after bedtime for most children. I understand that can be nerve-wracking to you but I have typically found that children do well with sunset sessions. They are excited to stay up and do something different and the majority of my family session aren't "posed photos" where your child has to sit still and smile, but more so, playing games and enjoying family time while I capture true emotions. If this is stressful to you, consider booking your family photo shoot during a different season.

Fall

Pros:

The most obvious, fall is full of beautiful colors. Michigan is one of the most beautiful states in America for fall foliage and I know the best local parks for your fall family photo shoot. In addition to knowing the best locations, I almost always know which parks have the best fall foliage on your session date, which is really important. Even in Oakland County, some parks change colors before others and I take pride in keeping up with the parks and knowing the best place to go for your session.
In September, October, and early November the weather is typically comfortable for you to wear your favorite fall outfits. Most families choose to wear long dresses, khakis, and sweaters which are perfect to keep you warm in the -ber months. Family photo shoots involve lots of moving and playing with your children and fall is the perfect weather to do just that while not getting too hot or cold.
The best things about fall photos is that the sunset is at the perfect time. We can easily squeeze in a session after school and before bedtime. It's a win-win.

Cons:

October is my busiest month. You are lucky if you can get a session in October and even more so if you can get a weekend session. I open my calendar for booking 6 months in advance meaning that you can book your fall session in March, April, and May. Make sure to book your family photo shoot well in advance if you are hoping for fall family photos.
In the last few years, the leaves start to change as early as late September and are all gone by mid November. The fall foliage season is super short. If fall photos are important to you, I highly recommend scheduling them in the spring.
Some locations are hard to park at/have privacy in the fall. One of my favorite fall locations gets crazy busy in October. Thankfully I have a lot of options if you'd like more privacy and space for your family photo shoot.