When To Take Your Senior Pictures
The Best Time of the Year to Take Your Senior Pictures
YAY! You’re done with junior year and you’re approaching your senior year! It’s time to start thinking about when you want to do your senior photos! It’s always best to think of what month/season you want to take your photos in ahead of time so that you can plan accordingly. So…. what season is the best? Well, that’s entirely up to you! I’ll walk you through what each season looks like and the pros and cons to each to help you make your decision.
Senior photos are usually done the spring/summer before your senior year or the fall/winter during your senior year.
SPRING (March-May)
Spring is often SO overlooked when in reality it is a great season! You can do spring photos BEFORE your senior year (while you’re a Junior) or you can wait until spring of your senior year and get them done right before graduation!
Pros:
Get your photos done with early! When you do your photos early on in the spring of your junior year, you won’t have to think about them later in the year when you’re already in your senior year! OR, do them right before graduation if you don’t want to do them so early!
Spring flowers and lush greens! Spring is when everything starts to come to life so you have beautiful, fresh greenery and flowers! Everything is so green which is gorgeous for pictures! The tulips are in full bloom in Holland at Tulip Time and flowering trees are flourishing.
Comfortable temperatures. It’s not burning hot or freezing cold in the spring so you can comfortable wear jeans and a short sleeve shirt/tank top!
Another session!! If you did your pictures in a different season, spring photos can be a great thing to wrap up your senior year! You can get photos with the gorgeous flowering trees or do photos with your friends right before graduation to celebrate being done with high school!
Cons:
There can be rainy, unpredictable weather in the spring.
Sometimes it can still be a little chilly outside, especially early spring.
Too early or too late. Spring can sometimes be an awkward time for senior pictures, but I think it is SO WORTH IT because it’s so pretty! It can seem like you’re too early, but you can do another session later on in the year to get photos in a different season. It can also seem like you’re too late, but it could be a perfect closing to senior year.
SUMMER (June-August)
Summer is my absolute favorite season for photos!! The air is warm, tall wildflowers are at their peak, and it’s the sunniest time of the year!
Pros:
SUNSHINE! If you’re looking for golden, sun-filled photos, summer is the perfect season for you! Your photos are bound to be filled will gorgeous colors.
It’s warm!! If you know you want to wear a cute dress, a tank top, or summer clothes for your photos, you can comfortably do so!
Wildflowers! Tall wildflowers grow in the summer so you can be surrounded by gorgeous flowers for your photos! Sunflowers are also in bloom during summer months. The best time for tall wildflower fields is late July.
A more flexible schedule. A lot of sports and school activities take a break during the summer, so you’ll have a more flexible schedule!
A summer tan! You’ll have a fresh tan and be a glowing goddess!
A later sunset! The sun sets around 9pm in July so you have allllllllll day to do whatever you please before your photos!
You’ll meet your yearbook deadline! If you can put your senior pictures on a fun page in your yearbook, that is usually due in the fall (the deadline varies by school) so by doing your pictures in the summer, you won’t have to worry about missing the deadline!
Cons:
It can get really hot. If your face gets red easily in the heat or if you hate being really warm, think about a different season instead.
Mosquitos. Summer is always filled with more bugs and even though I always bring bug spray to combat mosquitos, sometimes you might leave your session with a couple bites.
Crowds. Photo season in Michigan is usually summer-fall so locations will have a bit more people. The nature locations will also have people out and about going on walks. I know of some more remote locations that are usually empty though!
FALL (September-November)
Fall is a super popular season, for obvious reasons!
Pros:
FALL COLORS! Fall in Michigan is known for its stunning warm tones. The red and orange leaves always make for beautiful photos. The best time for peak fall colors is usually mid-end October.
Goldenrod! Goldenrod is a plant that’s in the sunflower family and it’s a gorgeous yellow! I always love photos with goldenrod! Fields also turn into a gorgeous golden color once the goldenrod is done.
Cooler temperatures. If summer is too hot for you, fall is a great alternative! You can comfortably wear jeans and a sweater or even a tank top and a cardigan! Fall always has comfortable temperatures.
A glowy golden hour. September has some of my favorite golden hours! The light is just so beautiful.
Warm tones are great for wall art in your home! Fall colors usually match with any color wall so you can easily decorate your home with your photos!
Cons:
Fall colors can sometimes be unpredictable. The color peak changes slightly every year, so it can be hard to predict when exactly it’ll be the most colorful. A windy day can also knock a lot of leaves down.
Busier locations. Everyone loves fall colors, so if we’re in a more popular spot there can be more crowds with other people doing pictures as well.
Earlier sunset. The further you get into fall, the earlier the sun sets. When November comes around and Daylight savings time hits, sessions start in the afternoon, which can mean missing a bit of school. This can also be tricky if you’re involved in any sports or after school activities.
I have less flexibility. My fall dates fill up EXTREMELY fast, so you have to plan ahead of time and book early if you want a fall date with me!
Winter (December-February)
Winter pictures can sometimes be neglected due to the cold, but it is absolutely beautiful!
Pros:
Snow! Snow-filled pictures are so gorgeous when it looks like you’re in a winter wonderland! The best time for snow pictures is usually January and February.
No crowds! If you pick a more popular location, it’s more likely that not as many people will be there since it’s winter.
Unique photos! Not a ton of people get their photos done in the winter (I think more people should!!), so yours will be special to you.
Show off where you live! Not everywhere gets snow, so doing photos in the snow will truly show off where you’re from! Having four seasons is such a stunning thing, so show it off!
I have a more flexible schedule in the winter. If your session date arrives and there’s no snow on the ground, I’m always okay with pushing it out until we get a good amount of snow!
Studios! Winter is the perfect time to utilize a studio because you don’t have to worry about the weather! Doing photos in an urban studio gives you unique, creative senior pictures!
Cons:
The cold! This is an obvious one, but it can be so cold in the winter which can be uncomfortable at times. I always give lots of tips of how to stay warm during winter sessions though to make them bearable!
Lots of cloudy days. There’s not a lot of sunshine in the winter and most days are pretty dreary, so you’re not likely to get golden photos. But even on a cloudy day the snow can make your photos look nice and bright!
Early sunset. Sessions in the winter usually start around 2-3pm since it gets dark so early, which can be hard with school!
Snow is extremely unpredictable. Michigan usually gets the most snow in January and February, but you really never know when it’s going to come. I always allow for flexible reschedules during the winter to wait for the perfect amount of snow!
Missing the yearbook deadline. If you’re allowed to put your own senior photos in your yearbook, you’ll miss the deadline because most senior photos are due in the fall.
