What Is The Best Time Of Year For A Family Photo Session?

What is the best time of year for a family photo session? I guess that’s up to you and what you are looking for in your photos and what you want them for. Do you want a session inside your home? That can be done anytime of year. Do you want greens and flowers in the background? A summer photo shoot might be best for that. Maybe some nice fall foliage? Do you want holiday photos? Is this a birthday milestone session?

Winter

Winter is definitely NOT my favorite time of year for outdoor photo sessions…but that’s probably obvious right? I hate the cold and would much rather be warm and inside doing newborn sessions or indoor family sessions!

I get some outdoor family sessions in December…people wanting to get those holiday sessions in last minute. And you never know in Chicago…it could be 60° or 20° in early December! If it’s cold, being outdoors for an hour usually doesn’t go over well with younger kids. They get cold fast and don’t want to be outside, so they get crabby. Not to mention the fact that everyone’s noses turn bright red and that’s not a great look in photos.

I have done sessions with everyone wrapped up in a warm blanket…that can be cute. And if everyone is dressed in layers it can work for a bit. If you plan to do a outdoor family photo shoot in December, we can definitely make it work, but it’s best to plan ahead and do it in October or November, or do an in-home photo session.

Spring

Spring is ok for family photos…it’s getting warmer out, so the cold isn’t AS much of an issue. But again, this is Chicago…it could snow in May, you never know! But usually April and May are ok for photo shoots outdoors.

The only thing I don’t prefer about spring is the lack of foliage. The trees are usually still bare, and the background doesn’t look as full and pretty as I would like. But I mean, that’s depending on where you want to do your session of course…if you choose a lakefront session or an urban session, then it won’t matter at all.

The only thing to know with spring sessions is that it might get rescheduled if it’s outdoors. If the weather is too cold or rainy (or snowy) I don’t mind rescheduling to a date with better weather.

Summer

I love summer sessions. I love summer in general. Outdoor family photo sessions are nice in summer. It’s warm…so no need to worry about layers, kids being cold (or you being cold!), or red noses.

The trees and foliage are green and full and look nice in the background of photos. If you want to do your session at a park, the greens definitely add a summer look to photos.

I love a golden hour photo session at the park with lots of greens…so you get the golden yellows and oranges from the sun going down, paired with the greens in the background. I also love a summer golden hour session at the lakefront.

Golden hour is later in summer, as late as 7:30-8:30pm, so sometimes it’s not easy for families with little ones to make that work.

Another downside with summer is the heat…if it’s really hot, kids (and adults) end up getting cranky and sweaty, some people end up with sweat marks on clothing, and it’s hard to keep everyone going for a full hour.

Fall

Summer is my favorite season in general, but fall is my favorite season for family photos.

I love the fall colors…leaves changing- reds/yellows/oranges. And again with golden hour…the light before sunset and the fall colors look really nice together. Golden hour is earlier than it is in mid summer, so it’s a little easier for families to work around. And t’s not hot…so it’s more comfortable than doing photos in 90° weather.

I recommend an October date for your fall family photo session…the leaves are changing and colors look great, and the weather is still decent. Once it starts getting into November there can be cold days, so September and October are really the best months for fall sessions in my opinion. My Sept-Nov dates fill up fast, with October being the most popular, so I always recommend booking as early as you can. I get people booking for October as far as 10 months in advance, so it’s not crazy to book early if you want that fall session.

So again, as far as in home sessions go, season doesn’t really matter. But before booking your outdoor session, take some of my opinions into consideration before booking. Think about how you, your partner, and your kids will feel in cold weather or hot weather, and think about what kind of vibe you want your photos to have.

Think about what you are using the photos for…holiday photos? Birthday? Annual summer session?

Also think about what season fits you as a family…are you a family that loves fall activities like apple picking, going to the pumpkin patch, halloween, or fall hiking? Or maybe you’re a summer family that loves swimming, picnics, going to the beach, and summer festivals.

Take these things into consideration and plan accordingly. Whatever season you decide on though, we will get great photos, I promise. :)