As a senior photographer serving clients in The Woodlands and Greater Houston, I always get the question, “Which season should I book for my senior pictures session?” and my answer is usually, “It depends!” There’s a lot to consider when thinking about what season your photo shoot should occur in and I have compiled the ultimate list for you in this article! I’ve listed each season’s weather, fashion, colors, considerations, and even when to book the season that’s right for you so that you don’t have to look high and low for that information!
We’ll start with the summer season before your senior year and work our way through each season after that! Here are 5 things to consider when booking a SUMMER session for the months of June, July, and August:
1. Weather:
I’m sure this is not going to come as a shock to you, but here in South East Texas, it is going to be HOT in summer months. You can expect anywhere from 85 degrees at the coolest (usually early June if we’re lucky) all the way up to 108 degrees in the hottest of days (likely in July and August). And to be honest, that kind of heat is hard to escape in any shooting location. This means that you will likely be sweating and that will be visible on your face. This will also affect your hair as it may stick to the back of your neck and face.
2. Fashion:
this is the season for shorts, skirts, and strapless mini and maxi dresses. Even attempting jeans or a heavier / lengthier outfit may mean a great deal of uncomfortableness in this season’s heat. Trying opting for lighter materials like linen, chiffon, and sheer fabrics in fun patterns like gingham, stripes and floral vibes.
3. Colors:
depending on rainfall during the summer months, your senior photos could be beautifully lush and green or the colors of death valley. In the early summer months you may be able to catch a few Texas wildflowers left over from the spring season and in the later months, everything could be brown and barren. Of course, like previously mentioned, this all depends on how much rain we get.
4. Seasonal Considerations:
if you choose to book your session for the summer before your senior year, you will need to be ok with not having super recent images sent out in your graduation announcements. Remember, this session would take place 9+ months before your graduation season, so the images may not likely represent yourself at the point of your high school graduation. However, if you have a very full extracurricular schedule in the fall and spring months and don’t want to miss school for your session (depending on when the sun sets), then a summer session will work for you.
5. When to Book:
if a summer session sounds perfect for you, you’ll want to contact us and book your session in the late winter / early spring of your Junior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead, download our client resources, and prepare for your summer session.
Next to spring senior sessions, fall sessions are very popular. Here are 5 things to consider when booking a FALL session for the months of September, October, and November:
1. Weather:
it’s not too hot and not too cold, so it’s the Goldie Locks approved season for senior pictures. In early fall you’ll see low 80 degree temps and in late fall they can go as low as the 50’s. You won’t have to worry about sweating from heat or a red nose from the cold… it’s just right.
2. Fashion:
if boots, scarves and jackets are your thing, a fall senior session is your perfect option. Layers make an outfit super dynamic and the season for a perfectly layered wardrobe is definitely the fall. Remember that if you shoot in early fall, you can still wear transitional pieces like short dresses and shorts since it won’t be too cool for those types of outfits.
3. Colors:
close your eyes and images your pictures taken with warm tones and falling leaves. In love with the idea of how it looks? Fall is the perfect session season for you! The tall grass fields are usually a beautiful wheat color and the trees will be covered with shades of orange, red, and yellow.
4. Seasonal Considerations:
this is a great season for your session if you don’t have a lot of extra-curricular activities like football games to attend or after school practices. This is also the perfect season to book if you don’t want to wait last minute for your images and would like to get them done ahead of time. Just remember that depending on daylight savings, your styling appointment and portrait session would likely begin four to five hours before the sun sets, which after the month of October, could be as early as noon or 1 pm, so you may have to miss a bit of school for the fall and winter seasons.
5. When to Book:
if a fall session sounds perfect for you, you’ll want to contact us and book your session in the late spring of your Junior year / early summer of your transition into your Senior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead, download our client resources, and prepare for your fall session.
Wanting to take your senior pictures in colder weather and around holiday festivities? Here are 5 things to consider when booking a WINTER session for the months of December, January, and February:
1. Weather:
this season could see a mix of all 4 seasons, down here in the Greater Houston area. It could be 80 degrees (remember that one Christmas?) or as cold as 40 degrees during the day – it just depends on what Mother Nature has in store for us. This means that it could be unseasonably warm, but not uncomfortable, all the way to so cold it could make you have goosebumps and the shivers on your session day.
2. Fashion:
depending on the temperature, a lot of seniors actually like booking their session during these months because they can wear ALL seasonal fashion trends from coats and scarves to shorts and crop tops all in the same session. If you want to capture the nostalgia of winter in your senior session, opt for cable knit sweaters & cardigans with matching beanies and more holiday-esque tones like ruby red, snow white, emerald green, and Christmassy metallics.
3. Colors:
due to the wide range of temperatures that are possible this season, you could be in for some warmer tones left from the fall leaves all the way to brown patches and barren branches. The latter, of course, makes for a more moody style of images, but most do prefer greener backgrounds and lusher environments.
4. Seasonal Considerations:
the winter months are perfect for the senior who does not want an ounce of sweat on their session day and doesn’t mind a moodier feel for their pictures. Depending on the session date you choose, you won’t have to miss school but some seniors and their parents may find that the business of this season, between holiday festivities and family get-togethers, may make nailing down a session date difficult.
5. When to Book:
if a winter session sounds perfect for you, you’ll want to contact us and book your session in the late summer / early fall of your Senior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead, download our client resources, and prepare for your winter session.
Our most popular senior session season may be spring, but there are a lot of factors that should go into that decision. Here are 5 things to consider when booking a SPRING session for the months of March, April, and May:
1. Weather:
the spring season is usually more dependable when it comes to weather with average temperatures running between 60 to 70 degrees in early March all the way up to 90+ degrees in May. The only other weather issue to consider for the spring is the rain that April will bring. This may mean last minute reschedules in an already hectic senior pre-graduation schedule.
2. Fashion:
this is the season for all the fun & flirty trends! Trendy textures for spring are chambray, ruffles, tiered panels, and lace in colors of all your favorite pastels like lemon, blush, sky blue, lavender, and pistachio. Opt for fun rompers and mini dresses in floral patterns or short and maxi dresses in gingham or paisley!
3. Colors:
we all know that spring in Texas means a bouquet of wildflowers backed with lush green botanicals. The usual issue though is figuring out in what month the blooms will make their appearance. We have found that they usually show up anywhere between late March to early May and are usually gone by June, historically. And if you’re specifically looking for bluebonnets in your senior pictures, then you’ll need to wait until April at the earliest for them to make their entrance, depending on temperatures and rainfall.
4. Seasonal Considerations:
as much as spring is a favorite season for senior pictures, there are some issues you may run into during these months. Timing can be tricky as you’ll be entering a very busy season of pre-graduation festivities like senior recitals, college visits, prom, spring break, etc. This can make pinning down a session date difficult and make a needed weather reschedule even more problematic. Another issue related to timing is image & product delivery. Editing your session images could take up to 3 weeks, and designing and delivery of any ordered products could take up to another 3 weeks on top of that. So, if you’re wanting to have custom grad announcements and products like canvases, albums, or signature wall art showcased for your grad party, keep that in mind when booking your spring session date and opt for an early spring date instead of a later one. Another factor to consider is if you want to incorporate your college into your senior session… you likely won’t know until the Spring of your graduating year, so if that is a must for you, this would be your go-to option.
5. When to Book:
if a spring session sounds perfect for you, you’ll want to contact us and book your session in the late fall / early winter of your Senior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead, download our client resources, and prepare for your spring session. *Remember that this is the most popular season to book, so dates will sell out quickly. It’s best to book this season as early as possible.
Whew! So there you have it! If you’re still not sure which season is right for you, we would be happy to help you make that decision! If you have any questions after reading, please feel free to connect with us through our contact form and we would be glad to answer you!
