After nearly a decade of capturing senior sessions, you begin to appreciate the distinct differences between a December session and a July session—each holding its own unique set of pros and cons. I felt that for future clients, it would be helpful to have a little guide that explains the differences you may face between booking for autumn-winter and spring-summer! This post is a longer one, so brace yourself, but be prepared to learn so much about what to expect for any photoshoot throughout the year!
I believe that autumn and winter are severely underrated times of year to book any type of photoshoot. Though summer and spring hold the potential to have more "fair-weathered" days, I think that the colder months have a different touch of magic. To dive straight in, winter sunshine is a phenomenon that wows me every single time. After years of observing how sunlight shifts and transforms throughout the year, a recent session had me questioning whether the October-to-March sunlight truly carries cooler tones compared to its summer counterpart—or if it only appeared that way through my lens. I found out that though winter light is in fact actually warmer (what), the winter sun's tendency to swing lower during the day causes more intense shadows which makes the light appear more dynamic, and the air is colder are drier, so sunlight scatters less before reaching us. These two things in cohorts make blue and purple tones more vibrant to the naked eye. SO SICK. Though summer's warmth and golden hue is absolutely notable, the fact that our eyes perceive more blue tones in the winter lends to a stronger, more vibrant sky, which is incredibly gorgeous in photographs. I tend to describe winter sunlight as appearing more "glassy," "icy," or "clear" than in the summertime!
Of course, though, if you schedule a session for autumn or winter, there is an understanding that there could be a higher chance of rain or overcast days coinciding with your session. However, I truly believe that this is not a setback as it may seem! I will not lie when I say that at times, I prefer a cloudy or slightly sprinkley session to a sunny one. Clouds act as a natural diffuser, blocking rough shadows from the face, creating a super soft and flattering look. The most excellent part about this is that where in the sun you may be more limited as to where light is even and favorable, during a cloudy or lightly rainy day, there are truly no limits to where you can be, what ways you can face, and so forth. It eliminates things like patchy lighting under forests, squinting eyes when facing West, and so forth. I always stress to my clients that I do not cancel in clouds or manageable rain since there are actually a massive amount of upsides to such weather! The clouds and rain also gives us fresh, green grass sprouts for the upcoming seasons after becoming dried and dulled by the summer heat, not to mention a higher chance of more colorful, poppy sunsets. I know it may sound crazy or unexpected, but there really is an enchanting side to the dimmer days and how they can transform a gallery into something so unique, dramatic, and cozy. And, of course, all throughout autumn (mainly from late Sept-Nov in Boise and early Nov-mid Dec in NorCal), you can count on brilliant fall hues of red, orange, and yellows to compliment your gallery! And if you book with me, you'll know exactly where to go to find them. Below are some examples of recent autumn and winter senior sessions!
Now it's time for spring to summer! As this is the typical busy season, people usually favor them naturally and these months take much less convincing! However, here are some neat things about the warmer time of year that you might not yet know.
I am an absolute sucker for light rays, lens flares, basically anything associated with the way light dances through trees, glides over mountains, and stretches across fluffy wheatgrass fields. Though this is also a phenomenon that occurs in the autumn and winter, there is a higher chance for a sunny day in these months (obviously, haha)! Opposite to the colder time of year, intensely warm sunlight scatters more and is held higher up in the sky, leading the eye to perceive more red, orange, and yellow tones, which gives us that "summer glow" that we all know and love. It's higher position also leads to more drastic shadows in the midday than winter, but softer shadows in the early morning and the couple of hours surrounding sunset.
Another stunning characteristic of a spring or summer shoots is that water levels and greenery are likely at their fullest at different points during this phase. Early snowmelt and winter rainfall cause the rivers, lakes, and waterfalls to be awe-worthy in the spring to early summer, so if you like a water element, this could be a great time of year to book! By mid-March to April, the trees, bushes, and grasses barren since late autumn start to sprout again, giving us a rounded environment by the late spring and through all of summer. Though the locations and exact timing of wildflowers changes from year to year, this is a also great time to place your bets on for extra beautiful natural colors during your session! Right below are a handful of images from a couple of my spring and summer 2024 photoshoots.
I hope that this piece can help you as a client, and even perhaps other photographers, form an even stronger understanding of the world around us and how it is affected throughout the year in photographs! Whenever you book, there is truly always something to look forward to, so no matter what, be sure to be excited for your session. There is always something beautiful about each season and, when working with me, I'll try my utmost best to emphasize every best part of it!