The Best Time to Take Senior Pictures

You’re probably wondering when you should take your senior pictures. There’s a lot of thought that goes into when you should take them, but it really all depends on you. There are multiple factors you should take into consideration when picking the time of year to take your senior pictures. Maybe you haven’t thought about all of those factors, so I’ve made a list of them for you here in hopes it’ll help alleviate any stress you may have picking the perfect date.

Season

We all love certain seasons in the year. Whether that’s spring for all the beautiful flowers, summer because it’s warm out, fall with all the pretty leaves, or winter because of the snow, you’ll want to think about how you want your background to look for your senior pictures.

What Are Your Busy Seasons?

If you’re involved in any activities or just know you tend to be busy during a particular season, you’ll want to take that into consideration when planning your senior session. Don’t let stress overrun your senior pictures. If you’re super busy during a particular season, I would advise either not having your pictures taken during that season or preparing in advance for your session. Preparing in advance would look like scheduling your session months in advance, spending a couple weeks picking out your outfits, and even scheduling hair, makeup, and nails weeks before your session.

Outfits You Want to Wear

If you have certain outfits you’d like to wear, you’ll want to consider what season they fit most in and how warm or cold it is outside. You don’t want to be wearing a tank top in the middle of winter or a sweater on a blazing hot summer day. You’ll also want to think about the colors you’re choosing to wear. Pastels are perfect for spring while burnt oranges and mustard yellows are great for fall.

Temperature / Weather

Each season has its pros and cons when it comes to the temps and weather. Spring can have beautiful, warm days, but can also have periods of cold and rain. Summer is generally beautiful out, but it tends to be hot. Fall can have beautiful, comfortable days, or be really cold and rainy. And for those that love the cold, winter is perfect for you and occasionally can have a nicer day. If you choose to have your session in the winter though, prepare too most likely be cold.

Time of Day

I personally always have my sessions an hour or two before sunset or after sunrise, most of them are before sunset though. This means that in the summer my sessions usually start around 6pm or 7pm, while in the fall they generally start around 4pm or 5pm. If the summer hours are too late for you, you may want to consider a session later in the year so you’re not out as late. And if the fall hours are too early for you, or conflict with other activities or school, then you might want to consider having your session in the summer.

Location

Certain locations are only open during specific times of the year, and some locations hours change based on time of year. Other things to consider about location would be if you’re considering going somewhere like Eckert’s and know that certain fruits and vegetables grow at certain times of the year, or some places have waterfalls that they turn off during the winter, so they don’t freeze. If there’s a specific location you’re wanting to go to, make sure you schedule your session around the hours and seasons of that location.

Why You Should Take Spring Senior Pictures in St. Louis

Spring is the perfect time for senior pictures because life is returning to all the plants. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding, and the grass is colorful. The days feel nicer, and you get excited to get outdoors. You’re also about to graduate, so now is the perfect time to put on your cap and gown for some pre-graduation portraits of yourself.

Everything is Blooming

If you want bright green grass and flowers blooming everywhere, then you’ll definitely want to take your senior pictures in the spring. Between the flowers blooming on trees and in flowerpots, you’re bound to find beautiful flowers somewhere during your session.

Beautiful Days

While spring may mean rain, it also means big, puffy, white clouds are common while it’s not raining, and these clouds make for awesome backgrounds. Mix the evening, spring sunlight in with these clouds and you’ll have a beautiful, dramatic background.

Comfortable Temps

Spring is when the temperature starts to get warmer, but not so hot that you feel like you’re melting. We’re also getting out of the cold winter days, so you won’t have to bundle up as much.

Parks

This is the perfect time of year to visit local parks since there will be so much color, and plenty of flower’s blooming. Some parks have more flowers than others though. And different parks grow different flowers. You’ll find a variety of flowers at Lafayette Park, while Tower Grove Park grows lots of tulips.

Spring Outfits

Now is the time to pull out all those pastel, light colored outfits that are lacey or have flowers on them. You can also start to dress in t-shirts, crop tops, and tank tops while either choosing to wear shorts or pants. It’s even a great time to start wearing dresses again or pair your outfit with a light jacket.

Why You Should Take Winter Senior Pictures in St. Louis

When you think of winter, you don’t usually think of going outside and having portraits taken. It usually feels too cold, and the trees and plants are barren. That shouldn’t stop you from considering a winter session though. There’s multiple reasons and benefits to having your senior pictures taken in the winter.

#1: Snow

Snow is the best part about winter. This is the only time of year it falls, and most people don’t go out in it for senior pictures. That makes it the most unique setting for your portraits. You can choose to walk through a winter wonderland, dress up like a snow princess, or both during your session.

#2: Christmas Lights

From about Thanksgiving until the first week in January, you can capture beautiful Christmas Lights in the background of your senior pictures as homes and businesses are decorated throughout the area. You may even find other Christmas decorations to use as backgrounds like Christmas Trees and wreaths.

#3: Tree Farm

If you’re looking for a unique location, winter is the perfect time of year to surround yourself in short, cedar trees at a tree farm since this is the time of year they’re open. They also don’t lose their color, so you’ll have plenty of greens in your photos. It’s fun to stand amid the trees, sit in front of them, or even peak around them.

#4: Urban Areas

The great thing about urban areas in the winter are that they don’t usually have many trees and bushes or a lot of grass. This makes it easy to take senior pictures in the winter without looking like everything is dead.

#5: Winter Outfits

This is the one time of year where you can pull out all your cute coats, scarfs, beanies, gloves, and snow boots. Any other time of year, you may feel overdressed and hot. It’s also fun to wear old prom dresses out in the snow on those snowy days.