One of the most common questions I get asked is…”When is the best time to take senior pictures?”. You definitely should book your senior pictures EARLY. But I know this question is in reference to the time of year.

There are few things to consider when determining what season is best for you:

1. Your favorite season that fits your personality
2. What season’s clothing do you like to wear the most
3. Your schedule and what season works best for everything you have going on
4. If you are sending out graduation party invitations or announcements and when.

Think about all of those things above. Then read below to see my thoughts on what the different seasons offer. So you will be able to determine which is best of your senior pictures!

You are officially a senior! One thing you can do as a senior is have your senior pictures taken the summer before you start your senior year. Summer sessions take place during June, July, and August. So if you’re considering booking a summer session, keep these things in mind:

1. Weather: It comes to no surprise that Texas is HOT during summer months. Temperatures will range from 80s to 100s. If you opt for a summer session, I would suggest early June when the temperates are still bearable. Waiting until July and August, we begin to get the sticky and suffocating hot weather down here in Central Texas. Extreme heat conditions will cause you to sweat more and it will be visible on your face. The heat can also lead to reschedules for safety.
   
   Weather plays a major role in whether or not your senior pictures could have beautiful green grass or if it’s burnt and brown. If you schedule your session in early summer months you may be able to catch the beautiful sunflowers and lavender fields.
   
2. Fashion: This is the season for crop tops, shorts, skirts, strapless mini and maxi dresses, tropical looks, etc. Attempting to wear jeans or heavier outfits are not ideal due to lack of comfort with the summer heat. Go for lighter materials like linen, chiffon, and sheer fabrics in fun patterns like gingham, stripes and floral vibes.
   
3. Schedule: If you have a busy extracurricular schedule in the fall and spring and don’t want to miss school for your session, summer is perfect for you. By having your senior pictures taken during the summer, you get it taken care of in advanced.
   
4. When To Book: If a summer session sounds like the perfect season for you, you will want to contact me and book your session in the late winter/ early spring (around February/March) of your junior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead and prepare for your session.

School has started and you are getting the hang of being a senior!  Fun school activities such as homecoming, football games, other fall sports and more are in full swing! Just like spring, fall sessions are very popular. These sessions take place during September, October, and November. So if you’re considering booking a fall session, keep these things in mind:

1. Weather: The days are getting shorter and the air is a little more crisp at night. The weather is absolutely perfect for senior pictures. You don’t have to worry about sweating from the heat or being cold.
   
   Around late November, the temperatures are cooling off and the fall colors have officially arrived. The tall grass fields are usually a beautiful wheat color. The trees will be covered with shades of orange, red, and yellow. If you can close your eyes and imagine your pictures taken with warm tones and you absolutely love that look. Fall would be the perfect time to book your senior session. Think golden light, rustic settings and vibrant colors as your backdrop. Depending on the weather and which part of Texas you live in will determine what your Fall foliage looks like.
   
2. Fashion: If cozy sweaters, jeans, leggings, boots, hats and scarves are your thing, go for a fall senior session. Textures and layers are key elements to add variety to your wardrobe. If you book in early fall months like September and October, it is still warm. This allows you to be able to wear some of your summer favorites. Use them as transitional pieces like short dress and shorts since it won’t be too cool. This gives a two season look for your session.
   
3. Schedule: This is a great season for you if you do not have a very full extracurricular schedule. Just remember that due to daylight savings, your styling appointment and photo session would likely begin as early as noon. So you may have to miss a bit of school for the fall and winter seasons.
   
4. When To Book: If a fall session sounds like the perfect season for you, you will want to contact me to book your session in the early summer around June or July of your senior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead and prepare for your session.

While winter may not be the most popular season for senior pictures, it could still be the perfect season for you! Winter sessions take place during December, January, and February. So if you’re considering booking a winter session, keep these things in mind:

1. Weather: In Central Texas, we can have all four seasons around this time of year. This means that it could be really warm, cold, or just perfect. Because the weather is so unpredictable in the winter colors will vary. During winter months you can get some warm colors from the fall or you may get some brown patches with barren trees. But if you’re someone who likes a more moody look to your images then this season is perfect for your senior pictures.
   
2. Fashion: This will depend on the temperature but a lot of seniors actually like booking their session during these months because they can get away with wearing all seasonal fashion trends from coats and scarves to shorts and crop tops all in the same session. Depending on the look you want, you can do something very urban or you could go for the nostalgia of winter and 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. Schedule: Depending on when you book your session, you may not have to miss school and you don’t have to worry about sweating. Be sure to take into consideration that this season may be fairly busy because of holiday festivities and travel which can cause narrowing down a session date to be a little difficult.
   
4. When To Book: If a winter session sounds like the perfect season for you, you will want to book your session in the late summer/ early fall of your senior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead and prepare for your session.
   

Lastly, is the most popular season for senior pictures, spring! Spring sessions take place during March, April, and May. So if you’re considering booking a spring session, keep these things in mind:

1. Weather: Although the temperate for Spring sessions are perfect, the weather on the other hand can be a little unpredictable. April comes without a lot of rain, which could lead to last minute reschedules in an already hectic senior pre-graduation schedule.
   
   The Spring weather in Texas means fields of wildflowers and beautiful greenery. If you’re specifically looking for bluebonnets in your senior pictures, the issue is figuring out in what month the blooms will make their appearance. Sometimes the flowers come in early or later.
   
2. Fashion: This is the season to wear all the fun and flirty fashion trends! From sophisticated short sets and ruffled rompers to portrait perfect pastels like lemon, blush, sky blue, lavender, and sage and flowy fabrics like chambray, ruffles, tiered panels, and lace. Spring brings all the fresh and new trends!
   
3. Schedule: While Spring is the most popular season for senior pictures, it is most definitely the busiest season for a photo shoot. Between, spring break, prom, college tours, and graduation prep pinning down a session date can be difficult. Also, making a needed weather reschedule even more problematic. Also the later in Spring (May) that you book your photo shoot, 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 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.
   
4. When To Book: If a spring session sounds like the perfect season for you, you will want to contact me and book your session in the early winter of your senior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead and prepare for your 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! That was a lot! I hope that you found this helpful for determining when is the best time to take senior pictures. If you’re ready to get started, I would love to work with you. Fill out my contact form here to get your booking process started. Remember you can always keep up with me on any one of these platforms listed: Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok.