How To Choose The Best Time of Year to Take Senior Portraits | Western WI Senior Photographer

Soon to be high school seniors and their parents often wonder when the best time of year is to book their senior portraits. Since we live in the Midwest, we have a limited amount of time for warm weather (basically June-October). Andrea Wagner Photography books senior portraits year round, but choosing when you actually want to get your photos taken can be a daunting task. Here are some tips to help you narrow down your choices and decide when is the best time to secure your photographer so you don’t miss out on working with them!

When deciding which month to book, ask yourself these questions:

1. What type of locations suit my personality for senior photos (field, skyscrapers, beach, cute downtown/urban, studio, etc?

2. Do I hate being cold or hot and therefore need to take that into consideration?

3. Do certain seasons hold a special charm for me?

4. When is my yearbook photo due?

5. Do I have extra curricular activities that I need to think about and work around?

June

The month of June typically kicks off senior portraits here at AWP. The average temperature ranges from mid 50’s to high 70’s, so it’s cool and crisp and not humid. Wildflowers start to bloom at some point in June depending on how the spring thaw went, so you may or may not find flower fields with abundant wildflowers. Lakes/rivers haven’t heated up yet so you may be a little chilly dipping your toes in, but sunshine is usually abundant and golden hour can be gorgeous. Sunset is about 9:00pm which leaves plenty of time in the evening!

For June sessions, book by February!

July/August

The months of July and August tend to be more popular for senior sessions and therefore more busy. The average temperature ranges from mid 60’s to high 80’s and sometimes even 90’s. The grass is green, wildflowers are abundant, and trees are full of leaves! Booking sessions in these months means you may deal with hotter and more humid weather, so come prepared to touch up hair and makeup and expect that you may sweat during your session. Booking in these months means that you will still have time before early yearbook photos are due (expect a 3-5 week editing time frame from session to gallery delivery).

For July sessions, book by March!
For August sessions, book by March/April!

September/October

The months of September and October tend to be THE BUSIEST for photographers. Not only are we finishing up the last of our senior clients, but family sessions and weddings are super popular this time of the year so photographer availability gets less and less the later you wait to book. You won’t be competing with other seniors for a time slot, you’ll be competing with weddings and fall family mini sessions!

The temperature in these months can swing heavily - one day it could be in the 80’s and the next day it could be in the 50’s! Grasses start to lose their color towards the end of September, so expect more of a tan/gold or reddish hue to tall grasses. Some wildflowers bloom in late August so there’s still a chance for wildflower fields in early September, but as October sneaks up on us, trees will lose their leaves and start to turn and by late October, things can start to look more dead.

If you’re one of those people whose heart is set on fall colors (red and orange leaves) just know it can be REALLY difficult to nail down the best time frame in October to accomplish this here in the St Croix Valley. Some years the leaves are turning in the first week, and some years it’s not until the third week that the colors peak. Rescheduling is really difficult, so unless the weather is bad, the backdrop on your session day is what you will end up with! Your best bet is the 2nd week of October, but since we lose light at about 6:30pm, scheduling on weekdays gets tricky (because everyone is also back in school).

You will NOT want to book in September or October if your yearbook photo is due before November 1st. If you choose to anyways, you’ll need to know that you will likely not have a senior photo from your session to include and will need to use a different photo. Requests for rush processing cannot be honored due to the busy schedule we midwest photographers have in the fall. I hate having to let clients down by giving them this news, so please please please plan accordingly!

For September and October sessions, book by April!

Historically, I book out for senior portraits 3-4 months in advance, so if you contact me in August asking for a September or October date, your chances will be slim that I’m available. However, my associate photographers may still have availability!

My associate program looks like this: You work with me leading up to the day of your session to
discuss locations, outfits, payment, questions you may have, etc and then the day of your session,
my associate photographer captures all the magic. She then delivers images to me to edit according to
my brand and style, and I then deliver those images to you via an online gallery. My associates are
trained to provide the same experience and quality of work that I would provide so you basically
get 2 badass babes working for you and I think that’s pretty awesome!

Get your desired date scheduled asap - 50% down payment required to reserve your senior session!

Check out my tips to help you prepare for your senior session, from makeup to outfits to posing and beyond!