How to know which senior season is right for you!
One of the most common questions I get is “Which season should I book for my senior session?” As a senior photographer in Novi, Michigan, with clients all over Southeast Michigan and Metro Detroit, the answer to this question varies and depends on each client. We are so lucky to live in a state with four distinct seasons! Below, I’ve put together some tips for you, including info on when to book!
Summer: 5 things to consider for a June, July and August session
Summer is by far the most popular season for senior photos in Michigan. This is largely because of weather AND the high school requirements to have your yearbook photo in by early-mid fall. BUT, here are 5 more things to consider about summer senior sessions.
1. Weather:
We all know summer in Michigan is a dream. Sunny days, warm air, and lots of opportunity for lake and water activities. But, the summer can be hot and humid (especially in July). This means that you may get sweaty 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. To help with this, I always bring a portable fan and lots of water with me. I will do my best to keep you cool and feeling fresh during your session.
2. Fashion:
This is the season for shorts, skirts, and dresses. Fabric that is heavier, like denim, may be uncomfortable during the summer months. Consider opting for lighter materials like linen, chiffon, and sheer fabrics in fun patterns like gingham, stripes and floral vibes.
3. Colors:
Depending on the winter and spring, we usually see peak floral colors in late June-end of July. Botanical garden flowers peak in June-July, and they are absolutely beautiful. Throughout August, we will still see fields of wildflowers and beautiful green wispy grasses. The summer gives us lush greenery, floral colors and sparkling blue waters.
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. But, summer is great for seniors with fall yearbook deadlines & busy extra-curricular fall schedules like sports, practices, and meetings.
5. When to Book:
My senior schedule opens up at the end of January for the next graduating class (January 2023 for the class of 2024). If a summer session sounds perfect for you, you’ll want to contact me and book your session in the late winter/early spring of your Junior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead, access my client hub and prepare for your summer session. AND, for those who book their session early, I am offering a complimentary spring 2023 mini session in April 2023.
Fall: 5 things to consider for a September, October, and November Session
Fall is second only to summer in popularity for senior sessions in Michigan. BUT, here are 5 more things to consider about fall senior sessions.
All shown images were photographed in the months of September, October and November.
1. Weather:
Fall in Michigan is beautiful with crisp air, sunny days, and changing colors. It’s not too hot. not too cold, and usually not too rainy. In the early fall, you’ll see 70-80 degree temperatures and in the late fall, it’s usually 50-60 degree weather.
2. Fashion:
If boots, sweaters, and jackets are your thing, a fall senior session is your perfect option. Layers make an outfit dynamic and fall is meant for a perfectly layered wardrobe. If you book your session in the early fall, you can still wear short dresses and shorts since it won’t be too cool for those types of outfits. You may even want to consider layering them with jackets.
3. Seasonal Colors:
Close your eyes and imagine your pictures taken with falling leaves and swathed in warm colors and light. In love with the idea of how it looks? Fall is the perfect session season for you! The tall grass fields are usually transitioning to a beautiful wheat color and the trees are changing to colors of red, orange, yellow and brown.
4. Seasonal Considerations
Fall 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. If you book in September and early October, you’ll also be able to get your yearbook photo in on time. Local high schools, like Northville, Novi and Walled Lake have a late October-December deadline. Just remember that depending on daylight savings, your portrait session would likely begin about four 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 me 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, access my client hub resources, and prepare for your fall session.
Winter: 5 things to consider for a December, January or February session
1. Weather:
We all know winter in Michigan can be brutal, but it is also beautiful and varies somewhat. It can be as cold as 0 degrees or 40 degrees during the day; it can be gray and foggy or clear and sunny - it just depends on Mother Nature. Snow-filled senior pictures are some of my absolute favorites. There’s something special about the way that sun reflects on the sun during the winter in southeast Michigan. AND, if you are interested in an urban session - weather is less of a factor. Tall buildings can shelter us from the elements, and downtown Detroit in the winter is one of my favorite places - twinkling lights in alleyways, ice skating in Campus Martius, and the holiday markets as a background…. holiday and winter perfection!
2. Fashion:
Depending on the temperature, some 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 tones like ruby red, snow white, emerald green, and holiday metallics.
3. Seasonal Colors:
Environmental colors vary in winter and also depend a lot on the location you choose for your session. But whether in a natural location or urban location, you are sure to see winter whites and evergreens in the background. On a sunny day, the light will filter through the landscape to highlight the fall’s warm tones through the snow.
4. Seasonal Considerations:
The winter months are perfect for the senior who do not want to be sweaty on their session day and don’t mind a moodier feel for their pictures. Depending on the session date you choose, you won’t have to miss school. Also, winter is perfect for seniors who play a winter sport - do you ski, snowboard, ice skate? This season is PERFECT for you to highlight your hobbies and sports in your photos.
5. When to Book:
If a winter session sounds perfect for you, you’ll want to contact me and book your session in the late summer / early fall of your Senior year. This will allow you plenty of time to plan ahead, access the client hub with resources, and prepare for your winter session.
Spring: 5 things to consider for a March, April, or May
Spring is the least popular season for senior sessions in Michigan, but it is the perfect season for updating summer/fall sessions with graduation, prom dress, or college t-shirt minis, which I offer each year. I even offer these complimentary to my full senior-session clients! Contact me for the welcome guide that explains this!
1. Weather:
The spring season is usually the rainiest of seasons in Michigan. This means that we have to build in reschedules into a hectic senior spring. BUT, the temperatures are starting to warm, the days getting longer, and the trees are blossoming. It is still a beautiful time for photos!
2. Fashion:
Spring is for fun, flirty, trendy clothes in pastels like yellow, blush, lavender, and pale blue. Dresses in florals or patterns are perfect for spring, as are fun textures like ruffles and lace.
3. Seasonal Colors:
Trees usually begin flowering in late April to early May, providing us with a beautiful blossoming background. The peony garden at the Arboretum in Ann Arbor is one of the first gardens to bloom in the area, usually around late May-early June.
4. Seasonal Considerations:
I love using spring sessions as mini sessions or add-ons to earlier senior sessions from the summer or fall. Each of my clients is offered a complimentary spring mini session to highlight their prom dress, graduation gown, or college tee. I also offer a la carte mini sessions for the spring for anyone looking to take photos highlighting these milestones of the end of senior year!
5. When to Book:
If you’re interested in a spring session, please contact me and book your session in the late fall/early winter of your senior year. This will give you lots of time to plan a head, access the client hub, and prepare for your spring session.
Class of 2024, now that you have been able to find out which season is best for you, let’s get your session booked! Email me at christine@christinelnogphotography.com or use the form HERE to book the perfect senior session season for you! I can’t wait to start the process with you!