Christina Paolucci

Anytime of Year Works to Capture a Family Portrait

But how do you decide when to book in advance? This weekend we had a beautiful snowfall that looked like a winter wonderland. It was the kind of snowfall perfects for a family photo with the snow blanketing the tree limbs and the temperatures were still reasonable.

But this is Ohio and weather is fleeting. So, if you built a good relationship with a photographer, you could spontaneously make it happen for a winter scene portrait.  I worked in the news business, so if the weather is perfect let’s go!

But most likely, you are not capturing spontaneous family portraits. You are planning it in months in advanced. So what time of year is ideal for booking? Let’s review the pros and cons of each season.

Fall

The Smith family captured in November on the last weekend with leaves still on the trees.

August to November are popular times for booking family portraits. The temperatures are comfortable and the colors are brilliant. It is a period of the time you where you are in a regular routine of work and school so booking out months in advance is ideal.  It is the most popular time to book family photo sessions, so booking sooner than later is ideal.

Spring

Easter Sunday and my baptism in 1969.

Spring is the time of year we come out with new spring outfits or dress-up for Easter Sunday. So before taking off your Sunday best, visit a park blanketed in soft hues of green and budding spring flowers. The temperatures are comfortable and the days are getting longer. The downside is the weather can be unpredictable with rain and wind in April and May.

Summer

A neighborhood annual party.

Summer is a great time to get that vacation or family reunion photo. Extended families may have a picnic planned for a casual affair while a wedding offers more formal pictures. Even a casual Saturday or Sunday afternoon cookout is great time to gather everyone up for a picture. The down side is that hot and muggy days do not make for good portraits and waiting for the golden hour of light might be too late for your visiting relatives.

Holidays

Captured on my camera phone after a memorial service.

Many of our families members are spread out all over the country, so the chances of you getting that picture with all your love ones doesn’t come around that often. So think about holidays such as Easter, Memorial or Labor Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I recently was asked to get photos at a funeral. It was the only time the entire extended family was in one place and it may not happen again until the next funeral unfortunately.

Remember, it is ideal to get the family picture during the last hours of daylight. Hiring a professional photographer takes all the guesswork out for you, so you can focus on your family. A professional can offer exceptional portraits in less than hour in any of these scenarios. The top picture was captured by another guest with my direction. It is the last picture of my family with my mom.

What do you think?

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Christina Paolucci