Preparing for Your Spring Session 🌸
Photo Tips for Your Spring Session
To ensure your photos turn out beautifully, I've compiled a guide entailing what you can wear, bring, and how to plan your shoot around peak spring bloom season. Whether capturing cherry blossoms, tulips, apple blossoms, or magnolias, spring blooms are an excellent time for family sessions!
(As always, I encourage personal expression that goes beyond these words on a page. You are the magic, and my job is to capture that!)
Here is a masterclass in styling! She wears a cream linen jumpsuit and he wears sage green jumper with off-white pants. This cohesive look doesn’t feel “matchy” but seamlessly creates a beautiful contrasting color scheme (pink/sage) to elevate the overall look of this photograph. Look below to see how the children of this family were dressed to match with floral, patterned outfits.
styling your shoot
Pastels and Neutrals
Soft neutral colors like whites, creams, denims, and muted tones photograph beautifully
Baby pink, sage greens, and light violets are exceptional during spring
Avoid fluorescent pastels, keep it soft, and let the vibrant blooms speak for themselves!
Flowy, Comfortable Fabrics
Maxi dresses/skirts, jumpsuits, linen pants, and relaxed suits are some ideas that create a soft, playful feel in photos
Subtle Monotone Patterns
Simple, subtle patterns are great
Avoid clothing with tight stripes as they don’t photograph well and can create distracting effects
Coordinate Your Family
Pick 4-5 color tones and have the family’s outfits coordinate around that palette
Avoid loud, multicolored patterns, as they can be visually overwhelming in photos
Outfit Building Tip
If you're stuck on family styling, start by choosing Mom’s outfit and build the rest of the family’s wardrobe around it. This is often the easiest way to create a cohesive look
Wardrobe & Prop Variety
It’s fun to bring a couple of wardrobe options! Think about easy changes like a blazer, hat, or light scarf to add variety to your look without requiring a full outfit change
Two sisters wear matching flowy white dresses and jean coats. Blue denim in photos are timeless and will never be out of style.
The classic look never fails! Notice how the white dresses have texture - the lace is key to this outfit standing out. The white bow on baby is a beautiful touch.
timing the season
When booking a session, one of the questions you’ll ask yourself is “how can I predict the spring blooms?” Great question! We can try our best based on the past years’ data, but the truth is that the peak season will vary by year. I cover a wide radius (Westchester, NY to the Catskills, NY) and even in that 1.5 hr radius, the blooms will vary by weeks. It’s essential you work with a photographer who will have this expertise and have some flexibility and creativity in this area! A neat resource is the ILOVENY blossom tracker.
Cherry Blossoms
NYC: Approx. last week of March to mid-April
Westchester: Approx. first week of April to late April
Hudson Valley/Catskills: Approx. all of April
Magnolias
NYC: Approx. early April to May
Westchester: Approx. early April to May
Hudson Valley: Approx. mid-April to mid-May
Tulips
NYC: Approx. late March to early May
Westchester: Approx. early April to May
Hudson Valley: Approx. mid-April to early May
This family wears blue denim, white, pink, and black. Simple to find in your closet and rewarding!
feeling good in photos
A note on comfortability: I would be remiss to mention the elephant in the room when it comes to photography: the self-judgement and stress that can come up when preparing to be “seen” in front of the camera. I also sometimes panic about how I look and or don’t feel my absolute best before an important event. My most important focus is to make sure my clients FEEL GOOD and have a positive experience. It’s natural to feel uncomfortable for a shoot, so I leave room for that discomfort - knowing full well in my 8+ years of photography, it always fades over time as my clients get settled in and we start having fun. Pushing yourself past that slight discomfort has immediate rewards, in the form of beautiful photos!
It’s important for us to feel comfortable in our own skin - that skin applies to your clothing as well. If you never wear a dress and heels and feel super uncomfortable in that style, I would advise not trying it out for your photo session, but rather focus on elevating your personal style. The truth is if you are uncomfortable in your clothing, the camera can capture it. My best advice here is to prepare in advance to reduce the stress, and mock up your outfits a week or a few days before, leaving time if you need to source additional clothing. Add in picking out clothes for your kids and it can be somewhat overwhelming.
Some tips photographers can do to make you feel more comfortable:
Remind you that if they suggest a pose that feels too outside the box or unlike your personal expression, you don’t have to do it
Exercises like shaking out shoulders in the beginning to reduce tension
Playing music for kids
Positive feedback: when the photos are coming out amazing, you should know it!! Ex.“The lighting is hitting perfect! You’re going to love these photos. Your connection is so apparent in the photos!”
My biggest joy is knowing my clients can arrive to their session with info & tools for success and leave the sessions confident, positive, and excited to see their photos in the coming week!
