Best Time of Year for Senior Portraits in DFW | Expert Photo Tips
What Every Parent Should Know About When to Book Senior Pictures in DFW
Trying to figure out when your son should book his senior pictures? You’re not alone. One of the most common questions we hear from parents is: “When is the best time of year for senior portraits?” The truth is, timing can make a big difference but it is definitely a decision of person choice — from the look of the scenery to how busy your senior’s schedule is. Below is a detailed, season-by-season breakdown to help you choose the perfect time.
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KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER: BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR SENIOR PORTRAITS
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to the best time of year for senior portraits. Every student has a unique schedule and preference. But planning around a few key factors can make all the difference
Some things to consider
- Yearbook / Program Deadlines
- Planning Ahead
- Sports and Activity Schedules
- Field Availability
- Weather
- Locking in Current Prices
- Personal Choice
Yearbook and Program deadlines
Each school has a different deadline, and while we’d love to list them all across DFW, it’s just not possible. We have photographed over 70 different schools in the area and each one likely has a different deadline.
What I can tell you is this — if you want to be sure your photos are ready for all the deadlines you might face throughout the year, booking sooner rather than later is always the way to go.
Sports can be big factor when it comes to deadlines. Football and basketball are the main sport that still uses a program where you can buy half or full page ads. Is that important to your son?
You could also reach out to your school’s yearbook program, athletic directors or coaches to see if they know when your deadlines are.
Planning ahead and securing the best times
Even if you aren’t ready to book for the summer, now is the time to start thinking about your senior portraits. Figuring out now when you want to do them will lay the groundwork for all your other decisions.
Getting a date selected on the calendar is the most important part. We can always figure out the details of where, how, and style at your planning session. Selecting the time of year you would like is one of the first key steps.
Sports and activities schedule
Is your senior in any sports or special clubs and activities? This is a great way to start thinking about when you might want to have your portraits taken.
Let’s take sports for example. If you are a football player, you might decide that summer is the best for you before the busyness of the season starts.
If you are a football player, you could be deciding whether you would want your session before the busyness of the season starts, during the season while it’s already in your schedule, or after the season is wrapped up and you might have more free time.
PRO TIP: Some football programs like to do traditions when they make it to the playoffs. For instance Carroll and Prosper football like to dye or shave their heads when the playoffs start. This can be important to note, especially if you are a school that often makes it to the playoffs. Let’s book your session before then!
Field availability
If you have a senior athlete and you are planning to utilize the field or court for part or all of your senior pictures, field availability is something to consider. We try to book most athletes for Sundays. It’s less likely they will have practice or games and it’s more likely that the fields will be available.
If you decide to do your senior pictures when your sport is not in season, this might open additional availability for field access.
Weather
It’s Texas — the weather is unpredictable, but some things still hold true: summer is hot, winter can be chilly, and everything in between offers a lot of flexibility.
Some people simply know they’re not “summer people” or that they hate the cold — and that alone can help you decide which season is right for you.
PRO TIP: In the summer and early fall, to avoid the heat we like to book our morning time slots first. It will be 20 degrees cooler — or more — in the morning.
locking in current prices
Although we don’t change our pricing often, you never know when they might increase. When you book with us, you are locked into the current pricing as it is at the time that you booked. So if they do go up later, you still receive the previous lower prices.
personal choices
Like I spoke about before with weather, a lot of it comes down to personal choice. Not just for the senior but also for the parents. What weather do you like? What time of year is your favorite? What works best with everyone’s schedules? What works best to have the photos for the various needs of senior year?
All of these things factor into what feels like the right time for you.
What time of year is best for seniors?
what season is best for senior pictures - Let's break down some plus and minuses for each season
Summer Sessions (June – August) - Best time of year for senior portraits
Summer in Texas can certainly be hot. (Although mild so far this year). Mornings, however, can be a great time to schedule in the summer where the temps are much cooler than the afternoon. Here are a few pluses and minuses for booking your senior pictures in summer.
- Finish your portraits before the school year starts
- Scheduling before the heavy football season starts can be a plus
- Have your photos at your disposal for the entire senior year
- Get ahead of their classmates and be the first to have awesome photos to show
- Weather can be hotter, as high as 105+ (medicated with morning bookings)
- You may have vacation plans
PRO TIP: We are currently booking for summer and fall. August can be a great in between time where it is after some summer traveling plans but before the school year starts. Contact us today to get started.
Fall Sessions (September – November) - Best time of year for senior portraits
Fall is one of the two busiest times of the year. It normally sells out or gets close. People are back to school and eager to get their portraits done.
Now is a great time to start putting your booking together for Fall to guarantee your to choice in dates.
- The most popular time of year
- Seniors are well into their routine
- Being photographed in this timeframe still gives you plenty of time to have your photos for all the senior events
- Temperatures are getting better
- Some days can still be hot - Mornings are still suggested
- Busiest time of the year, so book ahead
PRO TIP: No matter how busy our Fall season gets we want you to be a part! Don’t assume we are already full. Give us a call and I will find a time on our calendar for your senior!
Winter Sessions (December – February) - Best time of year for senior portraits
Winter in Texas might not be like winter in other part of the country, but it can still get cold. It might be 10 degrees or 70 degrees. But most of the time you can expect mild weather around 40-60 degrees. Here are some plus and minuses for senior portraits in winter.
- The school year is in motion, some sports schedules have ended
- If you like milder or colder days
- It can be a little easier to find spots on the schedule as it's not as full as Fall and Spring
- Less crowds as people tend to stay inside more in Texas Winter
- Some days in Texas can still be rather cold
- Grass may no longer be on the ground or leaves on the trees. Still great for sports fields and city scenes.
Spring Sessions (March – May) -Best time of year for senior portraits
Believe it or not, Spring is our second most popular time of the year. Especially during the months of March and April, we normally have a robust amount of seniors looking to get their photos in before the end of the year. Here are a few thoughts about Spring
- Normally great weather, leaves and grass are starting to come back
- Sports schedules are starting to wrap up
- Still time to get photos back for end of the year deadlines
- Your portraits are for a lifetime, no matter how late in the year you take them
- We can see some rainy days this time of year, so prepare to be flexible
- Some school deadlines may have already passed. But that's ok because your portraits are important for a lifetime of reasons.
How we can help
It can be hard to make your decision on the best time of year for senior portraits.
Don’t worry, we are here to help!
Simple give us a call and we discuss and help determine what makes the best sense for your senior. With every booking we also include a pre-photoshoot planning session where we will go deeper into all of the planning of your photoshoot. From locations to outfits to the creative look that tells the perfect story of your son.
So, What’s the Best Time Overall For You?
Ready to schedule your senior session? Let’s find the perfect season together — contact me today
We hope you enjoyed our blog post about the Best Time of Year to for Senior Portraits. We are excited to work with you for your senior in Dallas, Fort Worth and all of DFW.