What is the best month for outdoor pictures in Michigan? | Detroit Family Photography
I love when I’m chatting with a client and they ask me what the best month is for family pictures in Metro Detroit. There’s many variables to what the “best” may be for each client. Let’s break this down into three simple questions to figure out what your favorite time for a family session would be!
Do you have a preferred attire?
First, do you like summer clothes or prefer to be covered with layers? What do you feel more comfortable in? I, myself, prefer to be a bit more covered (I don’t love my arms. Anyone relate?) so I prefer Spring or Early Fall for sessions with layers. Secondly, take into consideration what colors you prefer to wear. Spring and summer typically are lighter colors and pastels, whereas Fall colors are more jewel tones. Colors are secondary to which clothing type you prefer, so take that into more consideration than the colors. You want to feel amazing in your outfit, and I always say to pick your outfit first, mama. So decide which you like best on you and then run with it!
2. What time do your kids go to bed?
This is a big one. I photograph families either an hour after sunrise in the morning OR one to two hours before sunset in the evenings. We live in Michigan, and these timings change drastically from a 5:00 pm session in September or a 8:00 pm session in July. When planning sessions with clients, I nerd it up and use my sunrise/sunset app to tell me the times.
If your kiddos turn into pumpkins at 7:00 pm, then either opt for an April, May, September, early October evening session. If your kiddos are night owls and don’t go to bed before 9:00 pm, then you have the flexibility of a June, July, August session for an evening of golden hour. Remember, morning is an option if you can get up and everyone ready within the hour of sunrise. I only have a couple of families per year that opt for this, but it works for them!
Below are two examples of different times of the day. The first photo of the family of four walking was taken in the morning within an hour of sunrise. This sweet family is an early bird family and it works perfectly for them! The second photo of the dad kissing his little boy was taken in the evening during golden hour, which was minutes before the sunset.
3. What setting do you like?
Is there a certain time of the year you want as the background for your photos? Fall in Michigan is a popular season, as many want to have the autumn colors but there’s many more options than Fall - I promise! Do you like the water and want river photos? How about gorgeous flowers in bloom? Maybe you want some white holiday lights in the background? Are you a true Michigander and want snowy photos? Or maybe you love sunflowers and that’s your dream location. Regardless of which one suits you, these all have various months where flowers are blooming, you’d be willing to dip your toes into the river for water photos, and so forth. Let’s chat about what you like the look of and I can tell you the ideal month for your setting of choice.
4. BUT WHAT IF IT IS WINTER AND I DON’T LIKE THE COLD?!
I know, I didn’t tell you there were four but there are four. For you folks who need updated family photos or just prefer them to be done during our Michigan winter, you have an excellent option that does not depend on the great outdoors or the seasons whatsoever. Sometimes our crazy and non-predictable weather stresses clients out and they don’t want to worry about what it will be like outside. Well, there is always the studio! The studio offers both a bright and airy lifestyle setting, or a more posed setting. Both are timeless options, and we can plan out your studio session together to curate it to your style.
There you have it, Friends! After reading this and getting the inside scoop, which month is best for your family’s portraits?
Before I go, I want to give you some handy information to keep in mind.
!! INSIDER INFORMATION !!
Ready for a breakdown of the months and types of sessions?
Late January - February: while snow in Michigan cannot be a guarantee, these are the “safest” times to plan for snow
End of April - Early May: White flowering tree sessions
June - August: Beach and river sessions
August: Sunflower sessions
September: Dahlia Field sessions
Mid-October: Fall colors
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope this gave you all sorts of good nuggets of information for your own family photos. Feel free to share this blog, or you can pin it to your Pinterest board for future reference! If you’d like more information on family photos with me, click here!
xo,
Chelsie
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Chelsie Maurer is an award winning professional photographer serving Metro Detroit and surrounding areas. She specializes in Maternity, Newborn, and Family sessions. Chelsie Maurer Photography’s studio is located in historic Downtown Utica, Michigan.