What Season Should You Book Your Portland Family Photos?

Your Guide to Choosing a Season for Your Portland Family Photos

Living in Portland, we have a lot of things to consider when deciding what season to book family photos. Weather, colors, sunset time, and location could all play a factor in your decision and hopefully I’ll give you some new things to think about. And who knows,  maybe you’ll try out a different time of year next time!

Spring Family Photos

I’m starting with spring because it’s coming up soon (kind-of). If you like lots of green grass, flowers, and mild weather then the spring season may be perfect for your family photos. There’s a good chance you’ll get rain interrupting your plans, but if you can be flexible then so can I! A light sprinkle won’t scare us away, but any more than that and we will probably want to wait for a better day. 

TIMING: My sessions start around 1 to 2 hours before sunset, and sunset is 7:30pm in mid-March and 9pm in June. So make your decision based on that. If you have small ones who go to bed early, either start putting them to bed later the week before your session, or choose the earlier spring months.

LOCATION: There are lots of beautiful locations in the spring!

Here are some reasons why I love spring!

Long, green grass…

Wildflowers in The Gorge in late April/early May (people drive from all over for these!)…

Lily fields in Late April/early May…

Amazing wildflower spot that blooms from the end of May to the beginning of July…

Random flowers that pop up in Early June…

And the Oregon Coast is beautiful in the spring…

Family Photography in the Summer

Considering this is Oregon, my favorite time for photos is in the summer. The reason is that you’re almost always going to end up with sun, and that’s what I love most! You didn’t realize, but I’m adding another family member to your photos, and it’s the sun! I feel like it’s another subject in my photos, and I welcome it with open arms. Anyway, you can still find flowers in the summer if that’s your thing, or you can head to the beach and know that it won’t be freezing, or just enjoy the beautiful Oregon landscape. Wherever you go, the sun will almost always be there. So try a summer photo session next time, it’s awesome!

TIMING: Okay, there is something that you do need to think about before deciding if summer is for you, and that is the late sunsets. I book sessions around 1 to 1.5 hours before sunset, and in the summer the sunset can be around 9pm or so. If your kids can’t handle that, then maybe early to mid-summer isn’t the best plan for you. Late summer could work for you, though, as sunset starts getting earlier and by mid-September it’s around 7:15

LOCATION: These are some of my favorite summer photo locations.

This faux beach close to Portland works any time in the summer…

Amazing views in The Columbia River Gorge….

Sun-drenched riverbanks… 

Wildflowers out in Silverton (I have exclusive access to multiple flower fields). Usually blooming mid-June through late July…

I love it when everything is not SO green. The brown tones look gorgeous!

But this is Oregon, so plenty of spots are still green, even at the end of summer!

This flower field is still in bloom in early July…

Sunflower fields in late August and early September…

And I mentioned the coast… Summer is the perfect time of year for a beach session…

I love all the Queen Anne’s Lace and daisies that you can find usually in August…

Fall Family Photo Sessions

Okay, okay, we all know that fall is a lovely season for family photos. I understand the appeal: changing leaves, moderate temperatures, it’s just before the holidays. Sunset starts getting later so it’s great for little ones. Usually, in the beginning of fall you have a better chance for sun, but the later it gets, the more likely it is to rain. So be prepared to be flexible if we get rained out. 

TIMING: Sunset and sunrise are both possibilities in the fall! Other times of the year, sunrise is waaaaay too early, but in the fall it’s not bad at all. And for sunset, it’s not too late so it’s great for younger kids who go to bed early. The best time for color is typically mid-October through early November but it really depends on the year. Some years we have color all the way through to the end of November! 

LOCATION: So many options, so little time. I have plenty of favorite spots for fall photo sessions. But don’t worry, I’ll help you find a good one.

Natural areas where the sun shines through the trees (and even if it’s early in the season, the golden sun gives the illusion of changing leaves even when they haven’t yet)…

Long grasses with colorful trees behind…

Big puddles of water can be found after a lot of rain…

There is color to be found, and I’ll help you find it if that’s important to you…

Maybe you want to take a trip to an alpaca farm (I have exclusive access any time of the year!)

Here’s some examples of a sunrise session in the fall (which is the best time for them since sunrise is later)…

A trip to a vineyard…

Sweeping landscapes in The Gorge are beautiful any time of year but are especially gorgeous in the fall. Doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or not…

Late fall brings a great vibe, too…

And when the fog rolls in, embrace it!

Family Photos in the Winter Season

Well, it’s going to be cold out. And possibly cloudy, which can be amazing! But I try to be extremely flexible this time of year because there’s usually a lot of rain, so we may need to reschedule. I don’t pack my schedule in the winter, to be sure there’s plenty of room for rescheduling. Make sure to dress extra warm with lots of layers for the kids because cold kids do not make happy kids.

TIMING: Sunset is around 4:30-5:30 so it’s good for little ones as far as bedtime goes, but it’s COLD out so if you have family members who don’t do well in cold, make sure to take that into consideration. Sunrise is usually colder than sunset so I usually stick to sunset in the winter.

LOCATION: You may want to have a few locations in mind, just in case it’s super windy or rainy in the gorge on the day of your session, but Oregon City is looking nice (or something like that). 

I love the look of the bare trees in winter and tall, dried-out grass adds awesome texture…

Water locations look amazing any time of year…

Cloudy skies and mountains make a great backdrop…

Something about the winter sun is magical…

And if you haven’t booked your yearly family photos with me yet, you can do so by contacting me here. I book sessions in Portland/Vancouver, the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast, or I’m available for travel!

Personally, I like every season and I think it would be a great idea to try out a new season every year!

Which season is your favorite?