The best time of year to schedule your family session!

Every year, I have clients who are surprised by all we have to consider when scheduling a perfect family session for them!

Here are five ingredients to build the best photography session ever!

• Time of Day

• Weather

• Trees

• Location

• Flexibility

Time of Day

If there is one thing I look forward to every year, it is sunsets in Indiana, especially as a photographer! There is nothing better than that warm, buttery light! The golden hour is the period of time one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset. It's also known as "magic hour". Golden hour is the most coveted time of day for most photographers since it is both flattering on clients and perfect for capturing sun flares. Sunset changes throughout the year and your location, so bedtimes, dinner and work can all be a factor depending on the time of year. The times below are for the 15th day of each month in Yorktown, Indiana.

Golden hour sessions will begin about an hour before sunset.

Sunsets at 47396

• Jan 5:40 PM

• Feb 6:18 PM

• March 7:50 PM

• April 8:21 PM

• May 8:51 PM

• June 9:13 PM

• July 9:10 PM

• August 8:38 PM

• September 7:50 PM

• October 7:01 PM

• November 5:25 PM

• December 5:17 PM

As you can see, mid-summer sessions can be a challenge for kiddos with earlier bedtimes, and spring and fall sessions can be a challenge when dinner and work schedules are a factor.

Weather

Being a life long Indiana resident, if there is one thing I am used to, it is having three seasons in one day. From my experience, there are definitely months that I prefer to gamble on for a clear evening! Many clients desire fall foliage, but in my experience, I reschedule more sessions in October than any other month. Heat and humidity are also a factor - moms and dads rarely have a great session if it is 90 out with 100% humidity!

Month   High / Low(°F)  Rain Days

March   49° / 34°    8 days

April   63° / 45°    10 days

May   72° / 56°    10 days

June   81° / 65°    10 days

July   83° / 67°    9 days

August   82° / 66°    8 days

September   77° / 58°    6 days

October   64° / 47°    7 days

November   51° / 38°    6 days

December   38° / 28°    8 days

Trees

We are lucky enough in central Indiana to have three beautiful native flowering trees.If you get lucky enough, you can find these three trees below besides all the beautiful bushes and greenery.

• Redbud trees bloom in April.

• Dogwood trees bloom in May

• Sweetbay magnolia bloom from May to early June.

In Indiana, you can catch the peak fall foliage in the second to last week of October. The leaves last one to two weeks depending on how much rain and wind we get.

Location

Every seasoned photographer has their favorite places to photograph their clients. When I am planning a session with someone, I always ask what vision they have for their session. Do they prefer bridges, trees, the river, pond or a field? Lucky enough for us here in Indiana, we have a variety of options so that we can personalize a session to match our client. One important thing to keep in mind is that some locations are closed during early and late times of the year. Keep this in mind when scheduling your session.

Flexibility

Being Hoosiers, we are used to unpredictable weather! For rain, sometimes there isn't an alternative to rescheduling your session. Having a backup date penciled in can be quite helpful. I check three separate weather apps before making the call to reschedule. Making the call is never fun, but having clients who are understanding and flexible makes a huge difference! We just want you to have the best session you can.

My Professional Opinion

Every once in a while I have a client who isn’t tied to a certain day or month and they say the magic words “we trust you”. While I like fall leaves as much as the other girlies, I love lush green trees and tall grassy fields. May, June and September are by far my favorite times of year to photograph families outdoors!

Ready to schedule your family session? Please give us a call or shoot me a message today!

Amanda Hakes

Betty and Bobby Photography

765-748-4246

bettyandbobbyphotography@gmail.com

P.S. Scheduling your session in advance allows you to make complimentary payments as low as $25 a month. No hidden or additional fees apply.