What Season Should I Schedule Family Photos In?
I love the changing seasons! If you asked me what my favorite season is, I would have a hard time choosing just one because there is something to love about all of them. The best part is, as soon as you start to get too sick of one season, it changes, and the change is so refreshing.
For photography, fall is often a popular time for photos in Boise because the fall colors can be so pretty, but for me as a photographer, there is something to love about the photos I take in every season and each one brings something unique to the image.
So what season season is right for you and when should you schedule photos? Below I’ll give you a breakdown of the seasons in Boise and show examples of photos from each, as well as pros and cons to help you make a decision that is right for your family.
Winter
I feel like winter gets a bad wrap for photography, but I have to say some of my favorite sessions have come out of winter months. It can definitely be cold, and so proper attire and some brave attitudes (especially on the part of kids) is a must, but braving the cold can be so worth it. It is true that the trees are bare and everything is dead and brown, but in my opinion the neutral backdrop can really make the subjects pop.
Pros
Snow! If it is snowy or snowing for your session this can make for some really beautiful pictures. The snow works as a natural reflector of light which means that it does wonderful things for skin tones and filling in shadows.
Usually during the winter in Boise, the sun stays lower in the sky and the days are shorter, which means the session can be scheduled for mid to late afternoon or early evening and you still get really beautiful light. If you’re worried about kid bedtimes and still capturing golden hour light, then winter is a great solution.
Clouds! Winter session in Boise often are cloudy and I love having clouds during my sessions. Clouds help to eliminate harsh light and shadows and diffuse the light to help even skin tones. I also love that it means I can shoot in almost any direction and not deal with weird shadows across your faces. Clouds also means we can schedule for just about any time of day and the pictures still turn out gorgeous!
Cons
The cold can be especially hard for little ones to endure and still have a brave face for the pics. If you do choose to do photos in the winter, make sure you pick outfits that will keep you warm (especially for little ones) and maybe bring a hot drink for afterward. You can also make the session extra cozy with blankets and lots of cuddles!
Unpredictable weather can cause sessions to be rescheduled. I typically reschedule for high winds or rain, but will still shoot in snow, and pretty chilly temps.
Jennalee and Branson’s maternity session at Camel's Back Park in Boise was the perfect evening to celebrate this chapter as they prepare to welcome their baby.
While most everybody is familiar with the three trimesters of pregnancy, most don’t realize that there are really 5 stages to bringing your baby into the world. Today I am sharing what they are and what you can expect from conception to the mysterious “4th trimester”.
The first week of 2025 started off very busy with multiple maternity and newborn sessions; Rob and Kacey’s session included. Their session was a blast as we hiked the foothills near downtown Boise for all of these shots.
This session was a chilly one, but you wouldn’t know it because Milla’s warm and fun personality brought all the heat! A soon to be graduate of Boise High School, Milla was an honor to photograph for her senior portraits.
The sun in this session is deceiving because it was very cold and windy, but that didn’t stop us from getting some adorable shots of this soon to be big brother and his parents.
Loni reached out to me a year ago about doing their family photos. She told me they were moving to Idaho over the summer and she knew she wanted to find a photographer to continue their tradition of doing family photos in the fall. I was honored that she chose me and we set a date for the end of October.
It isn’t often that I get to do a session with both teenagers and an infant. That dynamic among these siblings made this session so fun and sweet baby Peter was the happiest baby through the whole session.
Kassie and Chandler picked a beautiful location in a local neighborhood for their engagement photos and a couple days before the shoot we got a fresh layer of snow that added to the magic.
I absolutely love doing pregnancy announcement shoots! I love getting to be a part of such an exciting time for a couple or family as they share that they are expecting.
This sweet family is getting ready to welcome their fourth baby and it was an honor to capture this season for them. As soon as we arrived to the location we had picked, it started dumping snow and the wind had picked up.
It is always such a joy to meet first time parents and to capture their joy waiting for their the arrival of their baby. Mitch and Amanda’s session was a cold one, but even the chilly day couldn’t cool off the the warmth exuding from their excitement at meeting their baby boy.
For Derek and Sierra’s engagement photos we met out at Lake Lowell in Nampa, Idaho. It was the beginning of February and a little chilly. I told them it was all the more reason to get nice and cuddly, and that is just what they did.
When Derek reached out to me to ask if I would take photos of his proposal to his girlfriend Sierra, I was ecstatic! I was also nervous since I new this was going to be a big moment to capture. I didn’t want to miss the moment, or give away the surprise. After Derek and I chatted a few times the plan was set, and the day arrived.
When Tate and I were discussing her ideas for her and fiancé Briden’s engagement photos, the options were either beach (they live in southern California) or snow. Well we banked on snow, and it just so happened that Boise got hit with a huge snowstorm over Christmas break.
So the truth about why I enjoy senior portrait sessions so much…might just be that I’m still a high schooler at heart. Surri and I had so much fun exploring around Hyde Park and Camel’s Back Park for her senior portraits.
Spring
Spring is probably my second most popular season for photo sessions and for good reason! Everything is blooming and sprouting and the weather is warmer.
Pros
Warmer weather and sunshine makes the smiles come easier.
The landscape is filled with new grass and blooming trees or flowers
Warm weather means dresses and fun outfits where you don’t have to be afraid to show some skin.
Cons
Lots of green can be hard on skin tones, but this can be combatted with thoughtful posing, editing and proper outfit selection (which I can help with)
Still somewhat unpredictable weather (April showers bring May flowers, right?)
Spring seems to me to have a short window of time in Boise. Even though it technically starts in March, I find that most stuff is not in bloom most years until mid-late April and that can vary significantly with the weather.
Every spring in the Treasure Valley, the local orchards burst forth in blooms of vibrant colors and this provides a beautiful backdrop for early spring family photos or maternity photos.
One thing I love is finding unique locations for families to have their photoshoot, and a private venue offers the added bonus of privacy and freedom to explore without a timeline.
We met at a quiet meadow trail, just as the light began to turn golden. Mama-to-be wore a lace gown that contrasted beautifully with the green grass and trees.
Some family sessions remind me exactly why I love what I do—and this one at The Cottage at Riverbend in Eagle, Idaho, was one of those unforgettable days.
There’s something incredibly magical about springtime—when the air softens, the days stretch a little longer, and nature begins to show off with bursts of color. One location that radiates the beauty of springtime is Cherryhill Farms in Caldwell, ID where the peach orchard bursts with soft pink blossoms.
Sara and Robert’s maternity session this spring reminded me why I love spring photo sessions. A highlight was when we were walking up the hill to our final location and discovered the hillside was covered in blooming lupines.
When Elizabethreached out to me to schedule their family shoot it was the middle of winter here in Boise, and we were both looking forward to warmer weather. We settled on May for the date of their family shoot and it turned out to be a beautiful and warm May evening.
The weather is finally warming up, blooms are budding and the ground is taking life again. Spring is a beautiful time for family photos and my favorite season in Boise. But perhaps one of your first questions is, “What should we wear?”
’ve done a lot of location scouting for photoshoots, and I always offer location ideas and options for my clients, but in this case my client Alyse did some scouting beforehand and found this perfect little patch of Queen Anne’s lace for the session.
Spring in Boise is one of my favorite times for family photos because everything is so beautiful, lush, and green. However, green grasses and trees sometimes pose a problem for beautiful portrait photos because it can cause a green color cast on the subject’s skin, causing issues for perfect skin tones.
I had the pleasure of meeting this family last year for their newborn session and it was so fun to see them now 1 year later and to see how much Vera has grown! What a sweetheart!
At the beginning of the summer here in Idaho we had a few days that were very cloudy. Often as photographers, we can get caught up in wanting the famed golden hour light, and so clouds in the forecast can be a bit of a downer. However, cloudy skies do not have to ruin a photoshoot, and in fact may actually help make it something epic.
I was so pleased when Ashley reached out to me to do some updated family photos of them with their now 6th month old son, Alex! It felt like just yesterday I was doing his newborn session, but here he was a smiley, interactive and adorable 8 month old.
Spring in Boise is always a welcome change after a LOOOONG cold winter. Spring this year brought a number of maternity and newborn shoots for me and I couldn’t be more thrilled to capture this sweet time for these families.
I had such a blast capturing West’s senior portraits. West wanted her portraits done in the spring when flowers were in bloom, but needed to submit a photo for the yearbook by January. At the time it was already fall, past prime flower blooming. So I suggested we split her session into a fall shoot and a spring shoot.
Summer
Summer in Boise is so fun! Not only is the weather warm, but the myriads of lakes and rivers can make for some fun water shots and in my opinion it’s even better when you get IN the water!
Pros
Warm weather
Lots of full and green landscapes, as well as summer flowers
Water can make the session fun and helps you stay cool
Summer wildflowers as well as lavender season in July and sunflower season late summer
Can do morning shoots to try to avoid the warmest part of the day
Cons
Can be really hot!
Late sunset can be difficult for golden hour pictures with littles because of bedtimes
Bugs are out!
Family photos can be especially special when captured in a place that is near and dear to your family’s heart. This session was a great example of that as it took place on the family’s quaint hobby farm nestled on the banks of the Snake river in Eastern Oregon — complete with two gentle Highland cows who nearly stole the show!
Milestone sessions are such a special way to document your baby’s growth, toothy smile and all the little details that you don’t want to forget about this season.
Summer is the perfect season to capture your family in all their vibrant, sun-kissed glory. From fun summer activities to spontaneous splashes in the river, summer lends itself to authentic, vibrant memories.
Senior year is such a special time, and capturing this milestone with a senior portrait session is something every high school senior deserves! Recently, I had the joy of photographing Amelia at a breathtaking location near Lake Lowell, where the golden grass sprinkled with sunflowers created the most stunning backdrop.
The end of the summer is a favorite time of year for senior portraits. The weather is still warm, the sun is shining, you have a golden end of summer tan and you can wear whatever outfits you want(versus having to put on layers and layers to keep warm).
One of my favorite things as a photographer is getting to capture epic skies at my clients sessions and this certainly was one of them. My other favorite thing is photographing toddlers who aren’t too sure they want to be photographed, but then getting the cutest shots in between the pouting and crying.
This maternity session had beautiful skies, warm weather, and a sweet couple waiting to meet their baby girl. Often for maternity shoots I like to ask my couples to bring an ultrasound picture to use for a prop in a few photos.
Backyard fun, baseball, blanket forts, booboos scooters and a puppy; this session had it all and it was SO MUCH FUN. This exuded the epitome of summer in Idaho and I loved getting to document it all for this sweet family.
One thing I love about summer shoots in Boise is the beautiful wildflowers that pop up sometimes unexpectedly all over the valley and especially the foothills.
Summertime might just be one of my favorite seasons for family portraits for the variety of lush locations there are to choose from. This family has three girls and so a flower farm seemed like the perfect fit for their family portraits.
Cloudy day shoots often turn out to be some of my favorite because they make for such epic skies. This maternity shoot was no exception and Amber and Trevor were so much fun.
I will be the first to tell you that sometimes taking family pictures is no easy feat. BUT hard doesn’t equal bad. I find that the ages from 1-3 are some of the most difficult to capture, but also some of the most rewarding.
Jamie came from Iowa for her senior portraits and we had a blast exploring around downtown boise, then hiking up into the foothills for a glowy sunset over downtown.
I met the Wortham family a year ago for their maternity photos before Laney was born, and I can’t believe a year has already passed. Time is a thief! Scroll all the way to the bottom for her adorable cake smash.
This past summer I photographed a handful of lifestyle newborn session outdoors and I fell in love! When the weather is warm and nice, this is a beautiful option. This session we almost got rained out, but after we bumped the time, we were able to work around the rain.
Fall
Last season to cover is fall. Fall is usually such a popular time for pictures because of the colors with the changing leaves. I also like the brown grasses because they tend to work really well with skin tones and as a neutral backdrop.
Pros
Colorful trees
Sometimes still some wildflowers
Lost of texture in the landscape
Oranges, browns and reds
Fresh pictures for Christmas card photos
Cons
Harder to schedule due to this being my most popular season
Unpredictable weather can include wind, rain and snow!
Muddy trails in some good photoshoot locations
Fall is one of the most popular times for family photos in and around Boise, Idaho and for a good reason. The city’s trees come alive in bursts of color; reds, yellows and oranges can be seen all around the city.
After years of hard work, late nights studying, new friendships, and unforgettable memories, Katelyn graduated from Boise State University.
This cap and gown graduation session on the beautiful campus of Boise State University was the perfect way to capture the excitement of closing one chapter and stepping into the next.
Crisp mornings, golden leaves underfoot, and the smell of pumpkin spice in the air—fall has officially arrived in Boise! 🍂 This season is one of the most stunning (and most requested) times of the year for family photos. If you’re planning a session, one of the first things you might be wondering is, “What should we wear?”
I had the pleasure of meeting the Arnold family’s baby boy on a cloudy afternoon in their beautiful Boise North End home. We had plans to shoot some photos in their home and then head to the foothills for the rest of the session, but as soon as we stepped outside it started raining.
This maternity session is a great example of how light colored, neutral outfits help the subjects stand out against the background. This session took place right around the transition from summer to fall here in Boise and so we ended up having a mix of greens as well as oranges, yellows and reds in the background.
Lifestyle newborn sessions are typically in my clients homes, however the beauty of a lifestyle session is you can really do it anywhere, and lately I have been loving outdoor newborn sessions.
The weather is finally cooling off, leaves are changing color and falling to the ground, and all things cozy are in high demand. Fall is a beautiful time for family photos and a popular one at that. But perhaps one of your first questions is, “What should we wear?”
The fall colors in Boise were really popping for this maternity session. Fall is really something special in Boise, but it goes by fast!
Fall is such a beautiful season for engagement photos and this engagement session had all the cozy and cuddly vibes that a fall session should.
This fall we had such beautiful weather for pictures, aside from the typical reschedules due to rain, and one especially chilly 20 degree morning.
Cameron’s session was my last senior session of 2022 and it was a fun, albeit cold one! She was a champ braving the cold for some epic views from the top of Camel’s Back in downtown Boise.
Something that is worth saying about family photography is that getting good photos of young kids is not always easy…I am here to tell you that it is still not only possible to get good photos of your child, but it is totally worth it to capture their personality and I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make it happen.
Today I am sharing part 1 of Madison’s senior portrait session. Madi went with my seasonal deluxe senior portrait package which meant she had a session with me in the fall as well in the spring!
The Tuckers are some of our dearest friends and it was a sad day for us when they moved home to Washington state a couple years ago. BUT, now they are back in the lovely state of Idaho and we are so excited to get to spend more time with them and see our boys grow up together!
Fall is by far the most popular time for family photography in Boise and it is not hard to understand why. Idaho has the privilege of getting to experience a true fall where the leaves turn from green to a wide array of deep red, orange, yellow or brown.
Have you made a decision on which season is right for your family? Ready to book your session?