If we asked you when the best time of year for family photos in Charlotte would be, what would be your best guess? You might be surprised that our answer isn’t always in the fall. Of course, we always love our fall sessions and catching up with all of you before the holidays. But would you believe it if we told you that spring and summer are just as exciting?!

Best Time of Year for Family Photos in Charlotte, North Carolina

Fall is the time to check things off the list, so we completely understand that yearly family photos find their way there as the season slows. But our personal favorite times to lock in those family photos for your annual holiday photos are spring and summer. We’ll go into some details as to why in the rest of this post…

The Lighting

We love that spring and summer light! The days are longer, and the sun sits higher in the sky, making spring the best time for more crisp and bright light. It’s a bit less “muddy,” and we prefer spring afternoons or summer mornings for our overall style. A lot of what you see in our portfolio is shot in this type of lighting.

The Color Palette

We are biased, but we also think spring and summer colors and lighting work best with our editing style, which makes it the best time of year for family photos in Charlotte. The fall color palette is sometimes saturated and high contrast which is not conducive to our style and what you see on our website and socials. If you want those light and airy tones, spring and summer are the best times to lock in your session! To see some wardrobe inspiration that works well with our style, check our Pinterest Board.

Longer Window For Shooting

As we mentioned before, not only is the lighting better, but it also lasts longer. Most people love fall photos because of the foliage. The time frame can be a little more unpredictable as the years pass, and it lasts only four to six weeks. It gets quite chilly in the late afternoon, and with the time change, shoot times usually interrupt nap schedules, which don’t always make for the best experience.

Morning sessions are not really an option because of temps in the fall, but we LOVE morning sessions in the summer! Kids are chipper, and the lighting and temps are great.

Choose The Unexpected

We love mixing things up a bit! You can still create holiday cards and yearly updates (with more time, we might add), and you can cross it off your list before all your holiday baking and travel! Having your family photos taken in the spring adds a hint of the unexpected when your card arrives at your recipient’s mailbox.

Shorter Turnaround Time

Because the fall season is so busy, not only with shoots, but also with life in general, turnaround times are generally longer. Our typical turnaround time is 2 weeks or less. In the fall, that timeframe can double. Add on top of that having to create and order cards and get them out in time, it makes the whole ordeal stressful. Having your photos done earlier in the year makes that entire process easier. Not to mention, we can help create and order your cards for you, so, POOF, two birds; one stone.

Have more questions about when to book your family session? Get in touch. We would love to help you start planning!

Want to take advantage of the best time of year for family photos in Charlotte? Reach out to us! Or, check out more family sessions HERE.

Chrissy Winchester Photography is a Charlotte and Lake Norman based luxury portrait photographer providing services for maternity, newborn, family and brand photography.