Where did the time go?

June

June is one of the best times of the year for senior portraits for several reasons. First of all, you get them out of the way so you can enjoy the rest of your summer without having to worry about your upcoming senior photo shoot! The second reason is the nice weather. There is no better set than the earth around us. Lots of green grass, blossoming flowers and trees full of leaves. It’s also the best time for Fall athletes - and that includes marching band.

July/August

So… pretty much June, except hotter. Way, way hotter. Also, with many schools starting back in mid-August, it makes scheduling just a little bit harder.

September

September is a great month, except for Fall athletes. For seniors who don’t like the heat of Summer or cold of Winter, September is a good choice. At this point in the year appointment spaces for afternoons and Saturdays fill very quickly. This time of the year would be great for those students that get out of school early.

October/November

October and November is our busiest time of the year, as we try to get all the senior portraits and family portraits in before the leaves fall off the trees. The red, yellow and brown colors of the fall leaves make nice outdoor backgrounds, especially for family portraits that could be printed in time for the upcoming holidays. Less daylight hours make it a little tougher to schedule, so book those early! Keep in mind that yearbook submission deadlines for most schools happen in October.

December/January/February

From December through February, most of the fall colors are gone and there are no longer leaves on the trees. This time of year is ideal for indoor portraits or location shoots up in the mountains of NC outside and playing in the snow.

March

The outdoors still haven’t become green yet and avoiding rain becomes a challenge. Also, you are now in the Danger Zone of running out of time to get your photos used for announcements and graduation invites.

April and May

April and May bring green outdoor backgrounds once more, but Seniors get really busy with end of the year activities. By this time, the Danger Zone of announcement printing has gone up to DEFCON 6. Sure, we can do a fast turn around for announcements and invitations, but do you really want to rush your Senior Photos? Use April and May to relax and enjoy your complimentary Cap & Gown session, which every Senior gets for FREE when they book a portrait session with Robert Jay Foto before September 1st.

The two questions I get asked the most when it comes to senior portraits are ‘When should I get them done’, and ‘Do I have to use the “official” school photographer’? We’ll tackle that second one in the next blog, but below is some good advice for timing your Senior Portrait session.