So many people wait until the fall to take family photos. I used to be one of them. I had always assumed that since it was so close to when we sent out holiday cards, it was natural to get them right before that.

If your little one is very little, (less than 1 years old), you may want to go ahead and get photos in the fall no matter what, because they change so much at that age. If you take photos when they are 4 months old, but by the time you send out holiday cards, they are 10 months old, that’s a big difference.

With the exception of that circumstance, I would urge you to reconsider when you get them taken. Many of my family shoots are in home. For day in the life sessions, we also do a portion of the shoot at an outdoor or secondary location in a place that your family loves. These places are ones that you visit so often that they are almost a second home to you. That could be the beach at Crissy Field, the ice cream store down the street, or your backyard.

When considering these secondary locations for your in-home shoots, or as a stand-alone location for your outdoor family session, think of when it’s at it’s best. The Golden Gate Bridge is shrouded in fog for most of the summer, so you may want to pick spring. Ice cream is best enjoyed in the warmer months, so you may want to pick San Francisco’s indian summer.

This family in Marin was a family of gardeners. They are happiest in the peak of summer, when there are red tomatoes on the vines and raspberries in the bushes. Despite their youngest being under one-year, we still went ahead with their day in the life session in the middle of summer.

They said it was the best decision they could have made.

To book your session in your favorite season, click here.