Spring is in the air! Northern Virginia is boasting a beautiful mid-70s degree weather almost every day now and many of you are starting to think about booking your outdoor natural light spring photo session to get some kids or family pictures with some of those pretty flowers or cherry trees you see blooming around. Well, you’d better hurry! NOW is the time to contact your family photographer. Some of the best professional outdoor photographers book their sessions at least 2-3 weeks in advance, so their schedules fill very fast. During high season, top outdoor photographers book 4-5 weeks in advance.
Spring happens to be the popular “high season” due to its vibrant spring blossoms and beautiful temperatures and most outdoor sessions “with flowers” happen between mid-March to early-mid May. If you work with an established photographer, it is likely that her schedule for spring is already filled until mid- to late April!!!! Most cherry blossoms will be gone by then (the Cherry Blossoms around the tidal basin in Washington DC are scheduled to have peak bloom next weekend, two weeks ahead of regular yearly peak time!), and many of the spring flowers will be gone as well.
While the Tidal Basin seems to be an obvious choice for a family photo session to capture beautiful cherry trees in bloom, I generally recommend scheduling your outdoor session elsewhere (avoiding all the crowds who gather for the Cherry Blossoms , especially with kids, can be a tremendous challenge if you are looking for some peaceful relaxed spring time images). Northern Virginia has a couple of wonderful gardens with blooming Cherry Blossom trees and colorful flowers (Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria), Maryland, MD, residents have the option of going to the beautiful Brookside Gardens. Or, your neighborhood may have some beautiful blooms as well – I am sure your photographer will be happy to come out there for a photo session!
If you do not have a go-to photographer for all your family pictures, feel free to contact me with any questions! I am currently booking sessions for mid-April, but I have some availability for early April as well. I also do “mini-sessions”, so please inquire for details and pricing!
Enjoy the awesome weather, Northern Virginia!