You may not be a senior yet but now is the perfect time to start thinking about your session. I know some of you have dreamed and planned many of the details for your session but some of you may not know where to start. Well don't worry - I totally got you! Here are some thoughts about the question "When should I book my senior session?"
So the short answer here is that you should book as soon as you can. It's wise to follow the senior photographers that you admire on social media so you can be in the know about when they will open up their calendars to book. When they are open and available, the sooner you can book the better as you will have more options as far as dates and times. This may mean that you are booking your session 6 - 9 months in advanced and that will really set you up to have the time to plan out where you want to go, what you want to wear, how you want to do your hair, etc. It may even give you time to shop for special items for your session as you visit different places or time to grow out your hair longer or other details that may take extra time and thought. You for sure want to make sure that you book your session at least 3 months in advanced as my calendar (and perhaps other photographers' calendars) book up completely about 3 months out. That means that if you wait until a month or two before your ideal date, you may not get the season you want and that would be a bummer to have to change up the vibe you imagined for your session.
In preparation for that time, it may be worth while to think about when you are wanting to do your senior session. Does it fit your personality, passions, and schedule to do a summer session when school is out in June/July? Would it be better to wait until late summer (August/ early September) once school is back in session but while the weather is still warm and more predictable? Or is it best to wait until late September/early October to enjoy the cooler temps, fall fashions, and the changing leaves? Just remember that mid October is the latest you can book here since most schools have the yearbook image due 10/31.
Once you know the season you want, you can check your calendar and snag a date with your photographer. To book with me (and perhaps most other professional photographers) you will need to pay a session fee to secure your date. This pays for the time to plan and photograph your session and might include other perks like hair and make up, help in planning out the details of your session, and other support. Once that fee is paid, you will need to sign an agreement so that both you and your photographer are on the same page about the experience and what services are being provided.
And when it all comes down to it, I think the best time to book your session is whenever it will be the least stressful. You may not be able to book 9 months out and 3 months out may be better so book 3 months out! But I also think that trying to book your session last minute may be the most stressful so it may be best to avoid that.
Whenever you are able to book your session, that's really when it becomes real. You will be able to start planning out all the fun details that will really make your personality pop. And stay tuned for more information about all that here in the near future.
My calendar will open to book Class of 2023 senior sessions here in the beginning of January. If you want to be one of the first to get access to snag your ideal date for your session, you can join my VIP Newsletter here. I am so excited to create some incredible images with the Class of 2023!