The weather is changing and us Satellites are trading our clouds and rain for sunshine and blue skies! That means it is officially Seattle Family Photography Season! My favorite.
Chances are you have your family session on the books and you are wondering what location you should have your session at. This is on of the most common questions I get asked "Elena, where should we have our session??"
I don't want this to be a point of stress for you. I want my sessions to be a relaxed and fun experience. I wanted to share a few tips on how to pick the best location for you and your family.
Seattle has an abundance of locations right in the city or within a very short drive of the city. We live in such a beautiful part of the country and I love including it's beauty in your family photos.
Here are a few things to consider when selecting the best location for your family photography session in Seattle or anywhere really.
1. What does your family like to do for fun? How do you all like to spend your time?
Make sure you are choosing a location that will best suit your families personality. For example, if you love hiking together we may want to head out to the mountains.
2. Consider the ages of your children.
If you have super young kiddos an urban location may not be a great choice because you don't want to have to worry about cars and other people to distract your little one. Perhaps an open field or park may be the best location.
3. Take into account the season your session is scheduled for. For example, there are some gorgeous parks in the fall that really show the beautiful Pacific Northwest autumn colors off. If it is going to be warm on your session date, going to the beach and letting the kids get their feet wet might be super fun!
4. Let's talk about traffic. Seattle is gorgeous, but the traffic is awful. We don't want you commuting across town during rush hour. That won't make anyone excited for family photos. So make sure to choose a location that will be easy to get to at your scheduled session time.
Here are the different types of locations Seattle has to offer for family photography.
1. Urban. Seattle has some incredible urban locations that show off our historical architecture as well as some great textures.
2. Beach. We have an abundance of beaches right here in the city of Seattle! We are so lucky to be surrounded by so much water. What is fantastic about our beach locations is that they are usually surrounded by trees and water so you get a ton of diversity at these locations.
3. Forrest. We actually have forrests within the city limits! Seattle is so incredbile. If your family loves to spend time in the woods the forrest may be be best location for your session!
4. Park. Seattle is chock full of gorgous parks! Parks can be especially gorgeous in the fall when the leaves are changing. This makes a lovely back drop for your family photos.
5. Mountains. This option is weather dependent as many of my favorite mountain locations get snowed in come December, however if you are willing to drive about an hour out of the city, the back drop is very rewarding. You can make an adventure out of it.
6. Open field. Luckily, my favorite field is right in the city, however I know of a few remote fields as well that are only a 30 minute drive away. Fields make a gorgeous back drop for your family photos.
There you have it! Hopefully this gives you some great ideas about where to have your next family photography session. You have invested your time and your money into this experience so taking the time to really consider the location is a good idea.