When is the best time of year for outdoor Family Portraits? | Seattle Family Portrait Photographer

I often get asked “when is the best time of year for family photos? And I get why. You are investing your money, and more importantly, your VALUABLE TIME for family photos. You want to make sure you schedule your session for the best time of year.

Honestly, I believe you can have family photos taken any time of year. I only reschedule a session if it is actually raining. Clouds or sunshine are fine with me.

However, here are a few things to consider.

1. What would you like to be wearing in your photos? If you take your photos in the spring or summer you will likely be dressed in clothing that is a bit more, well, summery. Typically brighter colors and more casual. If you have your photos taken in the fall or winter you may be wearing more layers, have more rich and bold colors, and may even need to wear a coat. So, think about the aesthetic you prefer.

2. Consider the start time. Remember how long the days are in the summer. For the best light we try and schedule our shots an hour before sunset. In the summer this can mean that your session may not start until around 7:30pm. Now don’t worry, we can do sessions in the morning too if you have kiddos that can’t handle a late start time. In the fall the start time is late afternoon, sometimes as early as 3:30pm which can be difficult for weekday sessions when you have to consider work schedules.

3. Think about the type of location you would like your photos taken at in relation to the time of year. For example, fall brings beautiful color so a park may be a better location for fall. Summer sunsets on the beach are gorgeous and the beach can be quite cold in the fall. Or, some of my mountain locations are snowed in as early as the beginning of November through mid February. If you are still trying to figure out what type of location you would like your session at, you can see an article I wrote about locations HERE.

Here is the thing, there really isn’t a “best” time of year for photos. What is important is that you get to spend an hour with your family, playing, loving, and connecting so that I can capture meaningful images for you to last a lifetime. So don’t get too caught up in the time of year, just make sure you book them.

We hope to get you in front of our lens soon!

Stop making excuses not to have family photos taken. | Elena S Blair Photography Seattle

So many times when I tell a woman I am a family photographer she says something like this…

“My kids are getting to old to have family photos taken.” or “But I need to loose 15 lbs before I will ever stepping front of a camera.” or “But my family doesn’t look like any of the families in your portfolio.”

Excuses, excuses.

Your family doesn’t have to look a certain way, act a certain way, be a certain age, or be anything but themselves.

No family is perfect, but every family needs to be documented. Your family is beautiful just as you are and i want to show you the complete beauty that I see with my camera.

Here is one thing that I know to be true. Time goes faster and faster each year and your family will continue to change each year. Having professional family photos can be a fun and meaningful experience that will allow you to document your life in an artistic way.

Do it!

So don’t make excuses. Have myself or any photographer capture your family this year. You won’t regret it.

Family Posing Made Easy Course | Cover Contest Top Ten

Being a photographer can be a lonely endeavor. Suddenly you are spending hours behind a computer screen editing, marketing, and learning.

One of my biggest joys is bringing community to the photography community. My educational offerings also grant my students access to private Facebook Groups where they can learn from and be inspired by their peers.

Each month we have a friendly cover contest competition. It inspires students who are otherwise quiet to share and allows us to grow as a group.

Below are this past months top ten contributions from my Family Posing Made Easy Alumni. Be ready to be inspired by these family photographers form all over the world!

Elena S Blair Photography Education | Cover Contest Top Ten

As you all know by now, I’m obsessed with educating photographers and women in the industry. Whether it’s a family posing webinar or my online school portrait photography course, my goal is to cultivate a meaningful educational experience. To do so, I have various Facebook groups and one big, extremely active group dedicated to my students.

Each month, we hold a cover contest and members are encouraged to like their favorites to decide who graces our cover. This month, we had over 170 submissions! WOW. I wanted to share the top ten photos with the most likes from our latest cover contest with you.

Want to join the group? Click below! We’d love to have you.

Chelsea Isley Photography

Bridget Wood

Sarah Ellen Photography

Cara Jane Photographics

Kristen Pay Photography

Karra Lynn Photography

Liz Binder Photography

Whitney Coudray Photography

Claire Mayo Photography

Amy Louise Photography

Busting Through Your Fears to Have a Successful Year | Elena S Blair Photography

I know you have heard this so many times but I am going to go ahead and say it again.

You are your own worst enemy.

You may not even realize it, but fear is probably holding you back from so many things you are trying to accomplish.

You might be thinking, “woman, I want to make six figures, I am not afraid of that.” or “I want to book out months in advance, there is no fear there.”

But I invite you to explore this concept a little.

For example, say you do have some big monetary goals but for some reason you aren’t reaching them. Perhaps you want to make six figures. You may actually be afraid of this. Afraid of what people will say if you are asking for significant money for your photography services. Fear that having a lot of money may change you. Fear that you don’t have what it takes to bring in that kind of money. Fear, fear, and more fear.

Or let's use the bookings you want for example. Say you want to book 2 shoots a week. You may actually fear this. Perhaps photography is your side hustle and you are worried you won’t actually have time for this. Or maybe you are afraid that there aren’t enough people in your area to even make this booking goal a reality. Perhaps you are afraid your competition is taking these bookings from you. Maybe you are afraid that you will be called a fraud and that you won’t know how to handle these sessions. Again, fear, fear, and more fear.

The reason I am sharing this with you is because it happens to me all the time.

I often get in my own way of success.

The very first step in conquering your fears is to name them. Sit down and think about what you want to achieve and ask yourself what fears might be getting in your way. Write them down. Then, explore where those fears are coming from, what they are rooted in. Now, bust through those fears. Tackle them one by one. Call them out.

Nobody can get you to your goals but you. Take a look at this concept, kiss fear goodbye and invite abundance.

You got this.

Xoxo,

Elena

P.S. if you’re looking for motivation and accountability, won’t you join my community on Facebook? We’d love to have you <3