Senior pictures are most popular in summer! Here are my top Oregon summer senior photos tips. I’m going to go through why I love summer for senior photos, the best types of locations for summer senior photos, & my fav outfit ideas + inspo for summer senior photos. Let’s get into it y’allLet’s get started!!
Why not choose summer for senior photos?
Summer is the most popular season for senior photos simply because that’s when everybody is out of school! Most seniors plan their senior photos for the summer right before their senior year, because they’ll have more free time + their senior year lies juuust ahead.
Fall is also the BOMB for senior photos, but it can def be harder scheduling-wise since you’re back in school & maybe back to your job! Here’s a whole article on my best fall senior session tips. Check out if you’re trying to decide when to do your senior photos!
So let’s get into why you should choose summer for your senior photos, and how to know if you’d prefer summer senior pictures over fall!
1. Yummy golden sunsets
This is a simple one: summer has the most beautiful sunsets! If you’re dreaming of a yummy golden hour for your senior session, summer is the most reliable you’re going to get for that! Spring & fall are more likely to have overcast days without enough sun for a good golden hour. In Oregon, the summer can be quite sunny, especially in some parts.
Senior photos have a special way of making us all love the sunsets. The golden hour is soft and ethereal. The blue hour immediately after sunset gives you the most beautiful cool and calm tones.
Summer is the right season to take senior photos, if you want to get a stunning sunset.
2. Long days
Because of the LONG days, summer is the best time to take photos. If you work late into the afternoon, or are busy with friends/fam, that’s okay – the sun will be up pretty late, so we can do your senior sesh in the later evening!
Long days also give us more time to explore during your senior session – we won’t have to worry about rushing to catch the light before it’s gone. Oregon’s summer days are long, which is great for exploring the locations and taking time to capture the sunsets.
3. 3.
This is a clear one if you’re considering summer for your senior photos: you can pretty much guarantee it’s gonna be hot! It’s especially hot in some parts of Oregon like Smith Rock. Obviously places like the mountains and the coast will be cooler, but it’ll be much warmer in the summer than spring or fallPlease!
If you’re not a fan of being cold, summertime might be the way to go for your senior sesh. We want you to be as comfortable + confident as possible, so if you know you’re miserable in the cold or can’t feel your best if you’re chilly, let’s go somewhere warm in the summer!!
And if you want to wear summer-y clothes, like mini skirts, short dresses, or shorts, we’ll def want to go somewhere warm enough so you don’t get cold once the sun goes down!
4. Neutral tones
Summer is best for neutral tones. Fall is the best time to use warm tones. If we go somewhere in Oregon like the desert, we’ll have lots of dead trees and grass, which makes for a super cool neutral look. This allows you to easily wear a pop or bright shade of your favorite color without it clashing against the background.This is how it works!
5. Enjoy more time to explore the world
Since it’s the summertime and you don’t have school, you’ll likely have more free time (even if you do have a job). This means you have more time for an ADVENTURE during your senior years!You can do it!
If you don’t want to just go to one location – you’d rather go on an adventure together & hit up multiple epic spots + have more of a variety in your senior photos, summer is PERFECT for that. In the spring or fall, you’ll be busy with school every weekday, and will probs want to relax on the weekends.
But in the summer, you’ll have more free time to really go on an adventure + take time exploring during your senior sesh!! Let’s go to the coast, to the desert, to the forest, mountains, you name it. Find the adventure packages I offer to seniors here.
6. It’s easier to bring your family/friends
And finally, if you want to bring any friends or family along to your senior sesh (which I always LOVE), it’s probably easier to schedule that over the summer! Your family might have less work and be able to tag along to take senior pictures.
It’s SO much fun bringing along your besties who are seniors with you, your significant other, or the family members who have played an important role in getting you to where you are. It’s such a fun way to celebrate with the people who mean most to youEnjoy!!
These are the best places to take senior photos in summer
Now, let’s talk about the best types of locations around the PNW to consider for your summer senior pictures!
1. 1.
Open fields are a great place to have senior sessions. But they’re even better in summer! The sun setting over open fields is simply breathtaking. I have already spoken about how beautiful sunsets in summer. It’s a dream to see golden light over tall fields of golden grass.This is it!
Open fields offer so much space to run, play, and bring props. And trust me when I say every senior I’ve worked with LOVES their photos in tall grass because of how gorgeous it looks in photos, especiallyyyy at golden hour.
Check out Ellie’s summer senior session for some real-life open, golden field inspoEnjoy!!
2. Lakes/rivers
Photos of lakes and rivers are always beautiful because of the reflections in the water at sunset. Oregon has tons and tons of lakes + rivers to explore, whether you’re in the mountains or at the base of a popular hiking trail.
Rivers and lakes often have small beach-y areas that make it easy to pose for senior photos. Oregon lakes are a dream due to the lush greenery and forests surrounding them. I love finding lakes with lots of greenery around it to add depth + dimension.
3. Mountain tops
If you want to get the BEST views + sunset possible, let’s head to a mountain top!! Oregon’s mountain tops have open fields filled with golden grass, wildflowers or rocks. All of these beauties look amazing in senior photos. Add to that the incredible mountaintop views. To die forrrrrYou are too good!!
Let’s go hiking on your fav trail, or at your fav mountain, and find a spot at the top that we can hang at for your senior session. Taking hiking senior photos is also super fun if you’re a hiker – we’re able to capture you in your element + doing something you love!
4. 4. The desert
The desert is perfect for summer senior photos because of alllll the golden tones you’ll get. Golden hour setting over the desert is unbeatable, so if you’re not a big fan of mountains or the ocean + would prefer a more barren, open location, let’s hit up Oregon’s desert! Smith Rock and Painted Hills are BOMB desert spots in OR.
We can walk the desert trails together, watch the sunset, or just enjoy the open fields.
5. Coast
Last but not least, the Oregon Coast. Although the coast is beautiful all year, it’s more enjoyable in summer when you can enjoy some nicer weather. If you’re a beach lover, let’s explore Cape Kiwanda or Hug Point and capture you playing in the waves, reading on the beach, climbing on the rocks, etc. The coast has a golden hour that is spectacular, but it also looks stunning in overcast weather. The coast never disappoints!
Summer senior session outfit ideas
Lastly, let’s go through a few outfit ideas for your senior session in case you need some inspo to start off with!
1. Short dresses/rompers
You prefer something a bit more casual? Wear a romper or a shorter dress. These are playful and fun, but still look a bit dressed up. I love simple floral patterns and a great mini dress!
2. Maxi/flowy dresses
For whimsical summer senior photos, long, flowing dresses are the best choice. The movement of long dresses adds a super pretty touch to photos, so they’re especially great if we’re shooting somewhere that has some wind! It’s also just fun twirling around in a long dress and makes you feel beautiful, right?
3. Skirts
For senior photos, you can wear skirts with either a maxi or mini. A mini skirt is super cute and fashionable, and can be worn with any top. You can also make an outfit more formal by adding a black mini skirt. A flowing maxi skirt is a great option that you can wear and can easily twirl in.
Either way, make sure you’re comfortable in the skirt you go with and aren’t just wearing it to look cute – if you don’t feel confident in it or it doesn’t fit you well, you won’t feel like your best self in your photos!
4. Cute shorts
You can wear the same bottoms with different shirts by wearing shorts! Pick out a pair of good linen or denim shorts and a few shirts to match them. This gives you easy + simple variety.
5. Accessories
Finally, make sure you don’t forget about accessories! Adding a stylish Gigi Pip hat, a cute jacket, or rings/necklaces/earrings/bracelets, can add SO much to any outfit. You can be creative and bring flowers, blankets, vintage trucks, or whatever you feel makes your session special.Please!
