SPRING WILDFLOWER SENIOR PORTRAIT SESSIONS - EAST BAY, CALIFORNIA
YOUR TRI-VALLEY CALIFORNIA SENIOR YEARBOOK PHOTOS
The rain is plentiful here in California. Who knew we would be saying that right now?!? We are on our third (or is it fourth?) atmospheric river without an end in sight. Right now the sound of wood chippers and chainsaws grinding up fallen trees is about as common as the sound of rain. However, there is no time like right now to plan out your spring senior portrait session. Fingers crossed all this rain leads to an epic wildflower season and lush, verdant hillsides here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Speaking of wildflowers it is important to mention that this season is short and your portrait session should be scheduled well in advance as this time of year is fleeting and these popular sessions limited.
AMADOR VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PHOTOS
We have a few different options here in the East Bay. First to arrive are the fields of mustard flowers. These happy, yellow blooms often pop up sometime in February and March. It is best to catch them early before they start to get tall and leggy looking. April brings forth fields of wild lupine. They are majestic! Last year yellow put on a grand performance while the purple had a more modest show. Finally we have vetch (tiny purple flowers that look like a snap peas), poppies, wild radish, and other native flowers. These typically arrive in April.
FOOTHILL HIGH SCHOOL, PLEASANTON, CA SENIOR PICTURES
Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to wildflower sessions:
The season can be a bit unpredictable. Mother Nature follows her own clock and sadly our portrait sessions are the least of her worries. As a result we have to have some flexibility. When flowers bloom depends on many things, rain and temperature being two of the big ones. We can plan with the greatest of intentions and the flowers may not be there to the extent we had hoped due to the rainfall we have had. For session timing I refer to old photos to find out what was blooming and where, but please be aware that it is not a guarantee that a location will look the same from year to year.
In addition to Mother Nature being unpredictable, being flexible is also important with spring sessions as we always run the chance of rain. I like to keep some back up dates available just in case we have inclement weather. I have rainy day protocol that we can go over to make sure you are best interests are taken care of.
SAN RAMON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, CALIFORNIA SENIOR PHOTOS
Another thing to consider: these locations are based in our Bay Area hillsides, some of which we share with cattle ranchers. That means cattle may be grazing nearby. I prefer to err on the side of caution and give the cows a wide berth. They are far bigger than us and deserve their space. So if cows are a hard no for you please let me know and I will suggest a cow-free location.
DUBLIN HIGH SCHOOL CALIFORNIA SENIOR PICTURES
After you reserve your wildflower session and your session retainer is paid I will send you a link to location galleries. Once you take a peak at the location galleries we can begin the planning phase of your wildflower senior portrait session. I list the pros and cons of each location so you can have an idea of what each location offers. Some are ideal for later in the day because they have no shade while others have a lot of variety so you are not limited to just wildflowers. We will go over all of this in your style consult to ensure you have the senior portrait session of your dreams.
GRANADA HIGH SCHOOL, LIVERMORE, CA SENIOR PHOTOS
For those that care about the environment please know that I have a policy of leave no trace. There is no picking the wildflowers and I work hard not to trample them. If everyone picked the wildflowers there would be none left for others to enjoy and I feel strongly that they are here for everyone to savor. There is lots of tip-toeing around flowers to make sure we don’t squash any blooms and when I plop you down in the middle of flowers it is because there is already either an open space or everything has already been crushed. It all goes back to making sure the flowers are there for everyone to enjoy. If photographers disrespect these striking displays there will be tighter restrictions on where we can go and I don’t want that for my clients or other photographers. I do have to make one exception. Per my friend Bonnie, who graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a degree in botany and specialized in weeds, we can make an exception for vetch. She said nothing can destroy this highly invasive weed. So feel free to squash the heck out of vetch lol!
WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA SENIOR PHOTOS
I hope these tips will help you to plan the wildflower session you have always dreamed of! If you want to see some of my other wildflower senior portrait sessions click HERE and HERE for some inspiration or to pin to your senior session Pinterest board.
Click the consult button below to schedule your senior portrait session consult so we can start turning that wildflower vision into a reality :).
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SENIOR PHOTOS
Looking for a senior photographer in Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Santa Clara County, or the San Francisco Bay Area? I would love the opportunity to get to know you and work with you to capture this once in a lifetime moment for your child! My clients come from all over the Northern California and the Bay Area - Pleasanton, Fremont, Danville, Dublin, Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, San Ramon, Livermore, Lafayette. Book a consult with the button below so we can get to know one another and start planning your senior's bespoke portrait experience.
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