The Best Time of Year for Outdoor Family Photos in Cheyenne and Laramie

Tips for Planning Outdoor Family Photos by a Cheyenne Photographer

I know it might seem wild to start planning for summer and fall now. However, those Christmas cards that are arriving in your mailboxes with gorgeous summer and fall photos? Yeah, those require some forethought. Did you know that most of my summer and fall family sessions are booked up before May 1st? My clients are planners! If you’re wondering which month is best for outdoor family photos here in Cheyenne or Laramie, this post is for you. You’ll find examples of family pictures in each of the summer and fall months below.

What about Winter Outdoor Family Photos?

First of all, let’s talk about when I am outside taking family photos in Cheyenne or Laramie. Friends, I have been a good sport in year’s past. I’ve gotten out in the mountains in 20 degree weather and thigh-high snow and tried to get my fingers to work enough to focus and snap the shutter. It is for the birds. In other words, I am not doing it anymore. I’ve been a professional photographer long enough to tell you this…..Get your money’s worth on a photo session: choose only nice weather months for family photos.

I know it sounds so idyllic to get snowy photos, but here’s the reality. There is wind in Cheyenne and Laramie every.single.day in winter months. The winter wind is COLD, and frankly, I simply cannot always photoshop your hair back in place. Tiny children are miserable when it’s cold outside. If you want to capture your family at their best, the weather needs to be warm. I want you to have the highest quality experience with me and I want to deliver a high quality product to you. When everyone is freezing, myself included, I just don’t think you are getting the best bang for your buck.

If you want photos in the winter time or early spring, however, I have a warm and cozy studio that is perfect for those chilly months! Here’s a post that shows you what it looks like: The Studio. And below is a sample of some adorable kiddos in the studio this year.

Months I Schedule Outdoor Family Photos in Cheyenne and Laramie

So what are the months I am outside taking family photos in Cheyenne and Laramie? I start scheduling sessions in June and I wrap them up by early November. In some years, though, fall and winter come early and I close outdoor sessions down by mid-October. The past couple years have been really mild fall seasons, so we’ve been able to be outside later in the year.

You might be wondering about “springtime.” I hate to break it to you, folks, but rarely does Wyoming actually see spring weather. I have tried and tried to start scheduling sessions in the month of May, and they never fail to require rescheduling. Our biggest snow months are usually April and May. Combine that with incredibly busy spring-time school and activities schedules, and I have just given up on April and May. My outdoor family photo sessions start in June, after school gets out. If you want spring-looking photos, aim for June.

The window of being able to take photos outside in Wyoming is VERY short. This is why I send out my calendar before the New Year each year. Most of my sessions are fully booked by the May prior to each shooting season. The easiest and best way to be notified when dates are released? Sign up for the newsletter! You can sign up for it right now while you’re thinking of it:

Summer Family Photos in Cheyenne; June, July, & August

If I could live in a forever summer climate, I think I would. I love summer, especially early summer, when things are green and the wildflowers are coming out in the mountains. I also really like summer family pictures in the Cheyenne and Laramie areas. While fall has gorgeous light, summer offers cool tones that allow more flexibility in wardrobe.

My hope is that you will print and display your photos in your home. It’s a good idea to think about your home decor when planning your family photos. Which season might complement your house decor the best? If you have neutrals, grays and softer colors in your home, summer might be more your style. Green hues, soft summer light and the blue sky might be the perfect complement to your decor.

The mountains take a bit longer to green up in the higher elevations, but they tend to stay green through August. This mountain session was taken in late July, closer to Laramie:

I love that we still had wildflowers in the fields.

In town during summer months, the grass is lush, green and tall. I take a lot of in-town family photos along the greenway in Cheyenne or at local city parks. You’ll notice that these park locations don’t necessarily look like a “park” setting. I’m usually aiming for natural areas with tall grass that feel more like the mountains than the city.

One thing about the summer months….we definitely get quite a few summer storms in June and July. That rain keeps the grass looking green, but it can be tricky to plan around. If we can dodge the storms and we don’t have to cancel, we can get some beautiful, epic skies. If there is a chance of lightening or heavy precipitation (more than 40% chance on the hourly at two hours prior to your session), or if the wind is supposed to be high that evening, we will reschedule.

Fall Family Photos in Cheyenne; September, October, & November

Fall is by far the most popular time of year for family photos, and these dates definitely disappear fastest on my calendar. There are some definite advantages to scheduling your family photos in the fall. One thing you might not think of about fall…the bugs are typically gone! The light is also warm and the colors are vibrant, especially during peak leaf-changing times. But if you’re really looking for that peak fall color, you’ll want to also consider your location. Leaves change earlier at higher elevations and in mountain areas. Laramie goes faster than Cheyenne. See below for a general reference on when leaves typically change in this area.

Peak Leaf-Changing Times in the Cheyenne & Laramie Areas

Cheyenne Areas:

• Curt Gowdy State Park: end of September through the first week in October
• Pole Mountain Area: end of September
• Cheyenne In-Town: second and third weeks of October, leaves on the ground and some color left in early November in certain years (unless we’ve gotten a couple snow storms already)

Examples of late fall, in-town photos at one of our local parks:

Laramie Areas:

• Centennial and Lake Marie Areas: early September through early October (leaves usually gone near Lake Marie by mid-October)
• Happy Jack Recreation Area: mid-September through early October
• Vedauwoo: mid-September through early October
• Laramie In-Town: early October

These were taken close to Laramie in mid-September.

One thing to note…..I cannot guarantee you’ll have fall color for your photos. In certain years, we’ve seen snow as early as September 12th, and the leaves barely come out, freeze and fall within about a week. Even if we do get early snow storms, though, we generally still have some warm days here and there through mid-October. Light can still be beautiful, even if the leaves have mostly fallen, like in these photos taken in November in a local Cheyenne park. We might have to watch the weather and temps closely.

Deciding Between Summer and Fall Outdoor Family Photos?

I think this is a decision only you can make, but here are some general guidelines if you can’t decide between summer or fall for family pictures.

First, Consider Your Family’s Schedules

Are you constantly traveling or camping in the summer? All of my sessions are on weekday afternoons or evenings, so typically, people tend to be in town, but if you’re teachers or someone who has a lot of travel flexibility, summer might be the time you’re mostly out of town. Kids might be away at summer camps all summer or working summer jobs. Maybe fall is better if that’s when you’re all in one place.

On the other hand, as kids get older, fall becomes tricky because of sports schedules and school activities. I try to avoid dates closer to weekends, when games and meets are happening, but summer might be better if things are hectic in the fall months.

Another thing that people often don’t think about is that summer sunsets are much, much later than they are in the fall. If you have tiny babies and want a sunset session, please keep their bedtimes in mind. Starting a session close to 8 pm might not be the best option for you. Please reach out if morning times are better for you – I offer weekday mornings too, but you won’t find them on the regular calendar.

Second, Consider Your Home Decor

I mentioned this above, too, but it’s important to consider the season when you think about displaying your family photos in your home. If you have mostly cool tones and neutrals, including soft grays, blues, greens, soft pinks, or mostly whites in your home, summer is probably a better season for you. Summer light and grasses are generally a bit cooler and softer in tone.

By contrast, fall is all about warm tones, warm light and lots of rich color. If your home has dark tones in wall color, rich hues like camel, dark tan, charcoal gray, black, burgundy, navy blue or deep greens, fall family photos will look great displayed on your walls. Fall colors can also work in lighter homes, especially those with warm tones on the walls, and trim. I have a cream colored paint in my home, gold accents and my trim is a warm pine, and fall can definitely work there as well.

If you have lots of bright color blocks, black and white and a more modern look inside your home, I would consider a downtown session or a studio session. Downtown has lots of amazing color, and black and white photos with a backdrop of murals or cool architecture will look great in a house that has a little more punch for decor. Studio sessions can go in any house, as I usually keep those minimal and offer black and white right alongside color photos.

Biggest Rule of Thumb? Book Your Family Photo Session Early!

I really can’t stress this point enough. Please, please, please do not wait until the fall leaves start showing up before you decide you need to get family photos taken. Chances are, your photographer will not have any dates left at that point. My summer and fall dates are typically gone by May.

To book your family session, head to my family page here: Cheyenne Family Photos. Choose a session that fits your needs and get it booked, before your preferred date is gone!

Thank you all for reading!