As a Washington DC Family and Newborn photographer, I photograph many session during the summer months in the District. Here are a few of my Tips for Easy Summer Photo Sessions.

• Wake up early. Getting your family up and dressed for a sunrise session can feel daunting but I promise, it is worth it. Children tend to wake up early anyway so it feels easy to get it done first thing.
• Beat the heat. Summer in DC is very humid and early morning allows you to skip the heat and summer mosquitos.
• Catch your kiddos when they are happy. Children are their happiest in the morning. They just had a full (at least, let’s hope) night’s sleep and breakfast. Their tummies are full and they are easy to work with.
• Summer Schedules. Let’s be honest…summer always ends up being fuller than we imagined. Swim lessons, birthday parties and soccer all have a way of piling up on the weekends. Scheduling your photo session first thing in the morning allows the rest of your day to be open for other things.

I hope these tips for easy summer photo sessions help you to have a smooth and stress free portrait session of your own.

Here is a list of my favorite locations for summer sessions:

• Bishop’s Garden -sunrise or evening
• Botanical Gardens -afternoon or evening
• U.S. Capitol -afternoon or evening
• DAR Building
• Constitution Gardens -best at sunrise and sunset
• Upper Senate Park -evening
• Bartholdi Fountain

You can view more of my family and maternity sessions here.