Springtime in Michigan is such a beautiful time of year; the cold winter sludge finally gives way to warmer temps, cooing birds, and the budding trees that represent the growth of a new year while subtly hinting at even warmer days to come.
Ahh yes, us Michiganders always look forward to the first season change of the year, but we aren’t foolish enough to know it isn’t normally accompanied by buckets of rain and, subsequently, lots of mud. After all, Mother Nature has to feed the flowers somehow.
As most things are, Springtime in Michigan is a beautiful, yet fickle beast, but luckily we’re here to help you best prepare for your upcoming spring session with 5 easy tips!
1. Don’t underestimate the weather. Michiganders always get excited when spring finally hits because it usually means the bitterly cold temps are a thing of the past. But it doesn’t mean there won’t still be cold days on occasion. Every year since I’ve been paying attention, we’ve gotten a snowfall in April, so plan to dress warm, or at least prepare a backup outfit for littles who don’t tolerate the cold very well in the event your spring session day ends up being chilly.
2. Dress in Layers. The springtime air usually always has a slight chill to it if you’re sitting still. Movement (which we’ll do a lot of at our session together) can help keep you warm, but it’s always a good idea to layer your clothing with cardigans, vests, lightweight jackets, or even scarves or hats. You can always take things off if you get hot, but you can’t add things you don’t have.
3. Blooming trees. Springtime in Michigan is known for its flowering trees like Magnolias, Cherry Blossoms, and Dogwoods. It’s hard to ignore their beauty, so it’s no surprise these make for a popular backdrop for family sessions during spring. The bloom cycle for these types of trees is only about a week or two though, and they don’t always bloom on the same dates from year to year, so please allow us time to properly scout out shooting spots, and plan to know your location only a day or two before session day.
4. Expect high humidity. Ladies, if your straightened hair tends to frizz out on humid days like mine does, then it might be a good idea to swap out the straightener for some mousse and plan to go curly for your spring session. Or in any case, understand how your hair reacts to humidity and plan for it.
5. Soft ground. If you’ve been paying attention so far, you know that springtime in Michigan is wet and rainy. Because of this, the ground is softer than usual and oftentimes also a bit muddy. Sometimes the locations we find best for shooting at require a little trek through some muddy areas, so it’s always a good idea to wear boots to your session and then plan to change into session shoes once we’ve arrived. But skip the heels altogether, because the last thing you want is to not be able to walk as your heels sink into the ground.
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