Cherry Blossom Engagement and Family Portrait Sessions

How to Plan for Your Cherry Blossom Engagement Session or Cherry Blossom Family Portraits

If you’re planning the perfect portrait session during the cherry blossom festival, you’ll want to consider timing, lighting, and clothing. I’ve outlined each of these things to help you best prepare for your photos and ensure a wonderful portrait session experience. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a unique time of year, and one of the best for pink-golden lighting and a romantic setting.

What is the best time of day for cherry blossom photos?

The best time of day for photos at the cherry blossoms is sunrise - and I like to meet couples and families 15 minutes before dawn, while it’s still dark out. This ensures an on-time start so we don’t miss out on any dreamy colors. This also permits us to avoid crowds; there is typically only a small handful of people out at that time, if any. As we’re wrapping up our session, people will trickle in, but they won’t have witnessed the spectacular sight that is sunrise at the cherry blossoms.

Sunrise at the cherry blossom festival yields gorgeous photos particularly due to the delicate, light color of the blossoms. Whether the sky is golden, deep purple and pink, or overcast, the cherry trees photograph beautifully. Their unique, winding trunks and branches add playfulness to the scene and fun lines to play with. The petals photograph well from both far away and up close, ensuring a delightful setting for your photos no matter which angle we use.

All of the photos below were taken by me (Rachel) at sunrise, between 6:50 and 7:45 am.

What are the best locations for cherry blossom photos in DC?

I typically take photos around the Tidal Basin, but there are beautiful spots for cherry blossom trees elsewhere. Cherry blossom trees can be found outside the Capitol Building and Botanical Gardens. The FDR Memorial has hundreds of cherry blossom trees, and the view of the entire Tidal Basin can be taken in from the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial.

What colors should we wear for our cherry blossom portraits?

If you opt for white, I personally prefer a pale cream to give us a broader range of lighting to work in since we won’t know exactly what to expect from the clouds on our scheduled day. White or off-white outfits will give a dreamy, airy feel to your photos. It’s best to coordinate white and pale colors with everyone being photographed, or else the one person wearing white will stand out like a bright spot in the middle of the photo and throw off the exposure. Women can choose an ankle-length flowing linen, cotton, or silk dress, and men can opt for light tan linen pants and jacket with a crisp white button down, and brown dress shoes.

For women, flowing maxi dresses are quite flattering and will also give you more options for standing in different positions on the uneven ground since your legs will be hidden.

For men, a jacket is a must. It will help us avoid showcasing potentially bulky or wrinkled shirts in the arms and waist. Even if you’re going for a more casual look, dress as you would for a nice dinner. A blazer will add an extra level of timeless style to your photos.

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If you prefer deeper colors, navy blues, deep forest greens, or rich pinks will look wonderful against the cherry blossom backdrop. A nice medium/dark blue (not too dark) will look best.

For in-between shades, I recommend coordinating khaki pants with a navy blue blazer and white button down, a solid pink or blue dress.

Do not wear black.
It is a rather dreary color for the occasion and season, and from a purely technical standpoint, it will look like a dark hole in the middle of your photo.

Dark colors don’t match the overall look and feel of the cherry blossom setting, which is light, airy, romantic, and serene.

Avoid an orange and brown combination. Those colors are much better for autumn portraits. Also avoid red as it will cast a red shade on faces, which is difficult to remove, and doesn’t necessarily match the pink cherry blossom scenery.

Also avoid wearing patterns. Tiny details don’t photograph well and can be distracting. We want your happy faces to stand out among the cherry blossoms, which are already a thousand tiny details. That is the focus of our session. If one person is wearing a pattern, the other(s) should be in solid colors only. You want your look to be coordinated, not clashing.

Please ensure your outfits are made of natural material such as cotton and linen, rather than rayon or polyester. They photograph and hang so much better, and you’ll be all the happier with your photos.

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