Spring Blossom Mini Sessions: Cherry Trees & Outdoor Portraits

Spring Blossom Mini Sessions: Cherry Trees, Bluebells & New Beginnings

Spring has two seasonal photography windows — the cherry blossom of late March and April, and the bluebell woodlands of late April and May — and both are brief, beautiful, and unrepeatable. If you have been thinking about booking family photographs, spring provides one of the most naturally gorgeous backdrops of the year.

Cherry Blossom Sessions

The Japanese cherry trees are in bloom for approximately two weeks in late March to mid-April, depending on the year's temperatures. In Cambridge, the best blossom trees are in and around the Botanical Garden, along various college approaches, and in several private gardens. The pale pink against a blue sky creates one of the most photographically reliable backdrops of the year — soft, delicate, and immediately recognisable as spring.

Blossom sessions are the most time-sensitive of all seasonal mini sessions. The window between the first flowers opening and the petals falling can be as little as ten days. Session dates for blossom are announced with a week's notice when the trees are showing good bloom — which means joining the mailing list in advance is essential.

Bluebell Sessions

Bluebell woodland is available for a longer window — usually three to four weeks in late April and May. The blue-purple carpet of flowers beneath bare or just-budding trees creates an almost surreal environment for family portraits. Children running through bluebells, parents sitting in the middle of them, the smell and the colour and the specific quality of woodland light filtering through new leaves.

What to Wear for Spring Sessions

Light, fresh colours work well in spring. Pale blues, soft yellows, whites, and light greens reflect the season. Floral prints (small, not large) complement the environment without competing with it. Avoid heavy winter colours — the photographs should feel like spring, not like a winter session that happened to take place in April.