This was originally posted in May 2023
I’m SO excited for SPRING! The flowers, the trees, the wonderful dappled sunlight through the leaves, YAY! I can’t wait for it to actually warm up, but I wanted to write about my favorite spots for spring photos before that since we are right in the middle of a wonderful bloom!
First things first, my absolute favorite signs of spring are the gorgeous blooming trees! Magnolia trees, cherry blossom, apple blossom, red buds, literally anything that shows color in the springtime. The magnolias have already come and gone for the most part, but we still have plenty of time with the other more delicate trees, just so long as we don’t experience a crazy rain or wind storm any time soon. Which could be any time, it is Michigan you know. But, any spot that has a blooming tree is a PERFECT location for springtime photos. Even if it’s right next to a parking lot you’d be amazed at the photos I could get for you! And luckily, Ann Arbor has roughly 1 million trillion trees (I mean, it is an arbor if you didn’t know).
Secondly, pretty much any garden that has tulips, daffodils, or hyacinth bulbs planted will be a great choice for photos. Ann Arbor takes great care to plant a bunch of tulips in the planters around town and there are lots of parks and public garden spaces that have spring bulbs blooming. I feel like you could spit and find a beautiful photo spot.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens has an amazing daffodil garden, and has the bonus conservatory if it’s not the best weather. I love the conservatory any time of year, but it’s especially nice in the spring since some of their blooms happen right around the ones going on outside. It’s a great backup option for when the unpredictable Michigan spring weather occurs.
The Arb is always a great destination for spring photos, and has the Peony Garden in bloom at the end of May/early June that is well worth a visit. It can get very busy, but there are always ways to either crop out the crowds, or edit them out later. Don’t be afraid to book a session here, I can work around large groups of people and make it seem like you were on your own among the gorgeous peonies. (See photos for proof, this was a super busy day, but you wouldn’t necessarily know that!)
A few Ann Arbor locations I’d love to try out for spring photos if you’re willing: The Law Quad or the Diag on Michigan’s campus, Kerrytown’s courtyard, a meandering walk through the Old West Side, or even your house! Do you have a great backyard garden that is amazing? Got a great flowering tree? I can come to you!
So, to sum it up, basically all of Ann Arbor and the surrounding cities are beautiful in the spring. The issue is finding that perfect day for the perfect shots with the perfect weather and the perfect bloom. Some years, like this year, we have this long and slow spring bloom. Other years it’s over in a weekend and then suddenly it’s summer. But that’s not really a problem now is it? Because we have some of the best gardens around for summertime flowers! But that’s a list for another post.
If you’re interested in booking a spring (or summer) flower photo shoot feel free to send me a message! I’m ready to embrace the floral!
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