Snowbird-Season Photo Sessions (Nov–Apr)

There's a particular week in early December when I can feel the valley change. The traffic on Highway 111 thickens, the restaurants on El Paseo need reservations again, and my inbox starts filling with a sentence I've read hundreds of times: "My parents are down for the season and the whole family is finally going to be in one place — can we get pictures while we're all here?"

That sentence is the heart of snowbird season. From November through April, the Coachella Valley isn't just warmer than the rest of the country — it's fuller. Palm Springs alone roughly triples in population over the winter months, swelling from its summer baseline as part-time residents return to second homes in Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and the country clubs of Palm Desert. And tucked inside that seasonal migration is the real story I get to photograph: this is precisely when grown children and grandchildren fly in to spend time with parents who winter here. The whole family lands in the same zip code, often for the first time all year. That window — and it really is a window — is when a multigenerational portrait session goes from "someday" to "this Thursday."

If you're a snowbird, or you're the adult child flying in to visit one, this guide is for you. I want to help you actually pull this off, because the logistics of getting everyone in front of a camera during a busy holiday visit are half the battle.

Why November through April is the sweet spot

Two things line up during these months that don't line up the rest of the year, and they make this the best season for family photos in the Coachella Valley by a wide margin.

The weather finally cooperates. Our summers are brutal — 110 degrees and a high, flat sun that drains the warmth out of a photograph and keeps everyone indoors by mid-morning. But from November on, the desert becomes genuinely glorious. Daytime highs settle into the 70s and low 80s, mornings are crisp, and the low winter sun means our beloved golden hour stretches longer and arrives at a civilized time. In December and January, that warm, raking light shows up around 3:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon instead of vanishing at 7:30 like it does in June. Children stay comfortable. Grandparents stay comfortable. Nobody's wilting.

The people are actually here. This is the part that matters most. You can have perfect light every day for six months, but it means nothing if half the family is in Minnesota or Calgary. Snowbird season is the only stretch when Grandma and Grandpa are in residence and the kids and grandkids come to visit. Thanksgiving, the December holidays, and the long Presidents' Day and spring-break weekends are when households of three, sometimes four generations briefly occupy the same house. That overlap is rare and it's short. I've learned to treat it with the urgency it deserves.

The session that only happens now: three (or four) generations together

I'll be honest about which sessions I find most meaningful, because it shapes the advice I give. The portrait that families thank me for years later is almost never the one with everyone lined up and smiling on cue. It's the unguarded one — a grandfather's hand resting on a grandchild's shoulder, three sisters laughing at something only they understood, the great-grandmother watching the chaos with a small private smile. Those moments are this family and no other. They're the whole reason I do this.

Snowbird season is when those photographs are even possible. An adult daughter who lives in Seattle, her brother who's in Denver, their parents wintering in Indian Wells — they are physically in the same place for maybe ten days a year. If you've been meaning to get a real portrait of your parents with their grandchildren, this is not a "let's plan it for next time" situation. Next time may be a full year away.

A few things I've learned about making these multigenerational sessions go smoothly:

• Keep it short and keep it loose. Forty-five minutes to an hour is plenty. Little kids and people in their eighties have the same attention span for posing, and it isn't long. We do a handful of grouped portraits early while everyone's fresh, then let it breathe.
• Think palette, not uniform. When everyone arrives in identical shirts, a family starts to read like a team roster. Pick two or three colors that sit well together — warm neutrals, soft denim, a few earth tones — and let each person interpret them their own way. I wrote more about this in coordinating outfits without matching.
• Build in seating. If a grandparent has mobility concerns, we choose a location with a low wall, a garden bench, or a shaded patio so they can be comfortably seated and everyone gathers around. The seated matriarch or patriarch as the anchor of the frame is one of the most timeless compositions there is.
• Let me photograph the in-between. The portraits matter, but so do the moments when nobody's "ready." I keep shooting through the resets and the giggles. That's usually where the keeper lives.

If you want to go deeper on the planning side of these, I have a whole piece on how to plan a multigenerational photo session that walks through timelines, group orders, and keeping the youngest and oldest happy at the same time.

Best months and the booking reality

Here's the honest scheduling picture for snowbird-season family photos, month by month.

November. Snowbirds are arriving and settling in. The light is beautiful and the valley isn't yet at peak crowds. If your family gathers for Thanksgiving, the days around it are wonderful — but they book up fast, so reach out in early-to-mid October if you want that weekend.

December. My busiest month by far. Holiday visitors flood in, and everyone wants pictures while the family's together. Weekends in December are usually spoken for weeks ahead. If you know you'll all be here for the holidays, I genuinely can't say this strongly enough: book in October or very early November. Mid-December inquiries often can't be accommodated on the date families want.

January and February. In some ways my favorite stretch to photograph. The frantic holiday energy has passed, the weather is dependable and mild, golden hour is gorgeous, and there's a little more breathing room in the calendar. Presidents' Day weekend brings another wave of visiting families. If December's rush stresses you out, a January session is calmer for everyone.

March and April. Spring break, wildflowers in good years, and the last hurrah before snowbirds head home and the heat returns. The desert can be stunning in March, especially after a wet winter when the hillsides green up. By mid-to-late April we start losing the comfortable afternoons, and many part-time residents have already left, so this is the closing edge of the window.

The recurring theme: the busiest weeks for visiting families are also the busiest weeks for me. The families who get the date and time they want are the ones who reach out a month or two ahead. I'd much rather you book early and relaxed than scramble for a leftover slot.

Where we'll photograph

One of the joys of working here is the variety packed into a small valley — but my favorite winter sessions usually start close to home. The right setting depends on your family: how many people, the ages, how far folks can comfortably walk. Here are the places I reach for most, roughly in the order I suggest them:

• Right at the winter residence. More often than not, the best place to photograph a visiting family is the home they've already gathered in. I work with the natural light pouring through the big windows and sliding doors, then move us out to the patio or backyard as the afternoon softens — and everyone stays in the rooms where the visit is actually happening. No loading grandparents into a car, no unfamiliar terrain, just your family where they're already comfortable. This is how I shoot most often, and it's usually the most relaxed.
• Local parks, gardens, and patios. Shaded, walkable spots like Moorten Botanical Garden, the grounds at Sunnylands, or a quiet neighborhood park give us greenery, seating, and an easy pace — ideal for groups with grandparents or toddlers. This is my go-to when a family wants to be outdoors without committing to a hike.
• Resort grounds and El Paseo. For families who want a more polished, architectural feel close to where they're staying, the courtyards and walkways around Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage photograph beautifully in late-afternoon golden hour.
• A desert backdrop, if you want the iconic look. Some families do love that unmistakable Coachella Valley scenery — mountains and native plants out toward the Indian Canyons, or a wash near Palm Desert. It's a lovely option for the able and adventurous, best caught in soft golden-hour light, and I'm always glad to build a session around it when that's what you're picturing. It's just not the only, or even the usual, way I work.

For more on timing outdoor light, the best golden hour spots in the Coachella Valley breaks down specific locations and when the sun hits them right.

What to expect, and how to prepare

A few practical things that make winter sessions go well:

• We'll time it to the light. For sessions outdoors or out on the patio, the back half of the afternoon is the sweet spot — in December and January we'll often start around 3:00 or 3:30 to ride the golden light down. Indoors, where I'm working with the soft light from your windows, we have a little more flexibility on the clock. Either way I'll give you an exact time based on the date and setting, since the window shifts week to week as the solstice approaches and recedes.
• Layer for cool evenings. Desert winter days are warm, but once the sun drops the temperature falls quickly. Bring a jacket or wrap, especially for older family members and little ones, for the last stretch of the session.
• Coordinate around naps and meals. With young grandchildren, a hungry or tired toddler will set the whole tone. We plan around their best hour, not ours.
• Plan prints while you're together. If parts of the family are flying home in a few days, decide before they leave who wants what. There's something to be said for putting an album or a framed portrait in everyone's hands before the visit ends.

Common questions

We're only here for a week — is that enough notice? Sometimes, if you reach me before you travel. The earlier the better, especially in December. Send me your dates the moment you know them.

Should we do it at the start or end of the visit? Early. If someone gets a cold or weather surprises us, you'll still have time for a backup day. Leaving it to the last afternoon leaves no margin.

My parents are reluctant — they don't want a fuss. That's common, and it's fine. I keep these relaxed and conversational rather than stiff and posed, and most reluctant parents relax within the first ten minutes once they realize nobody's being told to say "cheese." Often they end up loving the results most of all.

Can we combine generations and also get a few of just the grandkids, or just the couple? Absolutely — that's the norm. We'll get the big group, the individual family units, the grandparents alone, and the cousins together, all in one session.

When the season is really about something more

I'll add one quiet note, because it's part of why I take the timing so seriously. Some winters, a family books because a parent's health is changing, and they understand that this gathering may be one of the last with everyone present. Those sessions are tender and important, and I'm honored to photograph them. If that's where your family is, I approach it with all the gentleness it deserves — you can read about my generational legacy sessions if that speaks to your situation. Most snowbird sessions are pure celebration. But all of them share the same truth: the family is only together for a little while, and the picture is how you keep the day.

Let's find your week

If your parents are wintering in the valley and the family's coming to town — or if you're the snowbird and you want a real portrait with your kids and grandkids while they're here — let's get a date on the calendar before the good weekends fill. Tell me when everyone's in town and roughly how many of you there are, and I'll help you find the right afternoon and the right spot. You can reach me through my contact page, and I'll take good care of you and your family while you're all under the desert sun together.