Sunflowers at Sunrise ~ My client and her daughter met up with me early in the morning, not long after 6 AM, in the middle of October 2022 at Sweet Flower Home in Buckeye, Arizona. I’d only ever done one other sunrise session (with twin toddlers and their mom at the Agritopia peach orchards.)
This session made me decide that I will probably do sunflower sunrise sessions again in the future. There was something absolutely magical about being out there in the dawn twilight just as the sun was rising. I see a lot of sunsets, but in the morning I’m usually so busy getting ready for the day that I don’t concentrate on the rising sun. Seeing the morning golden hour was very memorable.
I check the weather a LOT. I have three different weather apps on my phone (two that I pay for because of all the great info they provide to me as a photographer) and so I know that the coldest time of day is usually daybreak.
My client and her daughter and I got photos in the morning blue hour as we walked further back into the sunflowers. We saw that the sun was just about to break over the horizon and so we looked east to watch and for just a few quick seconds it was like the sun rise sent a wave of air towards us, like a breeze hit us and the temperature dropped a few degrees. Such a surreal experience!
I really want to go back in the early hours to see if I experience that again!
Are you a photographer thinking of photographing at Sweet Flower Home during sunflower season in Fall 2023?
Here is some info for you!
Follow @sweetflowerhome on Instagram. That is how I found out when the owner announced that she was opening booking for sunflower sessions.
In 2022, sunflower season was very late September until the end of October. The sunflowers are at their tallest the last two weeks of October.
In 2022, the cost was $65 per one client or $100 for 2 or more clients.
The best weekends (mid October) fill up quickly. So if you want those time slots, be prepared.
Mondays and Tuesdays seem to be the least crowded days, so they are a great choice if you want a lot of room to wander around and not have other people in your shots! If you really want the place all to yourself, try sunrise sessions!
The fields can be really, really muddy. I saw photographers wearing irrigation boots and thought this was a fantastic idea. Warn your clients/set expectations about how they will probably get muddy feet (maybe bring extra shoes to change into.)
Speaking of setting expectations, let your clients know that there are plenty of bees and insects in the sunflower fields.
The sunflower field is VAST. The first few times I went there, I photographed on the north side, because that is where you enter the parking lot. Later on I realized I would find a lot of great sunflowers if I went south.
ARE YOU A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SUNFLOWER SESSIONS? SEND ME A MESSAGE! ARE YOU A POTENTIAL CLIENT WHO WOULD LIKE SUNFLOWER PORTRAITS IN OCTOBER 2023? SEND ME A MESSAGE!
