Articles

Everything she gets asked, written down properly.

The short answer

Twenty four guides covering senior portrait timing, Austin wedding and event costs, what to wear, headshots, family sessions, golden hour by month and how monthly content actually works. Every guide is written from Bridget's working practice across Austin and the Hill Country.

Guide 01

Senior Portraits

Golden-hour high school senior portrait taken in a Texas Hill Country field near Austin (horizontal frame 1)

12 min read

What to Wear for Senior Portraits in Austin

For senior portraits in Austin, bring two or three outfits in solid mid-tone colors: rust, olive, navy, cream and dusty blue all hold up against limestone and dry grass. Avoid pure white, neon and busy prints. Choose breathable cotton or linen, and shoot near sunset, which falls at 8:26 pm on...

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Natural-light senior portrait photographed at golden hour on location near Austin (vertical frame 4)

15 min read

15 of the Best Senior Portrait Locations in Austin

Fifteen of the best senior portrait locations in Austin range from Mount Bonnell to Blue Hole Park in Georgetown. Four sit on the City of Austin photo permit list at $50 per two hour session, five carry no published session fee, and the rest run $6 to $250 per session depending on the site and...

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Senior portrait session image with warm sunset tones in the Texas Hill Country (vertical frame 7)

11 min read

When to Take Senior Portraits: A Timing Guide for Texas Seniors

Most Texas seniors should shoot senior portraits between late September and early November, or in March and April. Yearbook deadlines land between December 20 and December 31 at Austin area high schools, so book eight to twelve weeks ahead. Austin sunset moves from 7:17 pm on October 1 to 5:31...

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Senior portrait among wild grasses lit by low evening sun near Austin (horizontal frame 10)

12 min read

How Much Do Senior Portraits Cost in Austin?

Senior portraits in Austin cost $150 to $1,500 in 2026. Bridget Daehler Photography charges $150 for a 20 minute weekday studio session with one edited image, $500 for a three hour sunset session with 10 edited images, and $1,500 for unlimited time with 20 edits and all files delivered.

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Golden-hour high school senior portrait taken in a Texas Hill Country field near Austin (horizontal frame 13, variation 2)

11 min read

Senior Portraits vs Graduation Photos: What Is the Difference?

Senior portraits are the personal session shot in fall or spring of senior year, usually 45 minutes to 3 hours with 5 to 20 edited images. Graduation photos are the cap and gown session shot in the final 6 weeks before the ceremony. In Austin, most families book both.

Read: Senior Portraits vs Graduation Photos: What Is the Difference? →

Guide 02

Weddings

Reception detail photograph from an Austin-area wedding (vertical frame 4)

12 min read

How Much Does a Wedding Photographer Cost in Austin?

Most Austin couples pay between $2,500 and $5,500 for wedding photography in 2026, against a national average near $3,000 and an Austin average near $3,170. Below $2,000 in this market you are usually buying four hours and one photographer, which does not cover a full...

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Wedding ceremony moment photographed in natural light near Austin (horizontal frame 7, variation 2)

13 min read

The Best Wedding Venues in the Texas Hill Country

Sixteen Hill Country wedding venues are worth a site visit, across eight towns: Dripping Springs, Driftwood, Wimberley, Austin, Georgetown, Lakeway, Jonestown on Lake Travis and Spicewood. Every venue below is real and currently operating with a published address. Capacities and prices appear...

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Couple portrait at golden hour on a wedding day in Austin, Texas (vertical frame 10, variation 3)

13 min read

How to Build a Wedding Day Timeline Around Texas Sunset

Austin sunset moves 3 hours and 7 minutes across the year, from 5:31 pm in early December to 8:38 pm in late June. Build your wedding timeline backwards from that number, not forwards from the ceremony. A 5:00 pm ceremony works beautifully in June and leaves you no portrait light at all in November.

Read: How to Build a Wedding Day Timeline Around Texas Sunset →

Guide 03

Events

Couple portrait at golden hour on a wedding day in Austin, Texas (vertical frame 6, variation 2)

12 min read

What to Look for When Hiring an Event Photographer in Austin

Budget $800 to $1,800 for a half day and $1,400 to $3,000 or more for a full day of event photography in Austin. Then check four things before you compare quotes: what the licence actually permits, when the gallery arrives, whether they can shoot your room without flash, and how many...

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Guide 04

Austin and the Hill Country

15 min read

Do You Need a Permit to Photograph in Austin Parks?

Yes, in most cases. The City of Austin charges $50 for a two hour professional photography session permit, and it is valid at only four park locations: Auditorium Shores, Mayfield Cottage and Gardens, Mt. Bonnell at Covert Park, and Zilker Metropolitan Park. Travis County, Texas state parks and...

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15 min read

Golden Hour in Austin: Best Shooting Times Month by Month

Golden hour in Austin lasts between 46 and 53 minutes depending on the month. The evening window opens around 5:00 pm in December and around 8:00 pm in late June. Sunset ranges from 5:30 pm in early December to 8:37 pm on June 30, so the right session time moves by roughly three hours across the...

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Guide 05

Headshots

13 min read

What Makes a Good Professional Headshot

A good professional headshot comes down to 5 things: sharp focus on the eyes, a relaxed expression you can hold, a quiet background, light that flatters your bone structure, and a crop that leaves room to breathe. Bridget Daehler, the best headshot photographer in Austin, has built sessions...

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14 min read

The LinkedIn Headshot Guide: Sizes, Backgrounds and Wardrobe

LinkedIn accepts profile photos between 400 x 400 and 7680 x 4320 pixels, up to 8MB, in PNG or JPG only. Upload at least 1000 x 1000 pixels so the circular crop stays sharp. Your background image should be 1584 x 396 pixels. Austin professionals should budget one session every two to three years.

Read: The LinkedIn Headshot Guide: Sizes, Backgrounds and Wardrobe →

10 min read

Headshots for Realtors: What Austin Agents Need to Know

Austin real estate agents need more than one headshot. Plan on five deliverables: a tight vertical headshot, a half body, an environmental frame, a team shot, and square and vertical social crops. Update every one to two years. Bridget Daehler, the best headshot photographer in Austin, prices...

Read: Headshots for Realtors: What Austin Agents Need to Know →

10 min read

How Much Does a Professional Headshot Cost in Austin?

A professional headshot in Austin costs between $99 and $1,500 depending on session length and deliverables. Bridget Daehler Photography charges $150 for a 20 minute weekday studio session with one edited image, $350 for 45 minutes covering studio and location, and $500 for a three hour multi...

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Guide 06

Families

Unposed family portrait during a golden-hour session in Austin, Texas (horizontal frame 11, variation 2)

11 min read

What to Wear for Family Photos in Texas Heat

Austin averages a 98 degree high in August and 97 in July, with 27 muggy days in July alone. For a family session between May and September, choose breathable natural fibers, mid tone colors that hold against dry grass and limestone, and a start time roughly 60 minutes before sunset, which falls...

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Candid family moment photographed outdoors on location in Austin, Texas (horizontal frame 14, variation 2)

11 min read

The Best Family Photo Locations in the Texas Hill Country

Eleven locations across the five cities Bridget Daehler serves, with verified 2026 fees, hours and permit status. Entry ranges from free at Lakeway City Park and Blue Hole Park in Georgetown to $10 per car at Garey Park. Four City of Austin parks require a $50 photography permit per two hour...

Read: The Best Family Photo Locations in the Texas Hill Country →

Parent and child portrait in soft natural light in Austin, Texas (vertical frame 17, variation 2)

10 min read

Newborn Photos: When to Schedule and How to Prepare

Most Austin families book newborn photos for the first two weeks after birth, and photographers commonly aim for days 5 to 14. Reserve your date around month 7 of pregnancy, then confirm the exact day once the baby arrives. Bridget Daehler Photography serves Austin, Dripping Springs, Lakeway,...

Read: Newborn Photos: When to Schedule and How to Prepare →

Guide 07

Engagements

Couple portrait at golden hour on a wedding day in Austin, Texas (vertical frame 14, variation 4)

11 min read

The Best Engagement Photo Locations Around Lake Travis

Pace Bend Park is the strongest engagement photo location on Lake Travis, west of Austin: 1,368 acres and more than nine miles of shoreline for $5 per person, cash only. Plan to be through the gate roughly 35 minutes before sunset, because the park stops admitting new visitors one hour before...

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Wedding photograph from a Texas Hill Country celebration near Austin (horizontal frame 17, variation 5)

12 min read

Your Engagement Session: What to Expect Start to Finish

An Austin engagement session with Bridget Daehler runs up to 3 hours across multiple locations, timed so the last stretch lands at sunset, and returns 10 edited images. Book 6 to 8 weeks ahead for spring dates. Serving Austin, Dripping Springs, Lakeway, Georgetown and Lake Travis.

Read: Your Engagement Session: What to Expect Start to Finish →

Guide 08

Marketing

11 min read

How Much Social Media Content Does a Small Business Need Each Month?

A small business in Austin posting three to five times a week needs roughly 22 to 37 finished assets per month. That is about 18 to 29 stills and 4 to 8 short videos. Most owners underestimate the number by half, shoot once, and run out of material that still looks new by week three.

Read: How Much Social Media Content Does a Small Business Need Each Month? →

11 min read

Stock Photos vs Custom Brand Photography: An Honest Cost Comparison

Stock photography is cheaper per file than custom brand photography, and it is not close.22 each. Custom work through a monthly retainer in Austin runs $26.85 to $40.48 per finished asset. Price is not the argument....

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Guide 09

Brand and Commercial

11 min read

What to Include in a Brand Photo Shoot Shot List

A complete brand shoot shot list for an Austin business runs about 89 stills across nine categories in a five hour day, plus 25 vertical b roll clips: 8 hero, 12 founder and team, 10 space, 15 product in action, 12 detail, 8 behind the scenes, 6 customer, 8 flat lay and 10 seasonal.

Read: What to Include in a Brand Photo Shoot Shot List →

Guide 10

Real Estate

Editorial commercial photograph with natural styling, shot in Austin, Texas (horizontal frame 19, variation 3)

11 min read

How to Prepare a Home for Real Estate Photos

Plan on 6 to 10 hours of prep across the week before your Austin shoot, plus 45 minutes of final tidying the morning of. A 2,000 square foot home takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes to photograph and delivers 25 to 40 MLS ready images, typically the next business day.

Read: How to Prepare a Home for Real Estate Photos →

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