Winter in the PNW can be a rough time of year to try and squeeze in your photo sessions- unless you aren’t afraid of a little snow! While it takes a bit more strategic planning and you still need a semi-nice day to make it really worth it, shooting in the snow makes for some of the most magical photos. The white snow acts as a natural reflector of light giving your images an even, bright look and feel without the need for any extra lighting gear or reflectors. Of course, you need to factor in the occasional warm up break in your car, but it’s all worth it when you see the images come back!
I think the biggest thing for people to keep in mind if you’re hoping for a snowy session is that weather can be VERY finicky this time of year, and being flexible with rescheduling is essential. While snowy photos are beautiful, a really windy, abundantly snowy day can actually be more stressful than fun. Depending on the temperature, my gear can only be out in the elements for a certain amount of time and you may not want shots of windblown hair or wet clothes, all of which are things to consider when working in the snow!
Additionally, if you’re thinking of heading up to Baker this time of year, which is the closest mountain to me, it’s good to remember that weekends get really busy and there are really only a few places to park and access the mountain in the wintertime, unlike in the summer when much more of the mountain roads are available to cars!
Ultimately, it’s important to talk through your hopes and goals for the session with your photographer and determine a date and timeline that will work well for the flow of traffic on the mountain and the most successful weather!
Below are some examples of a few of my favorite most recent snow sessions! Check it out.
Bre + Mitch’s snowy engagement session at Silver Lake Park just below Mount Baker. Frequently parks like this aren’t as busy as usual when it’s so chilly outside, so we had most of the place to ourselves!
A few shots from our snowy winter styled session half way up to Baker. It was actually pretty awful out this day, but we had a long list of vendors ready to make this session happen so we moved forward as planned and you’d never know from the photos that we were all freezing our booties off! Featured vendors include: Pozie by Natalie, Frankie & Maude, Megan Lee Designs, Silvery Moon, Rustic Event Rentals, MOMAD Productions.
Kelly and Brett’s snowy off-roading engagement session! We drove up in their Jeeps and played in the snow all afternoon.
Robyn’s maternity session at the top parking lot at Mount Baker during peak ski season! It was a foggy, windy day, but we went for it all the same and it turned out beautifully.
Don’t let a little fluff scare you and inquire with me today!
