Fall photos are stunning, but there is just something unique about a photoshoot in the snow. If you have your heart set on having a fun, snowy photo session, it isn’t impossible!
We have taken the Simmons family photos every year for a while now and this year, Ren asked if we could try for a photoshoot in the snow. We were all about it! And we set to planning early.
When it came time for their session, we couldn’t have been happier with how everything turned out. The word “perfect” was thrown around a lot. But I mean, look at them?! Their outfits: perfect. The sunset: perfect. The snowfall: perfect. And the best part was how much fun they had together.
Snow Photoshoot Tips
If you want to try something like this, here is a list of our 5 best tips to make sure your photoshoot in the snow is filled with magic and fun.
- Plan Ahead
- Choose a Safe, Accessible Location
- Outfit Suggestions
- Aim for Sunset
- Play in the Snow
- (BONUS!) Enjoy Hot Cocoa or Coffee
1. Plan Ahead
Planning for a snow session takes time and patience. Why? Because we can’t command the weather. This means being aware of when snow is most common in your area. For us in Indiana, we usually get snow in January or February.
When Ren booked her session, she did so in November on the chance we would get an early snow in December. For the months of December and January, we monitored the weather 2-3 times each week and stayed in touch on almost a weekly basis. We had next to no snow until the first week of February.
Because of how often we monitored the weather, we knew a snowstorm was going to hit that week. We reached out to Ren and picked 3 different tentative days based on road conditions and accessibility to the location. Then we waited some more. After the snow stopped, we knew which day was going to work and we finalized the plan for sunset images.
2. Choose a Safe, Accessible Location
When it comes to a session, you want a spot that is beautiful with snow and isn’t super busy. However, you also want to make sure you can safely access the location while driving in what might be snowy conditions. Thankfully we have a couple of parks around Indianapolis that fall into this category.
One of them is Washington Township Park in Avon. This was the location that we decided on for the Simmons family and we have no regrets. The drive to the park was cleared and the areas around the park at this point weren’t filled with people yet. It was the perfect balance of accessible and beautiful.
3. Outfit Suggestions
A photoshoot in the snow isn’t going to be warm, so what can you do to make sure that you aren’t losing feeling in your fingers or toes?
Here is what we suggest:
- Wear a coat and layers. It’s okay to have 2 pairs of socks and under armor pants on. Having a few layers will keep you comfortable, but hopefully not sweating. Hats and scarves are fun accessories to your outfits and practical too—wear them and have fun with it!
- Bring a blanket to wrap up in! This can be very romantic for couples or cute and cozy for a family. Either way, it’s a practical prop you won’t regret.
- Have handwarmers in your coat pockets. If you plan to be outside for 30 minutes or longer, do this. When you have your hands in your pockets for some of the images, it will keep your fingers toasty.
- Keep a pair of socks and shoes in the car in case you get wet feet. Having wet, cold feet is the worst and being prepared with something like this really helps the drive home be more comfortable.
- PRO-TIP: For snow sessions, don’t wear white or light-colored neutrals because it will cause you to blend in with the snow. The best colors to wear are ones that will contrast with white. For example, you could go with black and grey with a maroon color accent (or really any color accent you love!). You can also stick with dark neutrals if you don’t want a lot of color. Either way, the contrast will look amazing against the snow.
4. Aim for Sunset
Lighting in snowy conditions can be a little tricky. Because snow is white and easily reflective, you don’t want to do the session in the middle of the day. Ideally, sunset is a great time for these images because it warms everything up and it also has less harsh reflections. (We also love sunset sessions all year round—it’s our favorite time of day!)
5. Play in the Snow
Don’t be afraid to play!! This is what will set your photos apart from the rest. Having images with you smiling at the camera with snow in the background is pretty, but we want to do more than that.
End with a snowball fight, go sledding, throw snow in the air, build a snowman, make snow angels. Invite the snow in to be a part of the session, not just a prop. You will have fun, make memories, and have unique images. It’s 100% worth it.
6. (BONUS!) Enjoy Hot Cocoa or Coffee
Have some hot coco or coffee together during your session! Whether it’s just the two of you getting winter engagement photos taken or a whole family, having something to drink to keep you warm just adds to the coziness of a winter session. However, if you don’t want to enjoy drinks during your photoshoot in the snow, go grab something warm and tasty afterwards!
Snowy Photoshoot in Indianapolis
Our goal is to make sure you get the photos you’ve always dreamed of and if a snowy session is what you’ve imagined, we are here for you to help with any questions you might have.
We hope these tips were helpful to keep you free of stress as you think about what is involved with planning a winter photo session. For questions or to book a session, you can reach out to us here and we can start talking about planning your magical photoshoot in the snow.
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