Dressing For Warmth

Layers Layer Layers! One of the best ways to dress for a winter session is to layer on clothing with beautiful knit textures and neutral colors (think colors that exist in nature). Where a warm under/base layer under your pants and tops. Choose coordinating hats, mitts, and scarves with knit textures to help stay warm but look cute in the photos. My special trick for staying warm is HAND WARMERS - the little packets that you crack and throw them in your jack pocket to give your hands a break. I also encourage families to bring their warmest jackets and take them on and off throughout the session to try and stay warm.

Winter is Worth It!

If you are contemplating taking your photos in the winter, please know that I am so ready to get out there with you. The clean crisp snow, glow of the winter sun through the trees, or a sparkling frost on the evergreen branches makes for a winter wonderland.

Sunny Day or Overcast Sky

If the location allows (ie. the lighting of the sun is in the ideal spot), then I always love how sunny days photograph. It adds lots of warmth to the image. The trade off is that here in NWO if its sunny out its also colder than an overcast day (no clouds to trap the heat). The best time of day for winter sunny days is the 1-2 hours prior to sunset.

Overcast days in NWO winters tend to be warmer and it allows for lots of flexibility of location because we are not competing with the direct light of the sun. This can make it easier for early afternoon sessions when the day is usually at its warmest.

You can see a bit of this difference in the photos below - the first photo was a cold but sunny day lending to the increased warmth of the photo. The second photo on a warmer but overcast day allowing us to be out on the ice without direct sunlight.

Creating Warmth in Photos

In NWO our winters are filled with cool tones - cool blue snow, cool toned white pines and spruces, birch and poplar trees with their white bark. To create warmth in the photos I recommend the following tips. (1) Ask your photographer for locations that have visible tall grasses or cat tails (think frozen swamps lol) to add a warm environmental element (see picture above with the kids). (2) Choose warm toned clothing such as beiges, browns, off-white creams, mixed with denim will add warm elements to your photos and look great with all skin tones. (3) Talk to your photographer about planning your session on a sunny day in a location that allows the sun to filter in behind the trees - the rays of the sun will create a warm flow around the trees. The trade off of this being that the sunny days are usually the colder days!

Location with Warming Options

For families with younger kiddos, I've recommended planning a location where you can quickly jump in a car to warm up between photos, or take photos at someone's home. By planning a location with a bonus warm up option then you can switch family members in and out or take a quick break between sets of photos.

Plan an Activity

As our parents and grandparents before us have always said, you keep warm by moving. So plan to have movement in your session. Put on your winter boots, hats, and mitts and lets build a fire to roast marshmallows, go sliding down the hill, have a snow fight or build a snowman. Not only will it help you to stay warm but you also get a lot of natural candid moments and fun together.