5 Tips for your Winter Photoshoot
#1- Dress warmer than you might think.
This is the number one mistake we see during winter sessions! To make sure everyone’s happy and having a good time, it’s imperative that you dress warm—and often you may need to dress warmer than you’d think! Layer up with natural fibers like cashmere and wool or lean into the winter look with puffer jackets, ear muffs, scarves and other classic winter accessories. You can always dress warm and cute, so don’t try to pick one or the other. Another crucial thing is to have proper shoes for the snow. Wear thick socks and boots with good traction!
#2- Wear hairstyles that are wind-resistant.
Trust me, we love your blow-out as much as you do, but it might not stay in place! For girls, consider wearing your hair in a ponytail, bun, or half-up style. This will prevent hair from crossing in front of your face during that perfect shot. For guys, make sure your hair has gel or finishing mousse that helps it hold the style. This also tends to help the style be more water-resistant if snow is falling. If conditions are very windy, your photographer will try to find a more covered, protected area to shoot in, if one’s available.
#3- Prioritize your shot-list.
Our clients tend to prefer mini sessions for winter photoshoots. It’s the best way to minimize any discomfort the cold may cause while still giving us time to get tons of great photos. If you have a strong vision for what you want, we suggest thinking about what shots you’d like and ordering them from most important to least important. Your photographer will try to get everything you want, but it’s good information for them to know where they should put the most time and focus. If you want a full session, you can book directly with our Beyond the Studio team in a location of your choosing!
#4- Be flexible with rescheduling.
Every photographer wishes they could see the future for one main reason: The weather! When scheduling photoshoots, we make our best guess based on weather forecasts and our years of experience, but sometimes you're faced with a storm moving in on the day of your session. If you want to play it safe, here’s what we suggest: Keep your schedule open both the day after your original date and a week after your original date. These are the days we reschedule people to the most often. In the meantime, trust your photographer to be eyeing the weather 2-3 times a day just in case. We want to make your session perfect!
#5- Embrace the conditions and have fun.
When we stress about taking our family photos too much, that stress can show on our faces or affect people’s moods. We’re always going to try and get those perfectly posed shots with everyone smiling their genuine smile, however, if your family’s just not having that kind of day, don’t fret! Your photographer will add in some extra fun in order to get some adorable candid shots. Picture your kids running around in the snow. Maybe they’re having a snow fight! We might also tell your family to try and keep each other warm with their hugs and love. By adding in that element of play, we can still get amazing photos you’ll want to hang in your home for years to come. This may mean that you’ll have some hairs out of place, your kids might get a bit snowy, or you may not be smiling that perfectly poised smile—but, if you embrace the moment and the fun, you’ll sure have a bunch of amazing memories to go along with your gorgeous photos.
We are SO lucky to live in Utah where we have some of the best snow on Earth! We love the winter time for how beautiful and unique these snowy, mountain photoshoots are. There’s nothing quite like seeing the fresh snow adorn the evergreens’ branches or the snow-covered mountaintops stand majestically in the background. And if you’re lucky enough to get snowfall during your shoot? Pure magic.
Convinced that a winter photoshoot is right for you? Join us for our Winter Wonderland mini sessions! We’ll be at Jordan Pines on January 18th and Park City on January 25th. These 30-minute sessions start at $368 with our digital-only package and will come with 30-35 beautiful winter images of your loved ones. We hope to see you there!
