Winter bridal sessions can be one of the most magical experiences ever. If you have never done a session with falling snow flakes the size of quarters (or bigger!), you need to find the opportunity and do it. Being in the mountains in the midst of falling snow is an experience pulled straight from a fairytale. There is literally no noise, the evergreens stand in front of and disappear into a grey sky and layers upon layers of falling snow. It is a sight to see and unmatched by anything except the polar opposite side of the spectrum with the brightness of a blue sky against a bright and sunny horizon.
There are some tricks to photographing in the snow, however, and remembering to follow these tips and take these items will give you a great experience .
A few tips for shooting while its snowing:
1. You're going to get wet. If it's snowing, its just a given. Be sure to prepare your bride and groom for this possibility. If you are taking bridals prior to the wedding day, the bride may not be okay with the possibility of the dress getting wet, muddy, or dirty. Be sure to have that discussion with her prior to the day and come up with a backup plan if it snows heavily and she does not want the dress to get wet.
2. Obvious, but dress for the weather. Wear a waterproof coat with a hood (not necessarily for warmth but to keep you from getting wet) and wear tall waterproof snow boots. I always wear snow boots during any kind of winter photo session because I never know when I may need to "create a trail" for my clients to walk in.
3. Purchase a waterproof cover for your camera. Cameras that shoot in extreme cold or extreme moisture can develop a delay in shutter speed. If you don't have a cover on hand, you can use a ziplock bag or a grocery bag. Use a hair band or rubber band for easy access to your buttons to change settings.
4. If its really heavy snowfall or large flakes, shoot closer to your clients. This leaves less area in between you and the bride/groom so that your camera has less opportunity to focus on a giant snow flake that may fall in your line of focus. It happens.
5. Be sure to set your aperture to a faster speed. Heavy flakes fall faster than you think. You want to catch them dead in the air, otherwise the snowflakes will look like lines through your photo.
A few items to bring (essentials for the photographer OR the bride/groom):
1. Gloves. I keep a simple cotton pair of mittens and waterproof snow gloves in my car during the winter. Not only should you keep these in your car for safety purposes, but they will come in handy for keeping your hands warm during the session.
2. A towel (or two). Big flaky snow will drench you faster than you think. One towel is great for helping to dry your bride, another could be used if you need to dry yourself off when you are done. Either way, its great to have when you are more wet from the snow than you think and you need to sit for a long drive home.
3. A change of socks and shoes (slippers are great too). During the summer, I end up driving home barefoot, but during the winter, even in my snow boots, sometimes I hit really deep snow which makes its way through my socks and down into my boots. It's best to get out of those as quickly as possible so dry socks and a pair of slippers can be the best thing to drive home in.
4. Hand warmers. 'nough said. They do take up to 15 minutes to activate so be sure to activate them within 10-15 minutes of beginning your session.
5. Tissues. In really wet and heavy snow, makeup can, and will, run. Keep a travel size pack of soft tissue in your pocket so that you don't have to run back to the car to grab one. Don't wipe, blot.
6. Blankets. This should also be a necessity if you live in areas prone to snow as well. These can save your life in the event that you have an accident or your car won't start. (Let's not even go there.) But in the case of a bridal session, having a blanket (or two) that the bride can drape over herself in-between shots can be beneficial. It means that she can stay warm and may keep her in the mindset of taking pictures longer. A cold bride won't want to take pictures for long. An added bonus is if you brought a cute or trendy blanket, it can be added to photos as an extra little detail that accentuates the photos, and keeps the couple warm at the same time.
7. Your "bride emergency kit". This is actually a kit that I have in my car all year round. This way I can grab it at any point during sessions, not just bridals. It includes the basics, such as bobby pins, small scissors, travel pack of baby wipes, lint roller, double-sided tape, ibuprofen, clear nail polish, and a few other items. I also keep other random things and emergency items in my car depending on the time of year. For example, I carry sunscreen, waterbottles and bug spray in my car during the summer and paracord and a pocketknife year round.
