If you’re new here, we are always asking the question, “What does success looks like for you?”. We love sharing what it looks like for us, especially when it seems to go against all photography codes of “right and wrong”.  We hope to encourage you to think outside the box from time to time... which is exactly why we are suggesting you consider offering winter sessions in January, or really any time, as long as the temps are roughly 50°! We love photographing families year round because it helps keep each season steady and allows us to set better boundaries in the months when most photographers cave to the high demand (we’re looking at you Fall!)

So here they are, Katie’s 3 go-to tips when shooting winter sessions: 

TIP #1: Shoot in open fields to avoid the dead branches/trees of winter.
When I'm not seeking out evergreens to shoot with, I'm photographing as much as possible in large open fields to avoid dead/bare tree branches.  Do you shy away from shooting in full sun? Check out the Master the Light and Airy Style course! 

Texas provides no shortage of snakes, so shooting in deep grass/fields in other months comes with risks I prefer not to take, especially with children. Winter allows us to shoot in more open fields/higher grass while snakes are hidden away for the winter.

Tip #2: Yellow/brown tones too much? Tone them down in editing. 
While I love the neutral backdrops winter brings, sometimes the yellows in fields can be, well, really yellow! I like to tone them down a bit in editing simply by selecting the background and cooling it down a bit. You can see the difference this makes in the example below.

TIP #3: Mix up your gallery with evergreens or shooting against clothing or blankets.
Shooting in the winter, especially in fields, can result in a lack of diversity in your galleries as far as the background goes. I like to find closeby evergreens to shoot against when possible, but my biggest go-to is using parents' clothing and blankets to shoot against for varying backdrops to add diversity to gallery. These Amazon gauze blankets are some of my favorites to use for my family sessions.

If you love the idea but don’t feel confident in your ability to create images like these, be sure to check out Katie’s course Mastering the Light and Airy Style. 

Feeling left out because it’s way below 50 degrees in your neck of the woods? No worries, we have a post coming up just for you! And it doesn’t require turning everyone in to a popsicle - hooray!

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