Tips for Beautiful Fall or Winter Photos

Tips for Beautiful Fall or Winter Photos

There is a special kind of magic that comes with outdoor, winter photo sessions.

The snow lightly falling and icicles hanging from the branches create a lovely backdrop for any photo session.

In Las Vegas, we are so lucky to have EVERY backdrop we can think of ( well, maybe not the beach but close) . For beautiful, winter photos we have Mount Charleston where we can have every season work for us.

Here are some tips to make your winter or fall photo sessions go smoothly.

Dress warmly. You will be surprised at how often this is overlooked. Since you’ll be standing outside for a long period of time, short sleeves, thin fabrics, and open toe shoes will not be comfortable for very long. Shivering makes it hard to look happy and pose properly. You can wear glove up till the last minute before the click.
Wear sunscreen. Protecting your skin should be a priority throughout the year, not just in summer. Use a good moisturizer to protect your skin from chilly winds.
Watch the weather. Warmer days may seem more pleasant but melting snow can change the entire look of your backdrop. If you are looking for light snow flurries, try and keep an eye on the weather forecast to make sure that you don’t end up with melting or heavy snow.
Be flexible. If the weather isn’t exactly what you had hoped for, see if you can still make the photo session work. If you are however scheduling this session in advance, you may just have to work with the weather on that particular day.
Incorporate color. Even though fall and winter have some amazing colors to work with, why not wear a splash of color to really stand out in your photos? For example, vibrant shades of blues and greens look amazing amongst crunchy brown leaves. Eventhought I love red, If you are not going for a Christmas look, stay away from it since it will always look like Christmas.
Plan your day. Taking your photos just after the sun rises or just before it sets will provide you with amazing lighting so try and plan your session around those times. If you are heading to the Mountains make sure you and your photographer coordinate for sunset times as sun hides faster behind the mountains. Mount Charleston, NV usually has the sun go behind the mountains 1 hour before the rest of the valley since it’s so high.
Have an open heart. Winter photos are beautiful, have a playful heart and let the day unfold, specially for kids and family sessions snow can be very fun despite the cold. Have fun and the magic will show beautifully in your images
Take some hot tea or coffee along to make your photo session even more enjoyable and get ready for some beautiful results.
Bring extra cloth. If you are shooting in a snowy area make sure to bring extra cloth just in case yours get wet.
This are some of the shoots I’ve done through the years in Mount Charleston, some of this Winter Outdoor photos session are absolutely gorgeous and unique. Step out of the norm and create memories for a lifetime in a different and fun environment, you don’t have to go so far away as Las Vegas has pretty much every scenery you might want.