If you’re a photographer in the New England area, the demand for family photos drops sharply from mid-December through March. It’s cold and a little grey and it’s not the time of year one would dream about having family photos in. However, there is a lot to like about Winter photos. The sun is the most soft and golden this time of year. The demand is low so there are lots of photographers and dates to choose from. If you can time it properly, snow can be truly magical. Family photos in the snow can feel stressful but here are 5 tips to help you plan successfully.

5 Tips For Family Photos in the Snow

Snow Photos Tip 1: Be FLEXIBLE.

This is the first and most important tip for taking family photos in the snow. Winter in New England is unpredictable. In order to get snow on the ground, semi-tolerable temperatures, and golden light….flexibility is king. If you’re the kind of family who has to plan way in advance and rearrange lots of scheduled things to plan for one evening– this might not be a good option for you. Snow photos are more about looking at a 10 day forecast and saying, okay….Thursday looks like it could be a good option. Let’s tentatively plan for that!

Tip #2: Embrace Winter Clothing

This is NOT the time of year to take jackets off of your kids and show off their outfits. It’s too cold and once kiddos are cold, they don’t come back from it. When dressing your family for photos in the snow, you have to think of coats, boots, mittens, and hats as part of the outfit. If your winter clothing consists of mostly neons and patterns, think about asking friends to borrow, or checking out affordable options from places like Old Navy or Target. Embrace hats, ear muffs, scarves, and cozy blankets. Layers look amazing on camera and kids are SO cute in hats.

Tip #3: Plan for a Shorter Session

Unless you hit the weather jackpot, plan for your session to be brief. A “warmer” evening this time of year is in the mid to high 30s. The majority of kids probably won’t be frolicking around in this weather. My kids would, but not all kids love the cold! A 30 minute session is the perfect length for this time of year, and plenty of time to get lots of great combinations.

Family Photos in the Snow Tip #4: Consider the Ages of Your Kids

If you have kids under the age of 4, know in advance that this type of session will be very challenging. While *some kids* fall outside the norm, 0-3 year olds tend to have a very hard time handling the cold. The session pictured in this post has kids ages 7, 4, and 1.5. The older two were awesome and knew how to move around to keep warm. The toddler definitely struggled. She wanted to be held (normal) but when kids aren’t moving around, they don’t keep as warm.

Consider waiting to do a snowy family session until all the kids in your family are 4 and up! This will help set you up for the best case scenario.

Tip #5: Think Hot

Some final last tips:

• Pre-heat your car before driving to your session so you have a nice toasty ride. This will really help start everyone off on a good foot.
• Layer long underwear under everyone’s clothing.
• Consider putting hand warmers in everyone’s mittens and boots.
• Bring hot beverages like tea/coffee for adults and hot cocoa for kids. Sips of hot beverages can do wonders for keeping everyone warm.
• Bring blankets! Cozy shots of everyone wrapped up together are adorable.

Well, what do you think? Will you be attempting snow photos this year?!