Thinking of braving the snow for your Winter Maternity Session?

Being a Maternity Photographer in Tacoma, my families have many challenges including rain and seasonal changes in temperature, and sometimes snow! It’s not often, it feels like, that Maternity sessions are showcased in the winter months. When you look at images on Pinterest and instagram it sometimes seems like Maternity sessions don’t even take place outside during winter. But that is simply not true and you can have a beautiful session without wearing a flowy dress at sunset!

One glorious advantage to winter is SNOW! There are a few thing to consider if you are thinking of having your maternity session in the snow. In this blog I am going to be taking your through a few practical tips to make sure that you have a successful session in the snow.

Dress for the occassion

When it snows it’s pretty cold, at least 36 degrees, so dress warmly. This is not the time to be wearing a flowy dress. If you are set on a dress a fitted sweater dress with warm leggings is a great opinion. This is also a great time to bring out your stylish or practical winter jackets or chunky sweaters.

You should be wearing boots, There may be areas off the beaten path that look great and if you are wearing a basic shoe you might get snow in your shoes , yikes that’s cold!!

A nice addition could be a hat or scarf as well.

Snowy Maternity shoot in Bonney Lake, WA.

Layer Up

If you have lived in the PNW, Seattle to Tacoma area, a while you know that weather is unpredictable. Some days you basically have to pack for cold, rain and warm/hot weather. Treat your snow session similarly!

I have shot plenty of sessions below 40 degrees and I know you have to dress in layers. In between shots you can put your coat back on to keep warm. This is especially important if you have children with you. This is not a time to grit your teeth and push through. Kids quickly unravel when cold. I’ve seen it and experienced it, trust me.

Keeping warm in the snow Bonney Lake, WA.

Bring something warm for afterwards

After your session you or your kids might be cold. You car might need a minute to warm up again. What do you do? No problem because you brought a really warm fuzzy blanket to throw on while you wait to de-thaw!

This is something that I suggest for all cold day weather. Bring a blanket or some of those hot hands packets that you can use to get warm again after your session. Another great idea is brining a warm drink in a thermos that you can drink afterwards to warm up from the inside! For example some hot chocolate for your kids or your own sweet tooth!