Snow Day Shoot in Mill Creek Park
There’s nothing better than that first fresh coat of snow for the season. Someone actually told me that my neighborhood looks like a Hallmark movie, and after a fresh snow, it’s even more magical.
So on this particular day, I woke up, took the pup outside, and was hit with a magical moment of inspiration to shoot immediately. Most of the ambassadors had a snow day, so it was perfect timing to offer up a bonus shoot.
Snow day inspo
I immediately created a mood board for outfits, hair, & makeup to share my vision and shoot for me. Shooting for me is something I don’t do nearly enough. In photographer language, it just means shooting something that inspires us with no expectations. You’re shooting, posing, & composing based on your creative vision rather than what the client may expect from you. It’s a way to fuel your creativity, try new things, and just have fun in the meantime.
This bridge, referred to by locals as the Cinderella bridge, Iron bridge, or Suspension bridge, is the absolute worst to shoot on, especially in the snow. We only shot for like 30-40 minutes total and I swear half that time was spent running from cars on the bridge.
The goal was to make this shoot less “senior pictures” and more candid- casual.
What does candid- casual mean, exactly? Movement and genuine expression. As ambassadors, the girls had both shot with me a few times, so that level of comfortability was already there. That’s a key part of a shoot like this!
Notice how Rachel (pictured above) looks effortlessly comfortable moving around? Now imagine these photos if she was being photographed by someone with a negative energy, or someone who just made her feel awkward in general. The poses and expressions would be stiff and rigid, right. Keep that mind when you go to take pictures. Even having the right friend there to hype you up can make a huge difference.
Ah’leeyah is amazing at these natural and relaxed poses! (pictured above)
As we kept shooting, my goal and inspiration kept shifting. The goal became to tell the story of the moment, through pictures. We were having SO MUCH FUN! Don’t get me wrong, it was freezing, but it didn’t even matter because we were laughing nonstop and trying not to fall through the ice.
Adventure
I don’t shut up about the light while I’m shooting, ever. So when I saw it creeping through the trees, the girls knew we were going on an adventure through knee deep snow chasing it! I’m obsessed with that winter haze bouncing off the snow.
Ah’leeyah and Rachel’s aesthetic fit perfectly for this shoot! A clean, earthy vibe always wins in my opinion!
I didn’t intend for this blog to be a tutorial of any kind but I guess it just sort of drifted that way. If you’re reading this shortly after I post, then there’s still TONS of snow. Get a cute outfit, grab your friends, and use some of the tips I sprinkled through here.
There’s even a video tutorial on my instagram and tiktok.
I added Pinterest buttons these collages. Save them as inspo for your next shoot with friends! Oh and someone let me know if they work because I’m pretty rusty from the blogging world!
Are there better ways to spend snow day? Doubtful!
Want to shoot with Ashley?
Session information can be found here!
