Sarah & Derek: Winter Wonderland Mellon Park Engagement Photos

Ohhhhh snow. As Pittsburghers, we have a love-hate relationship with it (and that spectrum of love/hate varies widely from person to person!), but this year, I (personally) found myself missing the snow for the first year in a while! Usually, by the time mid-February rolls around, I’m more than ready for it to be over - but, before Sarah and Derek’s shoot, I had only had one snowy session this year and was craving more!

Ironically enough, what initially kept Sarah, Derek and I from our first planned meeting was a crazy snow and ice storm a few months back - the roads were so bad that one of the roads I live on completely shut down, and it took me 2 hours to move 1.5 miles! Thankfully, these two were so gracious, and we planned to meet a few weeks later (fortunately, there was no snow this time around 😉)

For their engagement session, though, we were hoping and praying for some beautiful snow! Oddly enough, we didn’t see much snow in the month leading up to their session, and I was a little concerned that we weren’t going to have any snow to work with come February. All we had really been getting was LOTS of precipitation that was just warm enough to not be snow - ick!

But then, we had the most beautiful snow storm the day before their session - just in the nick of time! And then - on top of that - when we showed up the day of their session, it was lightly snowing. And it lightly snowed for almost their ENTIRE 90 minute engagement session! I’m not sure we could have planned it any better if we had tried - but it all ended up working out exactly how we had hoped!!!

But, enough about the weather - what you really need to know after reading this blog post is how absolutely INCREDIBLE these two are! So here’s a little more about them: Sarah and Derek met on Twitter and connected over a mutual love for math. At the time, Sarah was considering going for her PhD in mathematical studies, and Derek was(is) working towards his! He offered to give her an insight into the process, and, well - now they’re engaged to be married! They have a puppy named Louisa, share a mutual love for Qdoba (over Chipotle and Moe’s!), and - maybe one of my favorite fun facts - their wedding date was chosen specifically for its mathematical reference to the Fibonacci Sequence! I mean, come on - aren’t these two just the cutest?!

Their engagement session was nothing short of easy, breezy, and way too much fun! I could photograph these two every weekend, and I’m already counting down the months until I get to photograph them again! Congratulations, Sarah and Derek - you two are just such a blessing to work with! I am so thankful for you!!! 💛

Amanda & Chris: McConnell's Mill Winter Engagement Photos

You’ve gotta love Pittsburgh, where temperatures can go from 4 degrees to 40 degrees in less than 12 hours! We rescheduled Amanda and Chris’s engagement session twice due to the freezing temps, which ended up being a great choice with the “real feel” and wind temps dipping below zero both times ❄️And in turn, we were rewarded with an almost 40 DEGREE winter afternoon for their winter afternoon session at McConnell’s Mill! And let me tell you - these two totally rocked it!!

ABOUT AMANDA & CHRIS

Amanda and Chris met over the phone, when Chris was working as a tech support rep. Chris quickly became Amanda’s go-to teach support guy, and as they say - the rest is history! But that first call was a pretty significant one, because when I asked these two when they knew each other was ‘the one,’ Chris said: “The first support phone call I had with her. I never wanted to stop talking to her.” Cue the happy tears!

I have a lot of questions I love to ask couples, but one of my favorites is: “What do you admire most about your significant other?” And because Chris and Amanda’s answers to this question are just so sweet (and so telling of how much they love each other!), I just have to share!

Chris: “Her ability to always make me smile or laugh. She managed to do it on our very first phone call, every call after that, and even every day since."

Amanda: “His determination to teach himself anything he puts his mind to. It’s quite wonderful to watch him figure something out that he’s never done before and then successful (with some trial and error) accomplish what he set out to do. It makes me want to learn from him everyday.”

THE SESSION

One of my very favorite things about Amanda and Chris’s entire session is how much they laughed together! They literally laughed through the entire session - which, I know, sounds so simple. But it made my job so easy! It’s always so fun to see two people who are truly and genuinely best friends loving their time together!

We started off their session at the main park section of McConnell’s Mill, and did a little bit of perilous hiking throughout the snow-covered trails, then headed over to one of my favorite sections of McConnell’s Mill - Cleland Rock! It’s about a 12 minute drive from the main Mill section - but SO worth the drive, especially when it’s covered in snow 😍

Without further ado - I am so excited to share some of my favorite images from Amanda and Chris’s engagement session! 💛

What to Wear for a Winter Photo Session

Dressing for a winter photo session can be tricky! You want to stay warm, but you want to look good. Really, the key to dressing for a winter photo session is to be flexible. If you happen to be a native to the Pittsburgh area (or to any colder weather area!), you know how unpredictable winter can be. Here in Pittsburgh, it could be 50 degrees one day, and 20 the next – and trust me, when it’s below freezing, you do not want to be getting your photo taken with just a shirt and a pair of pants on. You’re going to need a bit more to make sure you don’t freeze to death!

Below are a few of my top tips for dressing for your winter photo session! 

1. UTILIZE LOTS OF VISIBLE LAYERS

Now is the time to pull out your strongest layering game! Lucky for you, not only will wearing layers in your photos keep you warm, but they look so good and add a lot of visual interest to a photograph! Try layering a collared shirt with a sweater, or a nice sweatshirt with a jacket, or a sweater dress with a blanket scarf. Below are a few of my favorite ways clients have utilized layering for colder season sessions in the past!

A thick sweater with a collared shirt and long boots are sure to keep you warm when you’re outside in the cold for an extended period of time!

A blanket scarf and a jacket not only look adorable, but have you ever worn a blanket scarf?! They are SO WARM!

100% yes to Carly’s adorable cute jacket! She layered a neutral shirt underneath with a statement necklace, pulling the whole look together seamlessly, and keeping her warm!

A scarf and a long sweater, layered over a long sleeve shirt ✅

I love this upscale winter look! Full disclosure: this was actually an elopement, not an engagement session, but their outfits here provide such a great template for dressing for cold weather! Jason wore a nice jacket over his suit, keeping him extra warm during their six degree elopement, and Brittany wore a cute jacket and patterned scarf with warm leggings, boots, and a puffy skirt!

Another example of a great winter coat!

Sweaters, jeans, and boots!

A more casual coat centric, layered outfit.

A puffer jacket is always a great piece to layer for the cold!

I am obsessed with this green coat!

A suit is a great choice for adding a little extra warmth!

This might be one of my favorite layered looks! Grant wore a nice sweatshirt style shirt underneath his jean jacket, and it kept him (semi) warm and looked great on camera!

2. INCORPORATE HIDDEN LAYERS… AND HOTTIES

Hidden layers can be powerful when it comes to having your photo taken in the winter. The key? Be careful where you put those extra layers. Putting on extra socks? GREAT idea! Layer those babies up, because they won’t change your body visually in front of the camera. However, try not to go too bulky. For example, if you are planning on wearing a winter coat with some layers underneath for your session, try to choose a coat that accentuates your waist with a belt or seaming. This will accentuate the smallest part of your waist and give your body shape in front of the camera!

Oh, and shove hotties (hand warmers) wherever the heck they will go! In your shoes, in your pockets - if you’re wearing a skirt with leggings underneath, tape them to your legs! This is all about survival, people!

3. USE WEATHER APPROPRIATE ACCESSORIES

Pull out your winter hats, scarves, boots, mittens, and socks, or use your photo session as the perfect excuse to buy a cute new coat and/or boots! If you’re having your photos taken during winter, it’s completely appropriate to dress like it’s winter! Some of my favorite outfits from winter photo sessions are those that embrace the winter garb and use accessories to their advantage - like the ones below!

All and all, just remember: if you don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera, chances are, you will look uncomfortable. And if you’re investing in photos… it’s worth it to try to stay comfortable, and in the cold, stay warm!

In need of a little more winter outfit inspiration? I created a Pinterest Board with some of my favorite winter outfits for seniors, couples, and families - click the link below to check it out!

The Pros & Cons of Scheduling A Photo Session During the Winter Months

Have you ever considered having family, senior, or engagement photos taken during the winter months? Here in Western Pennsylvania, where winters can be long and cold, not quite as many people venture out on location for photos in the dead of winter when they can curl up in front of the fire with a cup of coffee instead (I’m totally putting myself in that group of people!!). BUT if a winter photo session has ever peeked your interest as a possibility, I’ve put together a little pros and cons list to share the good and the not so good of scheduling a winter photo session!

Pros:

We’ll get to utilize breathtaking and unique backgrounds. When I’m driving past a mountain of freshly snow covered trees, I often stare in awe. There’s something so beautiful about freshly fallen snow that makes for a clean, gorgeous backdrop, not just when you’re driving to work but when you’re having your photos taken!

You’ll have that “cozy feeling” in your photos. There’s something about having your photos taken in the winter that immediately creates a “cozy” feeling, especially during engagement and couple sessions where you are going to be close and cuddled up anyways!

You’ll have more times to choose from with a higher probability of weekend dates being available! Because there’s less demand for photos in the winter, I usually have more timeslots available, both during weekdays and on weekends. Essentially, scheduling in the winter means you’ll get a fast pass to the front of the scheduling line!

Cons:

The obvious one: it’s COLD! Consider this test: does thinking about being out in the cold for 60 to 90 minutes make you want to never leave your house again? Then a winter photo session might not be the best choice for you. While some people don’t mind being out in the cold for an extended period of time, others would much rather wait until the warmer months (which is completely understandable!).

There’s a higher chance that your session might be cancelled or postponed due to extreme temperatures or inclement weather. Flexibility is key for winter sessions. There’s a chance your session could be snowed out (while snow is beautiful in photos, it’s not worth endangering your life for) or postponed due to freezing temperatures (who even likes to walk to their car in -5 degree weather?!). Being flexible is KEY!

It might not be the most enjoyable hour/hour and a half of your life. This one kind of speaks for itself – hanging out in the park in 15 degree weather isn’t nearly as fun as watching the sun set on a 70 degree day. The truth is, having a photo session the winter means you might be cold to your core!

What do you think? When considering the pros and cons - where do you fall? I write none of this to persuade anyone out of a winter session, but only to educate based on what some clients wish they would’ve known in the past. If you’re still interested in a winter photo session, be sure to check out my blog post “How to Prep for Your Winter Photo Session” for tips on preparing for a cold weather shoot!