What to Wear to Your Winter Photo Session - Bellingham, Wash.
You’re not afraid of the cold and want a photo session outdoors to celebrate and have fun during the winter season.
This is the outfit guide for you.
#1
The first mistake you’ll want to avoid is picking out your clothes the day of.
I so wish I had forethought most of my life on this point - especially at my lowest point in my self-esteem in high school.
As a teenager I would always do a mirror check on my hair and my outfit before I was ready to walk out the door. Then, once it was time to get my shoes and jacket on, it was too late to do another mirror check before catching the bus and I would be stuck with whatever odd combination of accessories I rushed to get on.
So tip number one is to try on your complete outfit, shoes, gloves, scarf and hat to see the complete final look.
If your session is with your partner or it’s a family session you’ll want to take the time to get everyone dressed and look in the mirror together to see how it all comes together.
As you are doing your mirror check with your outfit, take a moment to consider how you would like to see this look featured on your living room or hallway wall. This is so important if you plan on hanging your favorite photos. There is no need to re-design your home to match your photos if you an make sure your photos complement your style at home.
#2
Invest in a nice winter coat.
Given you are planning what to wear for your professional photos, I am recommending that you make sure you love the way you look in your coat. More likely than not given the cold temperatures coats will not being coming off. Especially if you have kids in the mix! I like to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy so shivering just won’t do.
So if you don’t have a coat that makes you feel confident that’s when I’d say it’s time to consider investing in a nice one. Especially here in the northwest it can be typical to have half a dozen jackets for a variety of occasions:
Jean jacket for casual day with a chilly morning
Athletic 3/4 zip jacket with thumb holes for running
Hoodie as a standard wardrobe piece
Waterproof zip-up for a rainy hike on a trail
Water-resistant coat for getting in and out of the car
Fuzzy zip-up for cold days with no rain or snow
Knee-length coat for extreme weather
Ski/Snowboard jacket for the mountain slopes
A few details to check when picking out the coat for your session.
Go with something logo-free if possible
Avoid bulky pockets with large flaps or draw strings
Check if the coat looks nice zipped or buttoned up and left open too. Familiarize yourself with how you look with each option.
Do you like the way you look with the hood on(if it has a hood)? Know ahead of time if you want to wear the hood or not.
Winter tends to be monotone everywhere so if you love color this is an opportunity to choose something bold.
#3
Rolling with the last bullet point above, let’s talk about color.
Wearing neutral colors will provide your photos with a timeless quality. You can never go wrong with white, black or beige. Though - if it snows white may be hard to see on a bright snowy background.
But in consideration you are planning on a winter session, we can most likely count on the outdoor setting to be monotone and neutral. So choosing either a bold solid color for your coat, or pairing your neutral colored coat with brightly colored winter accessories is one way to elevate the personality you want to capture.
For couples and families, try sticking to two different colors at most with a consistent neutral between your party.
This will help make sure there is cohesiveness without being too matchy-matchy.
That’s it!
To prepare for your winter session you’ll want to choose what to wear before your photo day, make sure you look good in your winter coat and are happy with the colors that you choose.
If you need more advice on this please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at hello@evelynmaephoto.com.
