Tips on Winter Engagement Photos in Toronto

 
canadian winter wedding engagement 1.jpg

Winter engagement photos in Toronto is one of its kind. The thick air and snowy weather give winter photos a different vide than the other seasons, a rather unique one. On many winter days, the sky is grey and the ground is white. This creates a natural filter and light reflector for portraits that enhances the tone of the images and skin colour.   

Winter engagement photos can be done easy if we follow these three tips:

  1. Always dress warmer than you think you should - when you're freezing, no good picture can be done. If the weather forecast says it's minus ten Celsius degree, dress if it's minus twenty. It can feel very cold as the session goes on. Especially on a sunny day, don't let the sun fools you.
  2. Wear layers - wearing proper layers helps you to stay warm without the need for a bulky down jacket. Think thermal/ wind proof layers and scarves and gloves and water proof shoes. You also have the flexibility to take off the outer layers for pictures.
  3. Be adventurous - winter is the quietest time for outdoor pictures in Toronto. This allows us to take pictures in locations that are normally too busy for engagement sessions or places that are non existent in other seasons if we dare to take advantage of this time of the year (on a frozen lake for example). Toronto can look quite different in the winter if we pay close attention and winter engagement photos can be very rewarding. If it snows, it's perfectly fine for pictures!
  4. Trust your photographer - be patient with and confident in yourself and your photographer will help to make the photo making process easy and fun.

 

    Toronto Winter Engagement Session

    Winter Engagement Photos | Michelle + Omar

    Michelle and Omar were brave enough to have this intimate winter engagement photo session in minus twenty degree celsius weather on a typical Toronto winter day. With their pre wedding photo session coming up in March at Graydon Hall, we picked Scarborough Bluffs for a different vibe and some outdoor scenic engagement pictures. After these two intimate photo sessions in the winter, the formal wedding was scheduled on a summer day in a few months. These two were not wasting time since they were engaged in 2016 year end and I loved that. The fast wedding planning pace was telling me that they can't wait to be married to each other. The bond between Michelle and Omar was so strong. Despite the fact that they were slightly camera-shy and needed some time to warm up for this late afternoon winter photo session, their love for each other was evident in their engagement pictures as well as during when the photos were taken. It's through the slightest smile and the lightest touch I documented Michelle and Omar's dear relationship. The Toronto winter and its unique winter air gave this engagement a sheer of softness and extra touch of romance. As the sun was setting over Scarborough bluffs and lake Ontario, the session came to an end yet I felt like it's just the beginning of something greater.

    Engagement Photo Ideas - Winter Engagement

     
    I'm writing a series on alternative engagement photo ideas.
    Engagement sessions are something that many brides-to-be and grooms-to-be often struggle with. It's a love-hate relationships to some. They love to have some photos done but they feel awkward by the whole idea. 

    Click to see a more recent Winter Engagement at the Bluffs and here to see a Engagement Session in the Snow.

    Winter is the quietest time in Toronto for good reasons. The weather is unpredictable and when it's cold it can get really cold. My fingers often freeze when I shoot a winter engagement. But for the same reason, this can be the best timing for couples who want to avoid the crowd when their engagement pictures are being taken. Also for brides and grooms who plan their weddings not far ahead, the timing for an e-session can be limited and a winter session might be just inevitable.

    For those who want to stay warm, an indoor session is ideal. When it comes to indoor engagement session, location scouting is the key. I generally prefer spacial interiors, abundance of natural lighting and interesting elements to play with for creative portraits and documentary style images.

    Another benefit of a well-planned indoor winter engagement photo session is that we can always head out for a little bit of winter vibe. That way, we can have our beautiful Toronto winter captured but can still dress lightly in the cold weather and not freeze ourselves to death.

    Another obvious and more adventurous option for winter engagements is to pick a outdoor location and commit to bearing with the cold. It can be well worth it especially if we time the snow correctly. Outdoor winter portraits are gorgeous. Faces are elegantly lit by the light reflected from the snow. Snow engagements are also unique as not that many cities are blesses with the charming snow weather like Toronto. Finding a location that can showcase the snow is the key when it comes to a snow session. Brides-to-be can also wear their beloved winter coats and boots for the shoot. I suggest preparing a plan b when it comes to winter engagement shoots so no one get disappointed by the weather.

     

    Click to see more alternative engagement photo ideas:


    Intimate Home Engagement

     

    Winter Engagement Photos | Jessica + Kelvin | Mill Pond Park

     
    "You can't stop loving or wanting to love because when it's right it's the best thing in the world. When you're in a relationship and it's good, even if nothing else in your life is right, you feel like your whole world is complete." - Keith Sweat 

    Jessica and Kelvin contacted me right away after seeing the photos from the e-session I photographed for Leayen and Anthony. Jessica and Kelvin rewarded me the opportunity to document their wedding story the first time we briefly met. Jessica and Kelvin have some fun travel photos on Facebook and some of those places they've been to get me excited and some make me jealous.

    In my mind, we are deemed to have fun together working on their engagement and wedding photos.

    We waited and waited for some beautiful snow and finally met on this perfect winter day to shoot their engagement photos in Mill Pond Park. The couple wanted some nature engagement photos. To add to the fun, we also had an outdoor skating rink and a small winter festival happening.

    It's a -10°c photo day with a lot of snow, laughters, kisses and lovely moments. Stay warm and enjoy the photos!

     
     

    Wait, there's more.

    We wouldn't let this day ended without an additional touch of fun. Here's the episode.

    -THE END-

    xoxo