Tips on Winter Engagement Photos in Toronto

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.   

Outdoor winter engagement samples:

• Winter Engagement on a Sunny Day
• Winter Engagement in the Snow

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.

---

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.

Scarborough Bluffs Engagement | Amy + Fadi

Scarborough Bluffs was a popular location for engagement and wedding photos in east GTA. Despite its popularity and my general preference for unique, alternative locations, I quite enjoy shooting in the bluffs. On Amy and Fadi's wish list for their engagement photos, there're a beach, open view water front, nature and some green. The bluffs had it all. What I like the most was the rocky surface on its cliff that's not so easily found at a different location in the GTA. This engagement photo location went well with Amy and Fadi's quirkiness and edgy personalities. As we were watching the sunset on the beach, I told Amy and Fadi to do a slow dance, to talk into each other's ear, and to enjoy the moments. Romance is simple. Romance is the in-between moments. I look forward to Amy and Fadi's winter wedding.

xoxo,
Ally