Let me tell you about the winter engagement session that had me questioning my life choices and falling in love with snow all at the same time. Did I begin to question if doing snowy sessions while having Raynaud's syndrome is worth it? Absolutely. Did my fingers nearly fall off from the cold? One hundred percent. But I can conclude without a speck of doubt that it was worth every frozen moment.
January 2025. Rothrock State Forest. The forecast in town? Straight-up rain and disappointment. But sometimes the photography gods throw you a bone, and as we drove higher into elevation, that rain transformed into the most perfect, pristine snow covering the forest. Mikayla & Jake showed up ready to absolutely crush this session, outfits on point including coordinating Carhartt vests that I was obsessing over.
We wandered through the pines, finding perfect pockets of light and texture. The contrast between the dark evergreens and the bright snow was absolutely chef's kiss. The session hit a whole new level when Mikayla asked if they could take some funny personality pictures. The genuine belly laughs and playful energy between these two was pure photography gold. Of course, we couldn't skip the ring shots. That gorgeous sparkle against the snow? STOP IT. Finding the perfect pine branch to balance it on while my fingers screamed in protest was a special kind of challenge, but the results had me forgetting all about my impending frostbite.
As the afternoon light started to shift and my camera batteries began threatening to die from the cold, we captured those final magical shots with the sun peeking through the trees. The golden light hitting the snow-covered forest floor created this dreamy, almost mystical atmosphere that I swear looked like we'd stumbled onto a movie set.
Sometimes the most magical sessions happen when you're the most uncomfortable. Mikayla and Jake's winter wonderland engagement session reminded me exactly why I do this job – even when it means I can't feel my extremities for hours afterward.
The cold is temporary, but these images? Timeless.