As hot as its been here is the south, I am almost wishing for some cold weather!  This photo shoot takes me there!

This lovely snow-filled session was submitted by Amanda Nelson of Amanda Nelson Photography and Design in Utah.  Amanda says that the typical snow storms have been few this year so she wanted to utilize the snow while she could.  All the clothing has special meaning to this senior and Amanda did a great job showcasing that with these photos.  The white dress is this senior’s graduation dress and all the hats belong to her father!  How special!!

Check out this session below and be sure to check out Amanda’s work on her site here.  Thanks Amanda!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?

I have been wanting to do snow pictures all winter long, but we have had a serious shortage of snow storms.  I was thrilled when Rachel emailed me and it happened to time perfectly with the storm.  I picked the venue, Rachel came with gorgeous makeup and hair and a car full of dresses, sweaters, boots, belts and amazing hats.

Where did this photo shoot take place?

This was at a park in Sandy, Utah.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?

We passed a few pictures back and forth for inspiration (we both love the Olsen twins style), but ultimately Rachel has amazing fashion sense all on her own.  And I’ve been wanting to shoot at this park for a while, so the timing was just a happy accident.

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot?

I shoot with a Nikon D700.  I used my 70-200mm 2.8 because a adore the compression when zoomed in at 200mm.  I was also shooting a Mamyia 645 ProTL with an 110mm 2.8 lens and 220 Portra 400 film, but I have not gotten the scans back from the lab yet.

What time of day were these taken?

I always start my shoots 2 hours before sunset and shoot until we run out of light.

Can you share any special tips for taking photos in the snow?

I spot metered for the skin with the D700.  Also, be super careful about where you enter the frame in the snow to avoid too many footprints in the front of the frame.  I like to know where I’m going to shoot and then have her enter the frame from the back so the front is as crisp and new as possible.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?

I am a minimalist when it comes to post-processing.  I try to get it just right in camera.  I shoot RAW in daylight balance.  Always.  It yields the fastest workflow for me.  I ended up warming up the images by a touch and then running the VSCO Portra 400 (minus the grain) preset in Camera Raw.  Used unsharp mask for sharpen.

What is your favorite thing about this session?

I’m in love with Rachel’s makeup and hair.  I love the blue tones and crisp simplicity of the session.  Just a girl in the snow in amazing clothes and her daddy’s hats.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?

When photographing seniors, I’m after their personality.   I try to just zero in on them.  Their emotions, their personality, their fashion sense.  My photographic style is very simple, very natural.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?

I like to get them talking.  Talk about what they did last weekend, how they feel about a recent accomplishment, how excited they are about the college they just applied to.  I find that a whole range of emotions comes out when I get them talking about their Senior year experience.  That is what I’m after when I shoot a senior.