Taking portraits in the snow is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the blanket of snow acts as a natural reflector, making it easier to find pretty, natural light. But, on the other hand, the snow means trying to work quickly before the clients get too cold and using numb fingers on the camera buttons. In honor of the holiday season, this week we feature stunning portraits captured in the snow and ice. Fuel your holiday inspiration with these images by Jordan Elder, Halie West, Gail Secker, and Wan Jing.

Jordan Elder, Ponderosa Portraits

The large, fat snowflakes that started falling during this Ouray elopement were unexpected, but to photographer Jordan Elder of Ponderosa Portraits, the snow felt like magic. After spotting a thick wall of steam rising from a natural hot spot on the river, Elder was inspired to mix the snow, fog and moody color of the canyon in this otherworldly photograph. She captured the shot with the Canon R6 and a Canon RF 35mm f1.8 lens.

“The most challenging part about capturing this photo in the snow was making sure everyone was safe and felt comfortable navigating the slippery ground,” she says. “I also had to make sure that they were okay with getting their clothes and hair wet, since it was their elopement day. I just made sure to communicate as much as I possibly could and try to sense if either of them were uncomfortable at any point. They were all smiles and overjoyed with the snow the whole day, so I didn’t have to worry too much about pushing their boundaries. My clients are usually adventurous and hire me because of my comfortability in navigating these difficult outdoor situations, but communication is key!”

Halie West, Halie West Photography

For photographer Halie West of Halie West Photography, this shot was inspired by the quiet stillness of this unexplored glacier scene. After landing via helicopter, both the photographer and couple were awed by the black rock, glaciers, and waterfalls in the scene. West captured the shot with the Canon 5D Mark III and a Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 II lens.

“Photographing on glaciers offers its own fun and unique challenges,” she says. “On this day, it was darker than normal, cloudy, and pouring rain, so along with needing to really watch my exposure for super underexposed images, we also had to tread carefully in our mircrospikes while on the ice! On other days, the weather changes drastically from full sun to clouds. You typically have to keep an eye on the sky and your exposure to ensure that the glacier isn’t acting as a giant reflector and overexposing your photos.”

Gail Secker, Gail Secker Photography

Gail Secker of Gail Secker Photography says that the challenge of taking portraits in the snow isn’t just the cold and damp weather. The overcast skies required for snowfall tends to create gray flat light that needs to be warmed up in post, she says. For this shot, she focused on getting in close and capturing the emotion as the flakes fell. She captured the shot with the Canon 5D Mark IV and the Canon 85mm f1.2L prime lens.

“As soon as the light sprinkling of snow appeared we rushed outside like giddy children,” she says. “There is always something so magical about snow.” 

Wan Jing, Knotties Frame

As photographer Wan Jing of Knotties Frame began working towards the next location, she got a bit ahead of her couple. When she turned around, she knew she had to get another shot of how the snowy landscape framed the couple. She captured the image with the Sony a7R III and the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM lens.

“We were fortunate to have a sunny day with clear blue sky,” she says. “However, the intense snow glare did pose a real challenge. I had to put on my sunglasses and switch the camera screen brightness to the maximum. We would occasionally navigate through ankle-deep snow which presented obstacles for certain shots and the chilly temperatures added another layer of difficultly. Yet, credit to the adventurous couple who fearlessly embraced the conditions, turning the shoot into an extraordinary experience!”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching wedding photos and portraits. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery to: [email protected].

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