March 10, 2021
I recently photographed Brianna and Chris’s winter engagement photos at Snoqualmie Pass and it was so so much fun!
If you’re anything like me, you’re a summer gal at heart, but you do love the dreaminess of winter for a little change in scenery. Since I travel so often to places like California and Texas, I do a lot of photoshoots in sunny, warm weather. But I do visit the PNW (Oregon and Washington friends, where you at?) nearly just as much – so I can’t escape the snow forever. I love getting to go between seasons and experience different weather every few weeks – my wardrobe is constantly changing but hey, I never get bored.
For Brianna and Chris’s engagement session, we decided to shoot at Snoqualmie Pass in Washington. And man did we get the classic Snoqualmie weather with cold cold air and a ton of snowfall! These two loved it and had a total blast playing around in the snow, despite being just a little bit cold. They ate snowflakes, snuggled up with each other to stay warm, and threw a bunch of snow in the air for some super cute photos.
Tips for Shooting at Snoqualmie Pass
I’m going to give you a few tips for shooting at Snoqualmie Pass, because there are some things you need to know if you’re considering it as a location for any type of photos!
Be prepared for bad weather.
Snoqualmie Pass is not the best place to be driving in the wintertime as all of you fellow PNW folks know.
Before driving across the pass to get anywhere, you need to make sure you check the weather forecast. The best place to do this is on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s website, which has webcams and up-to-date weather conditions and road restrictions.
Make sure you bring tire chains with you no matter what, even if it looks like you won’t need them. You need to be prepared in case the weather changes quickly!
If possible, find a day that looks to have a little sun or clouds with no rain/snow. Or at the very least, try to drive on the pass on a day that the temperature is above freezing.
Bring appropriate clothing.
If you’re doing a photoshoot (like your engagement photos, an adventure session, etc.) near Snoqualmie Pass in the wintertime, don’t underestimate how cold it will be!
Ways to stay warm during your photoshoot:
- Wear as many layers of pants as possible – leggings, jeans, more leggings, winter pants, etc. – stores like Eddie Bauer, REI, and Patagonia have great options.
- Bring gloves
- Put on hats or earmuffs
- Bring hand warmers & feet warmers – get some on Amazon before your shoot
- Stay moving – never stay in one position for too long. Snuggle up and move around!
- Take breaks – shoot somewhere near where you park your cars so that you can take breaks and heat up in your cars.
Book me for your PNW engagement photos and I’ll help you come as prepared as possible 😉
