South Park—Pittsburgh Winter Portrait Session

Last week, I found unexpected joy in photographing Gabi and David at South Park. They’ve been married for a few years and wanted some updated photos, but I was surprised when they were looking to schedule an outdoor session in December. They love the outdoors and a studio session was not what they were looking for, so we scheduled and hoped for no rain.

I was worried about them being cold and miserable spending an hour outside in 40 degree weather (I tend to hibernate like a bear during the winter), but they didn’t seem to mind the cold and actually had fun with it! Maybe I should shake up my habits and get outside more during the winter?!

I had so much fun photographing this session and realized how silly I was to suggest waiting until spring. I was thinking that everything is cold and grey during the winter and that they probably wouldn’t like it if their noses and cheeks were rosy in the photos. But can anyone deny their charm in these photos?

The first three images in this post are in color, and I’m so pleased that the scenery at South Park offered lots of beauty and Gabi did a great job coordinating their wardrobe to compliment the winter hues. But some of my favorites form this session are black and whites.

These two started out a little shy—it takes a while to get fully comfortable with a camera pointed at you. But as they warmed up, the flirtation was so much fun to capture!

I will never tire of this set-up: updside down on the ground. Everyone looks stunning in it and the light is just right on an overcast day.

Gabi and David, thank you so much for the opportunity to document this chapter in your journey. And for opening my eyes to the joy of photographing portraits outdoors in the cold! Blessings to you!