Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a winter family photo session in the snow? 

Amazing. I promise. (Granted you and yours must okay with being out in the snow for about 30 minutes to an hour.)

Even though I live in Portland, where it rarely snows, I’ve had the great pleasure of doing a few snow family photo sessions over the past few years. Recently, I had the opportunity to do a winter family photo session on Mt. Hood to commemorate his six-month milestone. 

It was SO much fun taking photos on a mountaintop,  even if it was a little chilly!

When Brandi and I were chatting about possibilities for her baby’s six-month milestone session and realized it would be around December she asked me if I’d be interested in doing a snowy photo session. I immediately answered, “YES – absolutely!” 

And then I started dreaming about all of the possibilities. 

I reached out to some fellow photographers who photograph couples on mountaintops for tips on locations for snowy photos. Specifically, locations that would also be easily accessible for a family with a small child. 

They passed on some great ideas and the easiest location by far was going up to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. We even found an ideal spot that was really close to the parking lot so they didn’t have to walk far up the mountaintop for their winter family photos with their baby.

By the time I met up with this gorgeous family, the weather was perfect. We had a snowy blanket covering the mountain and the sky was a soft grey as the snow gently floated down. They had a happy baby thanks to a nap in the car on the way there, and a quick milk fix before we got out to make some magic happen. 

And it was magic — it was his first time seeing snow! While he did really well in the elements, my goal was to get what we needed as quickly as possible so he wouldn’t be out there too long. For any outdoor photo session, being dressed for the weather is important, especially on a snowy mountaintop!

Brandi asked me in advance for ideas on what the family should wear and I passed on some ideas, with strong advice to keep things neutral. In part because I love how neutral colors photograph in nature. They also complement every kind of skin tone and allow the focus of the image to be on people’s faces, which is the most important part – right? 

She did great — picking outfits for their winter family photos. When she texted me photos of their outfits beforehand I was jumping up and down with joy. I love how the textures of their sweaters contrasts with the snowy background and how their outfits tie together. These images came out even better than my dreams! 

It felt extra special that this adventure-loving family now has some beautiful images to remember his six month milestone. As well as their son’s first snowy mountaintop experience. I hope you enjoy looking through these images as much as I enjoyed taking them. These are my favorite six month milestone images to date! 

P.S. We also did some six month milestone photos in my home studio before we headed up to the mountain. Check it out here – his sweet baby rolls are just PRICELESS. 

Want to see more of this sweet family? Check out the first adventure I went on with Mom and Dad for their sunrise maternity session at Rooster Rock State Park.