Why winter family photos in Switzerland are magical
by Zürich Lifestyle Family Photographer Kati

Three compelling reasons to have a winter photo session with your family
It’s that time of year again when we all go into hibernation, love to be cuddled up indoors, and indulge in hot chocolate and other yummy goodies.
But it’s also the season of skiing, snowman building, and tobogganing! Most people love the snow. Especially the kids! There is so much fun to be had in the snow.
So why not have some seasonal portraits with your family during the winter?!
Wouldn’t it be amazing to see your family having fun in the white wonder, throwing snowballs at each other, building the most beautiful snowman ever, sledging down the hill and cuddling to keep each other warm?
What fun that would be!
For me, there are so many reasons to have a family photo session in the winter. So here are my three most persuasive.
1. Everyone loves snow and you’ll have the most fun time playing around
Just think about having the most fun time with your family!
No need to prepare a game or to think about what toy to bring – you can simply have fun rolling in the snow making snow angels, creating a snowman or a whole snow family, or even having a snowball fight.
What kid wouldn’t be up for throwing snow at mum and dad during the session?


2. Winter has the best lighting conditions
This may be surprising to you, but winter actually has the best light. It’s just magical!
Because the sun doesn’t get as high as in other seasons, it is possible to photograph almost all day long. Also, as the sun is so low we have plenty of opportunity to get creative with sun-flare and rim light. Oh how I love those!
And not to forget, because the sun rises rather late and sets so early, it’s much easier to photograph at those times, especially if you have little ones.


3. We live in one of the most beautiful snowy countries 🇨🇭
The third and most obvious reason for having a winter wonderland photo shoot is that we live in Switzerland after all. So how can you live and love here without having ever taken snowy photos?
Also, you might be one of those lucky people to have a place in the mountains. Such a good reason to do family photos in the snow. We could start outside in the snow and then go indoors to take some beautiful pictures at the fireplace, with a hot chocolate or mulled wine in hand.


What to wear for your winter family pictures
Wear plenty of layers – onion style
I recommend thermal underwear for everyone, nice and warm jumpers, fleece layers and waterproof coats on top.
If you love skiing, wear your skiing gear, that’s perfect! If you’d love to wear a skirt, wear fleece-lined leggings on top of your thermal bottoms (I often wear two fleece-lined leggings in the winter, so much warmer than just jeans).
Pretty accessories: a hat, a nice warm scarf, and mittens are great to keep you and the kids warm.
If you want to wear leather boots because you’d like the look better, that is totally fine. Just bring your thermal boots with you, or wear them to get to your location. You can always change them a little later.
Please also make the effort of bringing a bag or a rucksack with plenty of clothes for the kids to change into. In case they get wet during our session, it’s always good to have something dry to change into on your way home, or on the way down from the mountains.
If you get too hot during the session, you can always take something off. It is, however, always best to start off warm. Because once you’re cold, even putting something on won’t necessarily warm you up.
Always remember: warm kids = happy kids.


Now, I understand that snow is not for everyone and that you may worry about your children getting cold. Winter photos are certainly not for you if you don’t like rosy cheeks, hats, mittens and scarves.
But if you love the snow, please don’t fret, a winter session with your family is usually shorter and I will also give you plenty of advice on how to dress your children. So here are a few pointers:
Winter photoshoots are shorter, so you won’t get cold
I keep winter photo sessions to a maximum of one hour. This will make sure that you are not getting too cold.
Even if you are skeptical about your kids not playing ball, you’ll be surprised. Almost every single kid loves playing in the snow! We’ll be moving, playing, cuddling, walking and before you know it, you’ll all want to take your coats off.
Winter photo session outfits
You may wonder what style would work for your winter pictures.
Winter doesn’t just feel cold, winter colours are rather cold too. But you can totally stand out from the picture by wearing colours!
You can warm up your pictures by wearing warmer tones. For example, rusty colours, browns, yellows, navy, olive, beige, blue, and ivory work well.
The same applies for the outfit for your baby. The most important thing though is that they are warm. So if you only have a blue jacket for your little boy, that’s totally fine.
We want to capture your connection and love for one another, that’s the most important thing!

As you can see, there are so many reasons to celebrate winter with wonderful family photos. Don’t be afraid of the cold, with the right clothes and mindset, you’re guaranteed an unforgettable experience.
Think cuddles and snuggles! Be ready to receive and give love and warmth like never before.
If you need some advice on how to prepare the kids for your family photoshoot, please check out this article.
So if you are looking for something fun to do in January, February or March, get in touch today!
It’s time to get excited, let’s plan your session!
Do you have questions? You can book a free consultation call with me HERE.
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