On Top of Old Flattop
all covered in snow.
Late January, I had the pleasure to photograph some dear friends of mine, Zack and Amelia, for an engagement session. Their wedding will be in July, and I think all three of us during the photo session were wishing for that July-type weather.
Cold, windy, and snowy. Flattop is an excellent place to go during the winter to ski, snowshoe, ride your fatbike, and sled. Exposed mountain views and a sweeping valley offer breathtaking views—but a 1.5 hour photo session with fancy clothes...that takes serious dedication. The temperature was a modest 15°F, but the wind was blowing steady at 10kts with gusts around 15kts making it feel more like 0°F or -5°F.
It had snowed the previous night so it was questionable if we could even make our way up to the parking lot. Earlier that week, my vehicle got stuck a couple of times due to the unbelievable amount of snow we are having in Anchorage this year. Snaking our way up to the parking lot, however, we soon realized that we were not the only crazy ones taking advantage of some clear weather—but Zack and Amelia take the prize for being the most "Alaskan."
Once parked, I donned all my winter snow-gear and realized no off-camera lighting was going to work that day because of the wind. All the other camera gear was ready to rock. Zack and Amelia exited their car, and they looked fabulous. No winter gear for them. For a moment, I felt bad because here I was with hat, snow pants, winter jacket, gloves, and boots rated for -40°F. However, pretty soon I was going to be crawling all around the snow holding a metal camera that gets just as cold as the weather.
There is no better way to put this. Zack and Amelia are already a great looking couple. Yet despite the wind and cold, it did not phase them one bit. They looked like models, and their choice in wardrobe was an excellent contrasting choice to the stark mountains and valley of the Chugach range.
A polarizer filter was absolutely necessary for this shoot to accentuate the natural colors of Zack and Amelia's faces as well as any blue sky that decided to peek out during the shoot. They were so natural in front of the camera. Their laughs were genuine, their moments of solitude staring into each other's eyes seemed to have calmed even the wind at times.
I knew that we didn't have a whole lot of time to get all the shots I wanted, simply because the sun was starting to go down, but more importantly, Amelia was definitely getting cold. We would do a few poses, huddle under whatever spare clothing/blankets we had, and do a few more poses. At one point, when Zack was getting their pups, she had on her beautiful red jacket and two blankets—one of which was my daughter's baby blanket that I found in the car!
Despite the wind, cold, and no off-camera lighting to create some separation from the background, I think this session turned out terrifically. It is pretty hard to screw up a shoot when you have such a beautiful couple in Zack and Amelia. Their warmth radiates even into these images, and their pure love for each other shows.
Congratulations, you two! I cannot wait for July and to share that moment with you, your family, and friends. To view the whole gallery (web-formatted images) click the button below.