Winter Engagement in Haliburton, Ontario

We’re really glad we have four seasons here in Canada. The changes in climate and color give us some new perspectives that help us come up with different themes for engagement sessions. Of course, we’re always in favor of choosing themes that allow us to capture compelling stories that are meaningful to our clients. And even if we have to endure hot summer days and freezing winter chills, we would go out of our way to make our couples happy if just to capture that perfect shot we know they would love. One such example is of a beautiful image of two well-dressed lovers on a frozen lake – this was one of our favorite shots of Jason and Stephanie.
A two and a half hour drive from Toronto is the town of Minden, the county seat of the Haliburton area. Near the town is where Jason and Stephanie’s cottage is located. That cosy house up North is where they spend their weekends together. This is also the place where they wanted to hold their engagement photo shoot during the middle of winter.

We were fortunate enough to have the weather cooperate with us which made the drive fairly manageable and getting us there on time. The cottage was beautiful wooden house similar to some of those you’d find in ski resorts. It had a lot of character, a lovely interior design, and really nice details. Whether we took shots indoors or outdoors, the cottage gave an attractive ambience that added a certain appeal to the photos.
The lake was just right in front of the house. At this time of the year, snow was abundant and the ice that covered the water was as solid as rock. However, walking across it didn’t cross our minds. Jason and Stephanie were in their formal attires. They absolutely wanted the shot. The mountain and snow provided a great background for the photo. All they had to do was stand in the middle of the lake and the rest was all up to us. We really think the idea was really a great one. And while it definitely wasn’t a warm choice, it sure was brave and original.

While snow can be a beautiful element in a photo shoot, it can be quite difficult to focus on what you are doing while standing out in the cold. Striking a pose or smiling is truly challenging in such occasions. We still get our couples to have fun at this time when they continue moving about and engage in activities they normally would like riding a sled or getting into a snowball fight. Wearing warm clothes also helps to get through the cold.

Two coffee cups later and the couple dressed in warmer outfits, we were all set for round two outside. We took advantage of the beautiful scenery as they simply fooled around, played in the snow, and even made snow hearts. They even had a great time with their dog who was also dressed up for the winter and happily posing for the camera.

Engagement sessions aren’t just about creating photographs for our clients. It’s also a special venue to spend quality time and get to know them better. Right after our shoot with Jason and Stephanie, we stayed over to watch the Olympic Games and shared some stories with each other. We’re really looking forward to October when we will see them again at their wedding. And while it’s still a few months before that, we know we wouldn’t mind spending time with them at their beautiful cottage up North anytime.