This was a very special session for Rob and me! Tyler and Alyssa are good friends of ours, and we were SO happy to have a chance to do a winter portrait session with them.
We’ve talked on and off with Tyler and Alyssa about doing some winter photos for over a year. But as we all know too well, life gets busy and things come up – family coming to town, planning vacations out of town, etc. In November Tyler and Alyssa adopted the sweetest Golden Retriever puppy into their family, and we decided it was finally the perfect time to get some new family pictures for them!
Winter 2022-23 has been SUCH an odd year, though. We had lots of snow in November and early December, but then everything warmed up and was just blah – overcast, gray, and that damp cold that seeps into every pore and sends you burrowing into a nest of blankets. We ended up rescheduling their date TWICE in hopes of better conditions.
Thankfully, we ended up with the perfect mid-January Friday with enough snow on the ground and trees for the winter wonderland background Alyssa was hoping for. While they aren’t born-and-raised Yoopers, they love our snowy Keweenaw winters and wanted to capture that in their anniversary pictures this year. While there wasn’t any sun in the forecast, the sun ended up making an appearance that afternoon – conveniently right during Alyssa and Tyler’s session! We absolutely love sunny winter sessions. ☃️ The sun bounces off of the snow and makes everything SO glowy. Where can I place an order for more sunshine, please? 🌞
Anniversary Winter Portrait Session in Houghton, MI
It was such a fun change to photograph a couple we already know well. While there was still some warmup time in front of the camera like there is for everyone, it felt even more natural as we chatted, and Alyssa and Tyler both quickly relaxed.
Tyler and Alyssa are exactly the type of couple we love hanging out with. They’re relaxed and comfortable together, and not afraid to be a little silly if it means getting the shot. 🙂 We had a fun afternoon of piggyback rides, sneak attack kisses, and playing in the snow.
Afterward, Alyssa commented, “The whole experience was personalized to help us look and feel our best… to the point that it made you forget that you were in front of a camera, rather than just hanging out and having fun!” Yay!! 🎉 Mission accomplished!
Dog Portraits At The Overlook
After Tyler and Alyssa’s portraits, we headed over to pick up their two pups, Captain and Lumi (Finnish for snow) and drove up to the overlook on Quincy Hill. Having photos with the dogs as the last part of their session was the perfect way to schedule it.
First, Alyssa and Tyler were both more relaxed after having a little time in front of the camera, and this is something dogs will sense. Second, they didn’t have to worry about their hair getting messed up or clothes getting dirty for the rest of their session since they only planned for one outfit. This ended up being a really good thing too because in that short time driving the sun disappeared and the wind picked up!
We didn’t take as many pictures at the overlook because of the weather change, but I’m so glad we were able to include Lumi and Captain in their portraits. Lumi is already almost the size of Captain, a miniature Australian shepherd! I loved how Alyssa perfectly coordinated Lumi and Captain’s kerchiefs. So adorable!
In closing –
Tyler, Alyssa, Captain, and Lumi – thank you for spending your Friday afternoon with us. It’s been too long since we spent time together.
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