I have always loved the look of backlit photos. Add snow, and it levels up the magic! This wedding ceremony was outdoors, but the reception was indoors. There was a predicted snowstorm coming that evening, but I don’t think anyone grasped how huge it would really be. As the night progressed, the snowflakes got bigger and started accumulating quickly. There was easily over a foot of snow on my car by the time I left the wedding, and the plow trucks were having a hard time keeping up with the heavy snowfall.

The sound of standing in the middle of a snowstorm is so quiet and everything around you seems to be muted. It feels intimate as it naturally mutes the noises around you and allows you to focus in on the one(s) you are with. When I saw how dense the snow was, I had to set up a flash and try some backlit photos, hoping to pull in the bride and groom as soon as it was dialed in. I took photos of guests who volunteered to jump in first, and then pulled the bride and groom out to get this shot.

This couple was pretty adventurous and I knew they would be up to standing in the snow for a quick shot, but I felt like maybe I should let them stay warm inside. After a few practice shots with guests, I asked them if they would be up to taking a few shots in the snow and showed them some of the shots I had just taken to show them it would be worth it! They were definitely up for it and came out into the snow without blinking an eye. We took several photos of them dancing in the snow, and playing a bit, but something about this shot stood out as my favorite of them all.

For this shot, I only backlit the photo and pulled up the light in front in post. It was pretty underexposed for what I usually shoot. If I attempted this shot again, I would probably play around with a flash in front as well as the back, but I love the soft front light that I ended up with in this photo so I’m not sure if I would change anything.