TLDR/quick answer: Indoor winter family photos take the stress out of fall’s hectic schedule, ease weather worries, and give your budget a break after the holidays. January and February are quiet months which allow for a smoother planning process, and your home’s climate control means you can skip fussing over layers. Plus, photos at home capture where your family’s everyday moments happen together.
In autumn, there’s a huge rush for family mini sessions. But in this same season, you’re also transitioning back into school routines, settling into a new rhythm for cold weather, and prepping for the holiday season ahead. Instead of scrambling to fit a family session in the fall, what if you considered booking indoor winter family photos?
I’ve been photographing families for over seven years, and there is something special about a family photoshoot inside the comfort of home that I haven’t seen in any other location (not even the prettiest beaches). I’ll never forget when I finished editing one of the first indoor family photoshoots I ever did and sent it back to the family.
Minutes later, I received a text message from the mom that read, “Are you kidding me? These are GORGEOUS! All the joy and chaos in one frame - this is exactly what I wanted!”
What are the benefits of indoor winter family photos?
There are some huge benefits to scheduling indoor winter family photos. You can take stress off of your plate, not worry about weather, and ease some pressure off of your wallet by choosing to schedule your family photos in the slow months of winter. Let’s take a look at each of these pressure points in more detail.
How will scheduling winter photos bypass the hassle of fall family photos?
Think about all the things that need to be done in September through December. All. The. Things. Now think about how slow January and February are in comparison. Your calendar (and sanity) will thank you for taking this task off of your plate for fall and shifting it to the quiet months instead.
Scheduling a family photoshoot during a quieter season means more time to plan and less stress.
How does choosing an indoor photoshoot during winter escape weather woes?
Okay, I have a confession: I used to think I hated seasons. After years of living in San Diego, Hawai’i, and coastal North Carolina, I learned that I actually love seasons, and every season in Bend is gorgeous.
But it also gets really cold here sometimes and our fall season is actually fairly short (remember how we’re usually freezing by November?). The average temperatures in Bend in November are a low of 28 degrees Fahrenheit and a high is 47 degrees Fahrenheit. That doesn’t leave much room to have pleasant temperatures outdoors in Bend for family photoshoots.
Well, the beauty of your home is that it has climate control! It is cozy with no outerwear needed. That means no fighting over jackets, forgoing outerwear and forcing smiles through the cold, and no grumpy kids because they are uncomfortable.
How does an indoor winter family photoshoot give your finances a break?
The back to school season and holiday shopping can also be hard on the wallet. If you wait to schedule family photos until after the New Year, it could be easier to budget for indoor winter family photos. As an added bonus, once the hustle of holiday gifting is done, it’s easier for families to plan for the professional photo art they want displayed in their homes.
If photo artwork caught your attention, I’m a Bend family photographer who builds each session around what your family already loves to do together. If you are interested in a fully supported photoshoot from planning to printed photo artwork, I’d love to chat with you.
What are some winter family photo ideas?
My philosophy is that every family photoshoot should center around play or activity that a family enjoys, which eases the pressure of feeling like you need to perform for the camera. Winter is typically also a slower season for photographers, so your gallery is likely to get an extra dash of creativity in the making. I love the opportunity to breathe and have a little fun in sessions!
Getting crafty
Winter months are a great time to find activities to enjoy indoors together - like decorating cookies, making paper snowflakes, or painting a large canvas. If you’re open to getting creative, then a little mess could give your photos a lot of life and laughter.
Winter play & cozy cuddles
We’ve been talking about inside your home for the photoshoot - but a little fun outside first is also an option. Central Oregon sometimes sees a lot of snow in the winter. So if you’ve got snow on the ground on the day of your photos, having some fun in the snow first before heading indoors to enjoy cozy cuddles could lend a nostalgic feeling to your photos.
Twinkle lights
Many families take down holiday decorations by the end of the first week of January. But what if instead of putting every decoration away, your family transitioned to winter sparkle instead?
Here in Central Oregon, our winter days are short and we often have some really cold nights. Nothing adds a bit of sparkle to these days quite like some twinkle lights. Imagine taking indoor family photos with the beautiful bokeh of twinkling lights in the background of your photos.
If ‘bokeh’ is a new word to you, it’s the soft glowing spots of light in a photograph that can be large, small, or a mixture of both like in the example photo below.
What indoor winter family photo outfits can you wear?
Remember when we talked about the benefit of climate control in your home? Well, that applies to styling your family’s outfits. Even in January or February, you can choose to wear whatever your family will feel comfortable in without worry.
With a thermostat, you can choose to kick up the heat and feel comfy in light cotton shirts or cute little dresses. You can also let your house cool down a bit, throw on cozy knits and let a roaring fire set the mood for your family’s time together.
Why photograph your family at home?
Your home tells your family’s story. Outdoor locations like fields, gardens, or the beach may hold special meaning for your family (and I’m not knocking them as pretty settings). But your home holds the core of your family and it is where you make your day-to-day memories.
Preparing for an in-home family photoshoot is easier than you might think. When I photograph a family at home, I’m not focusing on their décor or how tidy a home might be; rather, my camera is focused on the connection between loved ones.
Being in a familiar space often makes it easier for children to let their personalities shine through, and makes it possible to capture all the little details of life that you’ll want to remember years from now as a parent. If this sounds good to you, then I’d love to learn more about your family.
FAQs about indoor winter family photos:
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Fall is packed with school routines, cold-weather prep, and holiday planning, while January and February are quiet months. Scheduling indoor winter family photos takes stress off your plate and eases pressure on your budget.
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Your home has climate control, so everyone stays cozy with no outerwear needed. That means no fighting over jackets, no forced smiles through the cold, and no grumpy, uncomfortable kids.
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Try activities you can enjoy together indoors, like playful games, decorating cookies, making paper snowflakes, or painting a large canvas. You can also leave up twinkle lights for a winter sparkle, or play in the snow first if there’s snow on the ground.
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Wear whatever your family feels comfortable in. You can turn up the heat for light cotton shirts and dresses, or let the house cool down and wear cozy knits by the fire.
Hi, I’m Elise.
I’m a Bend, Oregon photographer who specializes in activity-based photography for families in Bend & surrounding Central Oregon. I look for the scenes that are more than just a nice picture - they are the memories that you will treasure forever.