Tips for Taking Photos in the Cold: NCP x Tobi

Photos by Ryan Kell.  This is a partner post.  All opinions are my own. 

Dress- Tobi     Shoes- Target     Jacket- similar    clutch- similar

One of my favorite online retailers Tobi recently reached out to me to do a collaboration, and of course I was super excited.  They sent me three killer dresses to style, and my mind started racing how I wanted to put these into a post.  Since I like to be a little bit extra, I decided to plan a different fun post for each look.  

So, as you guys should know by now, I live in Buffalo.  Buffalo has a reputation for being, how do I put this in a nice way, EFFING FREEZING.  Now, don't get me wrong, our summers are amazing and warm, but from November - April I pretty much just want to go into hibernation.  This past weekend I asked my good friend Ryan to take my photos for this collab, and of course, in Lindsay/Ryan fashion, we planned it on the coldest day thus far...I don't think the temp reached above 23F.  And it was windy.  And it snowed in the morning. 

I've gotten a lot of questions recently about how the heck I take photos when it's freezing cold outside, so I figured that I would share some helpful tips while showing off this killer dress from Tobi! 

Tip #1:  Fully prepare your outfit from head to toe, taking the weather into consideration

One of the cool things (pun intended) about having colder seasons is that we get to rework our wardrobes to make them wearable in the changing temperatures.  This gorgeous floral slip dress definitely will get a lot of use in the summer with a killer pair of heels, but I had to think about how to make it work for the fall.  I've had this tan faux leather jacket for a few years now and recently picked up these olive green booties, and the colors paired perfectly with the muted blush, blue and grey tones of this dress.  The boots and jacket added the extra warmth that I needed during the shoot.  Have a summer dress that you wish you could wear into the fall?  Add tights, a jacket and booties and you're good to go! 

Tip #2:  Have a home base

We shot these photos right outside my studio.  One of my favorite things about my studio space is that we are on the first floor, and we have a loading dock door that opens up to the street.  Since I knew that I was going to be the chilliest in this outfit, I had the idea to get fully ready in the studio, open up the loading dock door, run out into the street and snap away.  This worked out perfectly!  In the past, when I have not had the luxury of having a warm space just steps away, I have found somewhere close to a restaurant or bar where I can just run outside, take a few photos, and then run back inside and warm up.  Also, if you will be somewhere more remote, like an open field, stay close to your vehicle so you can head right back to your car and blast the heat!  

Tip #3:  Work with a photographer who you trust and mesh well with

When I say photographer, it could actually be anybody- a real photographer, a friend, a family member, a coworker, etc.  My point is, shooting with someone you trust and mesh well with is important in any circumstance, but especially important when you are trying to get in and out of the cold as fast as possible.  I started working with Ryan at the beginning of this year, and we've done some pretty chilly photo shoots together.  He knows my best angles and I know which shots he's going to want to get.  This particular outfit shot probably took us all of three minutes, mostly because we had to pause for a car when we were in the middle of the road.  It's true when they say that team work makes the dream work!  

Tip #4:  Call in the squad

Right now would be about the time to cash in any favors that are owed to you or enlist your Instagram husband/best friend/hype man!  My dear friend Pat (shown above) was the best ever during our shoot.  Here he was taking videos of us for his Instagram story.  During all of our shoots he was there to hold my jackets and my purse so I could get multiple looks without having to lay my stuff on the ground or kick it around to get it out of the photo.  Also, and this was a big help, he carried around our portable speaker and played the perfect music to help take our minds off the fact that it was below freezing.  I've been the hype (wo)man at a lot of photo shoots, and it's always a big help to both the model and the photographer!  Also, make sure to thank your helper profusely and buy them lots of coffee and/or hot chocolate after.

Tip #5:  Know your angles and practice posing

I've only been doing "professional" photo shoots since the beginning of this year, and I feel like I've come a long way in a short amount of time.  At first I had no idea what my best side was, which poses I looked most natural in, or how so "smize" a la Tyra Banks, but now I've definitely gotten the hang of it.  I know it sounds corny, but practice posing and know which angles make you look the best, so you aren't stuck outside in the cold trying to figure out what you should do next.  One of my good friends Caralyn is a professional model, and I've been able to sit in on a few of her shoots with Ryan, so I've taken a lot of tips from her.  Keep moving your body, changing poses, and throwing different faces while the photographer is snapping away.  This way you can get the perfect shots in a minimal amount of time so you can get back into the warmth! 

Thank you Tobi for this gorgeous dress, Ryan for the stunning photos, and Pat for being a trooper in this miserable weather.  Stay tuned for posts number two and three of our collaboration!