A Romantic Winter Couples Photoshoot in Downtown Detroit

What is more romantic than cuddling up with the love of your life in historic Downtown Detroit in the dead of winter?

Big fur jackets, chunky sweaters, cute winter hats and beige pea coats make for such romantic and timeless photos. Nothing screams romance more than grabbing a hot coffee and taking a stroll with the people you love in the big city.

Booking

Downtown Detroit one of the best locations for a winter photoshoot. It is such a timeless, romantic, and classic location. I am obsessed with the historic buildings in downtown. Detroit was founded in 1701 with the oldest standing buildings built in the 1800s. I visited NYC in 2019 and fell in love with the rich history and architecture. When I moved to Detroit in 2021 I was pleasantly surprised that the downtown area also has great historic architecture. When Derek and JoJo booked with me for their December photoshoot I highly suggested going downtown because it is so beautiful in the winter months.

I've convinced you to take the photos, now how do we make this happen? I've made this as easy as possible for you. You can view my availability right on my website and choose a date and time that works for you! I highly suggested checking if there are any big events downtown before choosing a date. Parking can be difficult and expensive if there is a concert or Lions, Pistons, Tigers, or Redwings game downtown during your couples photoshoot. If you have questions before booking please feel free to reach out. I would love to chat about the details with you before or after you book. Once you are ready to book your session you can view my pricing, availability, and book a session right on my website.

questions & concerns

If you'd love to included your dog in your downtown couples photos you are more than welcome to do so! If you'd like to bring your dog along I highly recommend considering the following: walk your dog first, bring someone along to help, leave your dog at home if they are over hyper/sensitive. The first thing you need to consider is if you dog will do well downtown. There will be other people and dogs out and about, I promise to be patient with your dog but if your dog is over hyper or sensitive then I suggest leaving them at home this time. If your dog does will around other people and dogs and you'd like to involve them in your downtown session I suggest bringing along a friend or family member to help. Whether this person stands behind the camera and tries to get your dogs attention or holds the leash while we take some photos without them, either way, they will be so helpful! The last thing that I suggest is to walk your dog beforehand to calm them down a bit. It helps if you arrive 15 minutes early and take your dog on a stroll to calm their nerves. Derek and JoJo brought along a family member to help with their dog Finn and it was a game changer!

Speaking of changing, how in the world do we change outfits downtown? You have a few options when it comes to changing in downtown Detroit but the easiest option is to use my changing tent. I always bring it along with me and it makes it easy to change your outfit wherever you are. Derek and JoJo wore an elegant, formal outfit to start and then changed into a romantic, wintery outfit with beautiful beige pea coats for the rest of their photoshoot.

Prepping

We need to talk about what to wear to your couples photos, because it is SO important! Believe it or not, the outfits that you choose for your session have a huge impact on the mood and outcome of your photos. Choosing which outfits look best isn't easy but it's so important. If your dream is to create magical and whimsical couples photos, consistent to the work you see on my website, follow these tips.

Creams and beiges are timeless and photograph best
If you like colors, wear pastels or muted tones
Bold, bright, and neon colors do not photograph well, I highly suggest avoiding them
Avoid patterns but incorporate textures
Remove apple watches, along with everything in your pockets

When it's time to pick out an outfit, please take the time to read my full style guide. If you have any questions at all, please reach out to me and I'd be more than happy to help you choose the most magical outfit!

Let's talk about your mindset! I am a lifestyle photographer who loves to capture authentic moments and emotions. Arguably the most important tip I can give you is to be patient, have fun, and have a great attitude. We are here to celebrate your love! I want you to cuddle up together: kiss, smile, hug, whisper your favorite things to each and share this special time together. Forget that you're "posing for the camera," and just take this time to enjoy each others company! When you are looking back at your photos that we took together, do you want negative memories of being rushed or stressed or do you want joyful memories of playing, laughing, and cuddling up close with the one you love most?

The Photoshoot

I met Derek and JoJo at one of my favorite downtown Detroit locations, a parking garage rooftop. Downtown rooftops make for the best photoshoot locations because you can see all of downtown from way up there. They also provide lots of room to move and capture great candid photos without being crowded in downtown. I have two great rooftop options: The Z loft parking garage or the parking garage on top of Spkrbox. You do need a permit to take photos at the Z lot but it's free and easy to get, it just takes some notice to prepare. If we can't use the Z Lot rooftop then we can use rooftop of a parking garage on Griswold and Grand River which is another one of my favorites.

Next we went to Capital Park by Prime and Proper, Cannelle, Desert Oasis, and Spkrbox. I LOVE this spot of downtown Detroit. It's a great place to grab a coffee and stroll down the beautiful streets while I capture your love. This area is where Derek and JoJo decided to take some photos with their dog Finn. There is also a little dog park here making it the best stop to include your dog in your couples photos.

Lastly we took a short walk to the historic Woodward Ave. This is such an iconic spot of downtown Detroit, you have to include this location in your photoshoot. In the winter a few of the storefronts decorate with evergreens and Christmas lights making Woodward Ave extra dreaming in the colder months.

now what?

Now that you had a super fun couples photoshoot you cannot wait to see the photos and share them with you friends and family! As a full time couples photographer I spend weekdays editing your photos. In the -ber months (September, October, November and December) I am very busy with photoshoots but returning your photos in a timely manner is important to me. It can take me up to 3 weeks to deliver your gallery to you. Derek and JoJo had their session in the heart of my busy season and I was able to edit their photos in 2 1/2 weeks and deliver them a romantic gallery of photos.

Once I sent over Derek and JoJo's gallery they were able to save their photos in high resolution and keep them forever! The BEST thing about hiring a couples photographer is that you are able to share the love, joy, and emotion with friends and family around the entire globe. They can simply forward the email to anyone they wish to share the photos with and they too can download and print the images. They also have the ability to share photos on social media for all their friends and family to see.

I have found that printing photos from your couples photoshoot is something that is so easy to procrastinate. I want more than anything for Derek and JoJo to fill their home with photos from our downtown session. That is why I have made it so easy for them to print their photos. I have an online print lab attached to your album. It's simple and quick for Derek and JoJo to choose their favorite photos and have them delivered to their home.