I have learned to pick and choose my battles.  Generally, I fight for things that I believe I actually might have some control over and try to avoid times where stressing may just be a waste of energy. I have learned you can never win if you try to fight with Mother Nature, she will always remind you that she's the boss.  The best you can do is hold open your arms and embrace whatever mood she's in.  Often times people think they have to have ideal weather for ideal portraits and that just isn't true.  The weather of the day only adds to the uniqueness of your session. 

The 2 things I know I can actually control are: 1. my preparations and 2. my reaction to what actually happens.  So as I was getting ready for this session with one of my dearest clients I threw in all the umbrellas just in case.  Upon arriving at our location, 2 steps from the car, the sky and wind opened up and began dumping the white powder we are so famous for.  You can't really be angry about it because it is pretty much the main reason everyone races to Park City in the winter.  So as the powder fell on our portraits and the wind howled we LAUGHED because thats all we really could do.  Everybody was all smiles the whole time, and isn't really that the whole goal of a family portrait session!? Hilarious and fun family memories made- CHECK- That means success.

As I am processing thru the images all I see is magic and love and smiles.  I photographed this mom and dad's winter wedding more then a decade and a half ago and used these very same umbrellas.  They were the ones that brought up the fact that they stood together under one of these same black and white umbrellas and kissed on their wedding day.  Now they have 3 kids taking shelter in them again.  I admit, I got a little teary when I realized the connection.  I think Mother Nature knew what she was doing this day, all I had to do was trust her.

Today I am more sentimental about a family of 5 enjoying the storm together, because that's pretty much what my life is, learning to laugh in the snow.