A Frazier Mountain Snowy Portrait Session

Living in Bakersfield my entire life, I’ve heard it said time & time again…

“Yeah, Bakersfield itself might not be super great, BUT you can get anywhere in under two hours!”

And for the most part, it’s true. As a photographer & someone who loves nature and pretty things, I get pretty down sometimes about living in such an “ugly” area. But honestly, the harder I look, the more hidden gems I find. There are truly some really gorgeous spots on the outskirts of town, and even more within an hour. Two hours and you’re at the beach! It isn’t too bad.

The central location that we live in definitely makes it easy to travel for photo sessions. 45 minutes away and we have a stunning location like this! Frazier park is filled with thousands of pine trees, vast golden fields, and in the winter, snow covered mountains. It’s one of my favorite places to go without having to make a huge effort! The air is so crisp and clean, and it’s so quiet, it really makes the photoshoot experience that much better.

Olivia & I had both been itching to create. We picked out a dress together (thanks free people!) and had a few ideas brewing in both of our heads. The rain had us rescheduling over and over. I do love shooting in the rain, but our ideas just didn’t really work with the weather. Until… 💡light bulb. Rain in Bakersfield means snow in Frazier park. It was perfect!

We froze our butts off on Mt. Pinos (well.. she more than I 🤣) but it was so worth it in the end. As a challenge for myself, I purposely planned the session for high noon when the light is the trickiest of the day. Shadows can be unflattering if you don’t know what you’re doing, everything looks overly saturated, lots of contrast, etc… but in the end, it really worked perfectly and made the photos look so unique. Harsh lighting has been inspiring me more than golden hour lighting these past few months. It’s been fun!

So here’s our result. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed creating them!

The Amelia dress is available in my client closet. This dress fits anywhere from size S-L, bump friendly, slip optional. Client closet dresses are available to rent with the purchase of any portrait package.

Jennifer Pishinsky is a photographer based in Southern California (Bakersfield) area who specializes in weddings & couples, maternity, and portraits. Her style is soft, dreamy, true to color, and emotive.