Winter Photography
Introduction Winter photography is trickier than you may think.
This is the most difficult season to capture in photographs.
The brightness of the snow can fool the cameras meter.
The snow will be a bright white however the cameras meter may see it as a neutral gray and underexpose the shot.
When this happens your snowy scene will be dull.
Make use of the following tips and your winter photography will improve.
The trickiest part is to get the snow a nice clean white.
Protect yourself and your equipment.
Be sure to dress warmly in layers.
You can always remove a layer if the day starts to warm up.
Keep your head and ears well covered and be sure you know the symptoms of hypothermia.
Get a good pair of gloves that are thin enough to allow you to make adjustments while still supplying warmth for your hands.
Also take a friend with you for extra safety.
You cannot be over cautious when venturing out into the cold for winter photography.
Be sure to check out the weather forecast before leaving and do not forget the hot chocolate.
Keep your camera in a plastic zip lock bag to protect it from the elements.
Cut a hole in the bag for the lens to stick through and secure the bag with an elastic band.
Allow your equipment to acclimatize to the conditions.
This applies to going from indoors to outside as well as going back into the house.
It will take a little while for your equipment to adjust to the difference in temperature.
If your lenses fog up in the cold do not blow on them or wipe them.
The moisture in your breath will condense on the lens and then freeze.
If you wipe the lens it could cause a smudge that will interfere with the shot.
The fog will disappear in a few minuets.
To remove snow flakes from your camera use a brush.
Of course winter photography means cold weather so make sure you put extra batteries in an inside pocket to keep them nice and warm.
The cold can have a huge effect on the batteries and you may need to change cold ones for warm ones several times, just warm up the cold ones in your pocket and they will recover.
Never use a heat source to warm up the batteries, as that would be extremely dangerous.
Settings Set the white balance manually.
Many photographers use the snow itself to set the white balance.
Adjust the camera to spot metering and then use a bright patch of snow to make the setting.
Bracket your shots and keep notes on what you are doing.
You can then match your notes to the photos later on to see what worked best.
Use the manual setting instead of the auto or semi auto positions.
By doing this you can make adjustments to the exposure more easily.
Meter the shot off of the snow and start with setting a +1 stop.
I get the best results by setting the exposure to between +1 and +2.
5.
Using the fill flash can help to bring out the details in some scenes.
A good example of this would be to eliminate deep shadows on a persons face.
Freshly fallen snow is pure white and lacks features and texture.
Increase exposure by +2 stops as a starting point.
If you can see some features or textures in the snow when the light strikes it at an angle then it is not pure white.
If this is the case do not overexpose too much or you will lose the details.
Try a setting of +1 to +1 ½ stops.
This should maintain a nice white for the snow and keep the detail as well.
On an overcast day increase by +2 to +2 ½ stops.
Getting the shot When metering for winter photography set the camera on spot metering and meter off of the snow.
For best results use an area of snow that will be included in the scene.
Walk around and see the scene from all the different angles; take your time to get just the right view.
Be on the lookout for contrasts.
There may be areas that are not covered with snow, such as rock formations or exposed areas of fields.
These can make for some great photos.
Consider early morning and late afternoon for shooting.
At these times the light is at an angle and can produce some fantastic colours and reflections.
Make use of a polarizing filter.
This will help to deepen the blue of the sky and eliminate any unwanted reflection off of the surface of the snow or ice.
Keep an eye open for elements that will enhance the photo.
For example straight lines and sharp angles such as fences and power lines can add an element of drama, while curved lines such as pathways or rivers can soften the mood.
Always be looking for patterns in the scene.
After a brisk wind you may see some fantastic patterns in the snow.
Ice formations can also produce some great patterns.
Do not be afraid to look real close at surfaces and use a close up shot if necessary.
Summary When doing winter photography be sure to protect yourself and your equipment.
Prepare properly before venturing out and you will have an enjoyable session.
Meter off of the snow and make your adjustments from there.
Bracket your shots and experiment with the settings.
Take a lot of shots and keep notes on what you are doing but most important of all, have a great time.
This is the most difficult season to capture in photographs.
The brightness of the snow can fool the cameras meter.
The snow will be a bright white however the cameras meter may see it as a neutral gray and underexpose the shot.
When this happens your snowy scene will be dull.
Make use of the following tips and your winter photography will improve.
The trickiest part is to get the snow a nice clean white.
Protect yourself and your equipment.
Be sure to dress warmly in layers.
You can always remove a layer if the day starts to warm up.
Keep your head and ears well covered and be sure you know the symptoms of hypothermia.
Get a good pair of gloves that are thin enough to allow you to make adjustments while still supplying warmth for your hands.
Also take a friend with you for extra safety.
You cannot be over cautious when venturing out into the cold for winter photography.
Be sure to check out the weather forecast before leaving and do not forget the hot chocolate.
Keep your camera in a plastic zip lock bag to protect it from the elements.
Cut a hole in the bag for the lens to stick through and secure the bag with an elastic band.
Allow your equipment to acclimatize to the conditions.
This applies to going from indoors to outside as well as going back into the house.
It will take a little while for your equipment to adjust to the difference in temperature.
If your lenses fog up in the cold do not blow on them or wipe them.
The moisture in your breath will condense on the lens and then freeze.
If you wipe the lens it could cause a smudge that will interfere with the shot.
The fog will disappear in a few minuets.
To remove snow flakes from your camera use a brush.
Of course winter photography means cold weather so make sure you put extra batteries in an inside pocket to keep them nice and warm.
The cold can have a huge effect on the batteries and you may need to change cold ones for warm ones several times, just warm up the cold ones in your pocket and they will recover.
Never use a heat source to warm up the batteries, as that would be extremely dangerous.
Settings Set the white balance manually.
Many photographers use the snow itself to set the white balance.
Adjust the camera to spot metering and then use a bright patch of snow to make the setting.
Bracket your shots and keep notes on what you are doing.
You can then match your notes to the photos later on to see what worked best.
Use the manual setting instead of the auto or semi auto positions.
By doing this you can make adjustments to the exposure more easily.
Meter the shot off of the snow and start with setting a +1 stop.
I get the best results by setting the exposure to between +1 and +2.
5.
Using the fill flash can help to bring out the details in some scenes.
A good example of this would be to eliminate deep shadows on a persons face.
Freshly fallen snow is pure white and lacks features and texture.
Increase exposure by +2 stops as a starting point.
If you can see some features or textures in the snow when the light strikes it at an angle then it is not pure white.
If this is the case do not overexpose too much or you will lose the details.
Try a setting of +1 to +1 ½ stops.
This should maintain a nice white for the snow and keep the detail as well.
On an overcast day increase by +2 to +2 ½ stops.
Getting the shot When metering for winter photography set the camera on spot metering and meter off of the snow.
For best results use an area of snow that will be included in the scene.
Walk around and see the scene from all the different angles; take your time to get just the right view.
Be on the lookout for contrasts.
There may be areas that are not covered with snow, such as rock formations or exposed areas of fields.
These can make for some great photos.
Consider early morning and late afternoon for shooting.
At these times the light is at an angle and can produce some fantastic colours and reflections.
Make use of a polarizing filter.
This will help to deepen the blue of the sky and eliminate any unwanted reflection off of the surface of the snow or ice.
Keep an eye open for elements that will enhance the photo.
For example straight lines and sharp angles such as fences and power lines can add an element of drama, while curved lines such as pathways or rivers can soften the mood.
Always be looking for patterns in the scene.
After a brisk wind you may see some fantastic patterns in the snow.
Ice formations can also produce some great patterns.
Do not be afraid to look real close at surfaces and use a close up shot if necessary.
Summary When doing winter photography be sure to protect yourself and your equipment.
Prepare properly before venturing out and you will have an enjoyable session.
Meter off of the snow and make your adjustments from there.
Bracket your shots and experiment with the settings.
Take a lot of shots and keep notes on what you are doing but most important of all, have a great time.