If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you may have read my tips on photographing snow scenes. I thought it would be a good idea to add the tips to my blog as well and watch the list grow! You can participate in this as well! If you have tips for photographing snow that would be a great addition to the list feel free to post them to my Facebook page or tweet me. This should be fun!
1. Try not to use flash when photographing scenes in the snow. The light from the flash will reflect off the snow causing your photo to be overexposed. Make use of negative exposure compensation and check your histogram to achieve the best exposure for your shot. If the graph is bunched in the middle, bump up your exposure compensation a bit. If its squeezed into the right hand corner of the graph, bump your exposure down a few stops to avoid blown out highlights in your shot.
2. An all white picture of snow can be a bit boring. Spice it up a bit by making use of bright, vivid colors...a colorful scarf, coat or jacket will pop against the white background of the snow.
3. The cold temperatures will sap power from your battery, so always travel with extras if you plan to take a lot of pictures. Place the extra batteries in your pockets close to your body. The warmth of your body will restore some power to the battery!
4. Experiment with different shutter speeds when photographing falling snow. A fast shutter speed will result in an image with fuzzy flakes throughout your shot. Using a slow shutter speed will produce a scene with streaks of snow. Give it a try!
5. Protect your camera when taking pictures outdoors. Use a protective case or even a plastic bag to prevent moisture from entering the lens or camera. If despite your efforts moisture gets trapped inside the camera, remove the batteries and memory card. Wait for about an hour until the moisture is no longer present. If this doesn't work try silica gel. You know...that little packet that you find in your shoe box when you buy a new shoe or new bag. I've always thrown them away...not any more! Place the camera in the camera bag with the silica gel. The gel will absorb the moisture from your camera! Remember to take the gel out of the bag when all the moisture is gone and dry it out to use again. Cool! Caution: Silica gel is dangerous if ingested. Keep away from the little ones and your pets!
6. Increasing your exposure compensation to +1 or +2 will usually produce a balanced exposure for snow scenes and will help rid your shot of the gray appearance of snow associated with an underexposed image. Why does this happen? The brightness of the snow tricks your camera's light meter causing it to tone down the exposure. Bumping up the exposure will give you a more balanced exposure for the shot.
7. If you are photographing snow scenes and your image has a blue tint to it, try using the shade setting to achieve a true representation of the colors in your shot. However, there are times when a blue tint can be used to create an artistic effect.
 |
| A blue tint can be used to give your photo an artistic effect. |
8. Not only do you have to protect your camera before going out in colder temps, you have to protect it when coming in from cold temps into a warmer environment. When you bring a camera that has been outside into a warm room, moisture in the air will condense onto the camera. The condensation that forms on the internal parts of the camera can damage the components found there. If this happens, remove the battery until the camera has become dry. Drying the camera by letting it sit in warmer temps will eventually dry it out, however there is a risk of damaging your camera using this process. The best way to protect your camera is not to allow condensation to form on it in the first place. To do this, enclose the camera in a plastic bag while you are still outside trapping the dry air into the bag. Put both the camera and different lenses you may have used in the bag before going indoors. In this way condensation will form on the bag and not on your precious camera.
9. Protect yourself by layering smart. Start with a good bottom layer, thermals are a good choice because any moisture that builds up from perspiration will quickly dry. Other materials like cotton will dry at a slower rate leaving you wet and cold. Not nice! Your second layer can be a fleece jacket or light woolen sweater because they trap your body's heat keeping you warm and toasty! Finally a water proof or water resistant jacket with a hood to top it all off. Don't forget to cover your head, hands, neck, and feet as well. When choosing a hat select wool or synthetic materials that will trap heat and resist the wind. Add the hood from your jacket for added protection against the wind and possible snowfall. A woolen scarf will jazz up your look and keep your neck warm at the same time! Use a fingerless glove instead of bulky gloves to give you flexibility when handling your camera. Fingerless gloves that have a flap to pull over your fingers when needed is a great choice. Look for gloves with grips to stop the camera from slipping out of your hands. Wearing snow boots with a combination of woolen socks will do the trick to keep your feet warm; applying a waterproof treatment to your shoes works just as well. I always tuck hand warmers in my gloves as well as feet warmers in my shoes. They are so worth it and very inexpensive! They can also be used to warm your batteries when they become cold. Oh! and don't forget your sunscreen...yes, you heard me. The reflection of the sun on the snow increases your exposure to UVA and UVB rays even on overcast days...so use it! An SPF of 15 or higher works well. Your lips will need sunscreen as well. You don't want them to feel left out do you? There are many lip protectants that are effective to use in cold temps that also provide protection from the sun. Make sure to choose a product that has "UVA/UVB protection" or "broad spectrum protectant" written on them. I really like using Blistex Silk & Shine Lip Protectant and Sunscreen, SPF15. Give these tips a try the next time you're out in the bitter cold.
10. Invest in a lens hood for additional protection when photographing falling snow.
11. A polarizing filter can add color and depth to your image giving clouds a whiter appearance and making a blue sky pop with color. Another great feature is it's ability to tone down glare from snow or ice.
12. We view the world in living color which is quite different from the way the camera sees it. It has been designed to see everything in middle or neutral gray tones (equivalent to18% gray) and exposes for this. When photographing snow, if you depend on your light meter, the snow will have that dull gray color we talked about earlier. Here's where metering comes into play. Set your camera to spot metering and meter off objects that have a middle tone ( a color that's not too dark or too light). A blue sky, weathered wood, a gray piece of material, and an 18% gray card are useful for creating a more accurate exposure. Make sure to fill the frame of your camera with the image you are taking a reading from and use that exposure reading for the rest of the scene.
13. Be inspired! Here are 60 amazing photos to inspire you to brave the cold and capture some fabulous winter shots of your own!
http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/inspiration/winter-snow-photography-tips/
14. You don't need snow to capture breathtakingly beautiful winter shots, ice and frost can be just as interesting as a snowy day.
