Digital Photography Tricks - How To Take Advantage Of Wintry Conditions!

I almost started typing this article today with gloves on - it's that cold where I am right now

. But the weather has inspired me to pass on some digital photography tricks for taking pictures in the snow. Hopefully you will feel suitably inspired too.

Let's start with an essential tip. The light meter in your digital camera can be completely baffled by a bright snow scene. It tries to find a mid-tone in the scene, which normally results in underexposure. This can give you grey-like images rather than the dazzling whiteness you hoped to capture. Therefore you need to compensate a little for this before taking your shot. Compensation requirements naturally vary according to the actual conditions present, but generally speaking, a setting of +0.3 and +1.0 EV should suffice.

Timing is everything. For example, in any landscape picture the time of day of your shot has a significant affect on the resulting image. Taking snow scenes is no different. First thing in the morning or early evening makes for some warm tones. If at all possible, avoid the middle of the day and use the exciting light of dawn and dusk to your improve your shots. To add long shadows, capture light at a low angle. Alternatively, why not try using backlighting for a silhouette effect.

One of my favourite digital photography tricks is this. Using flash outdoors in snowy conditions is a great idea, surprising as this may seem. Flash can highlight details your camera might not have picked up. Snow provides a high level of reflection, and this enables the flash unit on your camera to add some texture and intrigue to what can otherwise end up as a flat and lifeless image. If you are fortunate enough to be around when snow is actually falling, the influence of the flash will make the snowflakes stand out too.

With all the excitement of being out in the snow it is all too easy to forget the basic rules of composition. But correct composition can be just as vital in this situation. For instance, however dramatic or stunning your snow shot may look, it is always a good idea to have a point of interest in there. This could be a freshly built snowman, or some children sledging. Whist all this "whiteness" is going on, another good idea is to look for opportunities to add a splash of colour, to break the image up. Rich reds, for example, always look outstanding in such scenes (and at Christmas time, in particular).

Hopefully you have found these digital photography tricks helpful. If you experience similar wintry conditions where you are, make make sure you take advantage of the wonderful photographic opportunities out there, especially if such conditions are few and far between where you live. You'll also find that you appreciate these images even more when looking back on them during the summer months.

by: Paul Summers

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