Mother Nature is not always cooperative in providing beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and days with blue skies and white puffy clouds. Sometimes she sends us stormy and inclement conditions like rain, snow, and fog. While all of these things can provide challenging circumstances, they often create the most atmospheric and unique landscape imagery. So instead of hiding inside, grab the camera and embrace the atmosphere.

Three atmospheric conditions to capture:

1) Fog & Low clouds

Fog can be challenging as it creates low visibility, difficulty driving and may obscure the beautiful views you find in the mountains or along the coast, for example. On the positive side, fog can create a sense of mystery, enhance atmosphere and provide a soft, dreamy mood. In obscuring some details, fog enhances the beauty of other details and creates a stunning contrast to finer and rougher textures, such as the hard rock of mountain tops or the needles of pine trees. Fog may isolate foreground objects like trees, flowers or animals from the background, simplifying the scene.

Pond & Tree in the fog Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

2) Snow & Frigid Temperatures

My guess is most won’t need a lot of encouragement to get out there on those beautiful winter days when big puffy snowflakes are falling. There is something truly magical about falling snow. Even in heavily falling snow, the views can be beautiful. The snow often comes with a drab white sky, but the foreground is enhanced by the atmosphere created with fresh snowflakes.

Many people shy away from the extremely frigid temperatures you that sometimes come after a beautiful snowfall. I encourage you to prepare for the cold with many layers and grab those hand and toe warmers because the icy temperatures often lead to unique ice formations and extra sparkly snow.

Frosty Vermilion Lakes Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

3) Rain

A hard drenching downpour is not going to provide you with the most enjoyable shooting conditions nor create the most pleasing images. However, rain in many situations can create opportunities for stunning imagery. Storms coming in or clearing up can create extremely dramatic skies.

In many places where you can see miles in every direction, the distant rain is stunning to capture.

Rain comes down in the distance among the golden sunrise light off the coast of Turks & Caicos.

Even light rain as it splatters on the water of a lake or on puddles can create a beautiful story not typically captured.

And if you’re lucky, rain that is short lived may even reward you with a rainbow in the end!

After watching the rain come in, my husband and I ran for cover. As it lightened, I looked back and knew we’d see a rainbow! So worth getting a little wet!

In most situations, beauty can still be found when Mother Nature throws us some precipitation and inclement weather mixed with just a small breakthrough of the sun can create the most astounding images! Do you have a dramatic weather image you love? I’ve love to see them!

My online landscape photography workshop, The World Around You, is now open for registration! Sign up at Click Photo School. This will likely be the only run of 2020 as my fall is filled with retreats.

Kristen Ryan is an award winning and published landscape and fine art photographer and educator residing in the Midwest suburbs of Chicago. All images are available for purchase in the Fine Art Store or by request. Kristen leads ladies landscape photography retreats in the Tetons, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring and teaches an online landscape photography workshop, The World Around You.

In the northern part of the world, the leaves are gone, the air is crisp and snow may be falling! Winter is upon us! Wintry scenes can be some of the most beautiful of all, and some of my favorite. The sparkle of snow and ice can truly be magical but getting out in the freezing cold temperatures can make it uncomfortable to say the least. So for part 1, let’s first think about getting our gear ready so we are prepared for the cold.

When I say gear, I am not only referring to our cameras and lenses but also what we need for our physical comfort in these conditions. Before you head out locally or travel for winter photography, make sure you are prepared for it. I remember anticipating my first winter trip to the Tetons with so much excitement. I couldn’t wait to capture their snowy beauty, but I was very nervous about being able to handle the frigid conditions, my fingers in particular. In the end, my husband and I had prepared ourselves with the proper clothing necessary and the trip was a great success. Since then I have gathered various items of clothing and gear that I love as well as some general tips for surviving the cold & capturing the winter beauty.

1 - Layers! Layers are your very best friend in the winter. This is not only because lots of layers keep you warm, but because when you get warm, you can shed a layer. Getting too hot under all your layers can be dangerous because when you start sweating, you can get very chilled. A merino wool base layer top and bottom is a great place to start. On top of that I like to add a merino wool hoodie, lightweight down coat and then my heavy winter coat as my final layer. In extremely cold weather a fleece is a great additional extra layer. On top of my base layer on my legs, I add some leggings and then warm snow/ski pants.

2 - Warm insulated and waterproof boots plus wool socks! These are so very important to keeping your feet warm. Fingers and toes are really the first to get cold so finding a way to keep them warm goes so far! A nice tall waterproof snow boot is perfect for keeping your feet warm and dry and will keep snow from getting into the boot from the top.

3 - Warm gloves and mittens that allow you to operate your camera. My very favorite winter hand protection is from the Heat Company, the Heat 3 Smart gloves that have a thin warm glove perfect for controlling your camera with a nice warm mitten sewn together. My fingers generally get cold SO quickly and with these gloves I can photograph for long periods of time without discomfort. Absolutely worth the price!

4 - Hand & Toe Warmers - Invest in the chemical hand and feet warmers for those cold days! You can also get rechargeable hand warmers. A friend introduced me to them a year or so ago and I love them. These are the ones that I have by OCOOPA. They even come along in my pockets when I walk my dog on those very cold Chicago days! There are even heated insoles for your boots to keep your feet warm. For example, these by the Heat Company.

5 - Warm hat and scarf! Don’t forget to wear a warm hat since so much of our heat escapes from our head. A scarf goes a long way to not only add warmth to your neck but also your chin. I have trouble with my glasses fogging up if I pull mine over my mouth and nose but it can certainly be helpful for keeping the face warm! Pull up the hood of your coat over your hat in those very frigid temperatures!

6 - Thermos - I always love to bring along a thermos of hot coffee or hot chocolate. My very favorite thermos ever is by Zojirushi as it keeps drinks hot all day or will keep cold drinks super cold all day and it has a lock on the top that has never failed me unless the inside parts were not intact. Sometimes I bring 2 of these when I travel - one for hot coffee and one for my water. In fact every member of my family has one for travel to use for water. No worries about spilling on electronics with the lock!

7 - Microspikes - If you’ll be hiking or walking on ice or icy snow, these spikes that fit on your boots will make sure you keep upright! These ones by Kahtoola are the ones I have!

Johnston Canyon Waterfall Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

8 - Snowshoes - If you’re planning to hike in deep snow, you might want to invest in or rent snowshoes! When my husband and I were in the Tetons, we hiked back to the river on my grandparents’ property and the snow was well past our knees. The snow shoes made it manageable!

9 - Rain/Weather Camera Cover - Bring along a cover to protect your camera from the elements. Something like this one or similar will work quite well!

10- Extra Batteries - Your camera batteries will drain more quickly in the cold temperatures. Be sure to carry extra and keep them close to your body to keep them warm. It is a good idea to have extra batteries for your remote/intervalometer as well.

11 - Lens Cloth - It is always a good idea to keep a lens cloth in your camera bag but in the frosty winter weather it can really be essential for wiping off any moisture drops that get on your lens!

12 - Sunglasses - On those sunny days, the glare off the bright snow can be blinding. Remember to bring those sunglasses to protect your eyes!

Lake Minnewanka Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

Hope these tips help you get prepared for some winter photography and look for more winter shooting tips next time!