6 Quick Tips for Photographing in the Falling Snow

December 20, 2021

Have you had your first snowfall yet this year? It seems the snowy weather is late for most areas this year. It is unseasonably warm here in Chicago right now, but after this warm snap, it looks like winter temps are on their way, and I can’t help wishing for snow and a white Christmas. There is something so magical about the first snowfall.

While Chicago is still awaiting the snow, I was lucky enough to experience a beautiful snowfall at Lake Louise this past October. In fact, I chose that location for the group that morning specifically because there was a strong chance of snow and there are few things more magical than freshly falling snow in the mountains.

Lake Louise captured with the Sigma 24-105mm at 105mm
Shutter speed 1/160 to capture the falling snowflakes

There are a few things to consider when photographing in falling snow, both technically and creatively, to come away with the magic of the snowfall!

1) Use a lens hood to help keep your lens free of falling snowflakes! As the snowflakes fall, they can land on your lens and melt, creating droplets that show up as spots in your images. Obviously this is not ideal. A lens hood can help to protect the front of your lens as you photograph.

2) Keep a microfiber cloth handy to dry your lens of the snowflakes that make their way onto your lens. Even with a lenshood, sometimes the direction of the falling snow and wind can still cause some flakes to land on your lens. Be sure to check your lens between exposures and use the cloth to clear it free of moisture.

3) Use a rain/snow cover over your camera to protect it from the moisture!

4) Avoid changing lenses as the snow falls to keep moisture out of the inside of your camera. If you have more than one camera body, put a wider angle lens on one camera and a telephoto lens on the second.

Snow in the trees captured with the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary lens with a shutter speed of 1/800

5) Consider your shutter speed. Use a fast shutter speed to freeze the falling snow if you want to emphasize the snowflakes. A slower shutter speed will show the movement of the flakes with streaks that look more like falling rain.

6) Look for dark backgrounds to emphasize the snowflakes. The white snow will blend into the sky or other light area of the scene. Backgrounds like deep green trees or blue waters will allow the white snowflakes to stand out!

Snow falling on Lake Louise captured with the Sigma 24-105mm at 82mm . I shifted my perspective to the water and trees so that the snowflakes would show up against the darker backgrounds.

Hope you get out there to photograph when the snow arrives!

Kristen Ryan is an award winning and published landscape 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, Glacier NP, Hilton Head, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring . New online educational materials are coming soon!

Capturing Winter's Beauty Part 3

December 24, 2019

Have you been out capturing winter’s beauty yet this year? The last couple weeks I shared some tips on preparing your gear and some settings to think about when capturing snowy landscapes. This week I’m offering 5 more tips to consider for capturing winter’s beauty in a variety of creative ways.

Mount Moran peeks out of the clouds on a cold winter’s morning at sunrise.

Embrace Simplicity - Winter images do not need to be complex. You don’t need an expansive scene to capture winter’s beauty. Simple scenes can be just as compelling. A single subject amongst the snowy landscape or falling snow can tell a beautiful story to a viewer.

A lone tree stands among the snowy landscape in Grand Teton National Park

2. Emphasize Atmosphere - Embrace the atmosphere of the falling snow or steam rising from water on a winter’s day. This may be done by capturing the wider scene or by using a longer lens to isolate a smaller subject amongst the snow or simply the softness of light and fog mixing over a pond or river. Include winter’s details like hoarfrost or ice detail in the frame to help tell the story. Get close to these details to add depth and story.

Frosty formations cover the ice of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

The snow comes down along the Snake River. Jackson Hole, Wyoming

3. Abstract - Winter tones can create stunning abstract images. In contrast to the greens of spring and summer, and the golden autumn tones, winter tones of blue, brown and white have a calming and peaceful quality. Slow down the shutter speed and experiment with panning or zoom blur.

4. Focus on Details - Winter temperatures and precipitation bring beautiful ice formations, hoarfrost and snowflakes. When the sun is out, these are often combined with beautiful sparkles. Focus on these details in a wider scene or use macro lens or telephoto to isolate them.

5. Add a Pop of Color - The winter landscape can be monotone with lots of white, blue, and brown. Adding in a pop of color from the landscape, such as sunset colors in the sky, a red barn, yellow sign, or a person with colorful clothing can be just the thing to grab a viewer’s attention and add impact to the scene.

Sunset glow adds a pop of color to the cool snowy mountain scene of the Tetons.

Hope these tips help give you creative ideas for capturing the winter beauty near you and in your travels!

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.

6 Tips for Capturing Winter's Beauty Part 2

December 17, 2019

Last week I shared some tips for preparing your camera gear and clothing to survive the cold while shooting in the winter landscape. If you don’t prepare well enough, the shooting adventures are likely to be cut short due to cold and discomfort!

Now that you are well equipped to manage the cold and snow, I have some tips for photographing the winter beauty! There is the most magical feeling that comes with fresh fallen snow or beautiful hoar frost covering the trees and grasses. Winter landscapes are some of my most favorite scenes to photograph.

Falling snow in Grand Teton National Park

1 - Exposure - As always, I recommend watching your histogram to make sure not to blow out the highlights of the scene to keep texture and detail in the snow. I always look to expose snowy scenes a little bit brighter than my camera tells me to. Exposing at zero, your camera will make the snow look more gray instead of white. I always look to expose snow about +1 to +1 2/3 stops. You can do this manually or by using exposure compensation if you shoot in aperture mode. One easy way to ensure a great exposure is to bracket three exposures at 0, +1, and -1. Again, keep an eye on your histogram to expose to the right without letting it climb the right wall.

2- White Balance - While snow is white, it won’t always appear pure white in a photograph or in real life. Snow reflects the colors and light of a scene. In very low light, the shadows will be quite cool and the snow will have a bluish hue to it. However, in warm sunrise, sunset or golden hour light, the snow may reflect golden, orange, or pink tones. You may want to choose a white balance that enhances these colors or you may want to choose a white balance that neutralizes them somewhat. You’ll likely want to choose a white balance that is representative of the scene and helps to enhance the mood and atmosphere of that moment you clicked the shutter. Unless you are shooting a warm sunrise or sunset, a cooler white balance will typically bring out the cool mood of a winter scene. Using live view when adjusting your white balance can help you see whether you are capturing accurate colors and achieving the mood you envision.

3 - Take Advantage of Falling Snow - Even better than fresh fallen snow is snow that is FALLING!! There is something incredibly magical about a landscape captured with snowflakes falling all around. So grab all your protective gear to keep your camera weather proofed and head out to capture the atmosphere.

4- Get Out When the Snow is Fresh - Whenever possible, head out to capture a fresh fallen snow as early as possible. The earlier you get out, the fluffier the new snow and the less car tracks or footprints will have been made in the snow. Additionally, when you consider your composition, avoid walking around aimlessly as you may end up wanting a composition that includes all the tracks YOU just made!

5 - Avoid Condensation & Moisture in Your Gear - Whenever you can, try to avoid changing your lens out in the cold and wet weather. This will minimize any moisture or condensation getting inside the camera. If you have more than one camera body, you could consider choosing a wide angle lens for one body and a telephoto lens for the second. Additionally, while I have never had trouble with my camera having condensation coming in from the cold, placing it in a sealed ziplock bag as it comes to warmer temperatures is recommended.

6 - Pack a Towel - It’s a great idea to keep a towel in your camera bag in case any of your gear does get wet. Choose something soft like a microfiber towel to dry off your gear.

Hope these are helpful tips to add to your winter shooting! Part 3 coming next week! Do you have a favorite winter shooting tip? Tell me in the comments.

Happy Shooting!

Capturing Winter Beauty Part 1 - Preparation

December 10, 2019

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!