Hello Snow! How to Successfully Capture Winter Landscape Images

If there's one thing I know a lot about, it is photography during the winter months. Living in Canada, we can see snow in and around Banff National Park for sometimes twelve months of the year! So I know firsthand that photographing wintry scenes isn't always easy.

First off, you're dressed up in layers of bulky winter clothing, trying to manage your equipment and change your settings with cold fingers while getting pelted in the face by swirling snowflakes and blistering cold winds. Not your idea of fun? Well, I think the outcome of winter photography is well worth the effort it can take to capture a photo.

Snow is magical, and winter is the one time of the year when conditions change daily, sometimes hourly. Unique features form from snow and frost that, when you are fortunate to discover, will leave you awed by winter's special touch. 

Below are a few technical tips to help you make the most of your snowy photographs this winter. So get ready to bundle up and enjoy winter's fresh, crisp, beautiful air and snow-filled scenes. 

1. Thoughtfully set your exposure

Snow is often very bright and can be tricky for your camera to manage in an automatic or semi-automatic exposure setting. Overexposed snow will result in loss of details, leaving a whitewash mess. You want to preserve those beautiful snowflake details. Especially during the winter months, use a manual exposure mode and exposure for the brightest part of your image. Often this will be sunlit snow. Carefully watch your histogram, ensuring the data is pushed to the right side of the graph wall but not climbing. 

An example of a solid-looking histogram

ISO 64 16.5 mm f13 1/10 sec

2. Consider the aperture

With all that light bouncing around, consider choosing a smaller mid-range aperture to help manage white snow. But also think about the creative use of aperture. A wider aperture can result in the infusion of sparkly snow bokeh. This is a beautiful technique for smaller, more intimate types of scenes or even macro winter images. 

3. Consider your white balance

The colour of snow can depend on the colour of the light in a scene, especially when the sun is shining or during sunrise and sunset. Snow will range from cool blue in the shadows to warm tones in the highlights, but snow should be white on overcast days. It's easy to accidentally give the snow a yellow, green or magenta tint when post-processing your images. Be aware of the colour of your snow. Tweak your white balance selectively in post-processing, paying specific attention to highlights and shadows. 

ISO 64 14mm f9 1/13 sec

Now, what are you waiting for? Layer up and head outdoors! Beautiful wintry scenes are waiting for you and your camera! If you need expert tips on preparing for extreme winter weather, check out my friend and fellow Canadian winter photographer, Daniel Tremblay's, expert tips HERE!