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How to take the best winter photographs

winter photographs

Winter photographs are exquisite. Snow and frozen nature are always a good subject for landscape photographers. But taking outside picture in the winter season is not always easy. There aren’t many sunny days, the day is short, the light is poor, it’s cold and there aren’t many colors around. But winter has something magical, that makes you fight the cold and go outside in the snow. It might be the stories, the purity of white, the emotion of the passing year. Who knows? Here are some bits of advice to help you take the best winter pictures.

Take several batteries with you

In cold weather, the camera’s batteries run out quickly. Sometimes really quickly, especially if they aren’t new. Charge them well before going outside and take with you as many as you can.

Protect you and the camera from cold

Some cameras don’t work very well in freezing temperatures. You can add a coat to your camera to protect it. Also, put it in the bag when you are not using it. The same applies for you. Wear warm clothes and very good boots. Don’t leave without gloves. A shivering photographer cannot deliver sharp pictures.

Pay attention to exposure

Due to the large amounts of reflected light in your scene, the camera can underexpose your pictures. Pay attention and if this is the case, switch to manual exposure and set the parameters by yourself. It isn’t an easy job to photograph snow, especially when you have colored subjects around. A good balance between white and color is needed. Pay attention to the light and try to focus exactly on your preferred subject in order to achieve the best exposure (e.g. A picture of people in snow and sun can underexpose their faces or overexpose the snow).

Don’t be afraid of tonal contrast

In winter, there isn’t much color to photograph. The landscape is covered in bluish shades, brown and gray. But the absence of color can be your chance to deliver a picturesque photograph, almost like a painting. Soft shades of blue and pink, neutral tones, atmospheric images are the key ingredients for winter landscape photography. When everything is frozen and stands still, the calm and the serenity will transpose into your picture.

Take advantage of the weather

Big, fluffy snowflakes, icy trees, misty mornings, dark blue sky. These are just some of the advantages provided by winter. Add the smoke from chimneys, cloudy days, and stunning sunsets and you’ll have a memorable picture. In winter weather there is always a story to tell. It might be a holiday, a joyful sleighing day, or a village stillness. Winter gives to endless possibilities and ideas.

Shoot in black and white

Silhouettes are much more visible when there aren’t any green obstacles. Winter is the best season for architecture photography, for black and white landscape photography, and for shape photography. Without the colors to distract you, you can focus on shape, textures, and patterns. Play around in geometrical shapes. Besides a portfolio of graphical designer photographies, you will also train your eye to look for graphical elements.

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