Winter Photography Tips
Sometimes it can be difficult to motivate yourself to get out and about on winter days. If you're interested in photography though, it's worth making the effort. The lighting and weather conditions in winter can make for some great photo opportunities.
Frost
Few sights warm a photographer's heart as much as the hard frost on the ground that follows a chilly, clear night. Frosty mornings are usually accompanied by low winter sunlight, perfect for bringing out the textures and subtle colour of a scene.
Given the right subject matter it's sometimes possible to shoot into the sun as well, and a touch of mist backlit in a frosty landscape or seen though trees is a magical sight. A few days of cold weather can encourage frost to build up in sheltered valleys inland where sunlight does not penetrate, so get out for a walk and see what wonders there are to discover.
Ice
Ice is one of nature’s great wonders… a completely unpredictable, mysterious and magical example of natural art. Even a humble puddle can provide inspiration for photography once frozen. Rivers, streams, becks and waterfalls in the north of England frequently develop icy fringes in the winter months and these offer plenty of opportunities to the imaginative photographer.
If working beside a frozen lake, do resist the temptation to walk on the ice though; in the UK they are rarely frozen deep enough to take our weight.
Snow
The best tip for photographing snow is simple - get out in it while it's still snowing! Try and get snapping just after the snow has just fallen, when branches are still laden, and before the world has emerged with their dogs and sledges and boots to leave an unruly trail of sledge tracks and footprints everywhere.
If you do venture out when it's snowing, dress appropriately. Nothing spoils a walk and photography session more than catching hypothermia! See my blog on Winter Photography Gear here.
Look For Colour
When everything else is snow white, a splash of colour in your winter photos can really pop! Keep an eye out for anything colourful – shiny red berries, a leftover autumn leaf, or a bright woolly hat. Anything with a bit of colour will look great against the cold snowy landscape, so make it the subject of a few photos and see what you think.Winter light
While it isn’t necessarily snowy, icy or frosty all the time, winter can provide gorgeous lighting possibilities due to the sun being low in the sky throughout the day, and because the winter air has its own unique colour signature. The absence of green in the landscape is a bonus too, enabling compositions that are easier on the eye than ones dominated by the greens of summer. The stark and open look of trees without their leafy canopy make this a special time of year for the landscape too.
Winter light
While it isn’t necessarily snowy, icy or frosty all the time, winter can provide gorgeous lighting possibilities due to the sun being low in the sky throughout the day, and because the winter air has its own unique colour signature. The absence of green in the landscape is a bonus too, enabling compositions that are easier on the eye than ones dominated by the greens of summer. The stark and open look of trees without their leafy canopy make this a special time of year for the landscape too.
