Taking pix in the Snow
GREETINGS! It's been a bit cold here again---into the 30's. The nice thing is, it doesn't stay long down here in Florida. We usually have to make quite a journey to find any snow, much less ski. But, for those who are fortunate enough to be able go skiing or for those who are unfortunate enough to live in the harsh winters of the mid-western USA, here are some tips for taking your camera out into the snow.
I'm sharing much of the information from Digi Pixels who can be found at Lifepics.com.
Before you venture out into the Winter Wonderland, make sure your clothing will keep you warm and dry. Dress in layers, warm socks and snow boots, if possible. Consider a pair of fingerless gloves to keep your hands warm but still allow you to adjust your camera settings.
Your camera equipment needs to stay warm and dry, too. Let your camera adjust to the sudden temperature change from a warm house to the cold outside air. If you don’t allow for the adjustment your lens will fog over and you can’t get a thing. Take it outside in its case or your camera bag. After a few minutes, take it out of the case. Make sure your battery is fully charged, as they run out of juice faster in cold weather. Watch where you are walking as you are shooting; a misstep in the snow can land you – and your camera – in a wet soggy mess. Also, make sure your extra lenses are secure. One fell out of my coat pocket into an icy stream like this one. :_(
Snow scenes are full of bright white color. Your camera will see this and try to turn all the pure white into grey, leaving you with a portrait of dirty snow. So, you have to trick your camera in order to take an accurate image of the snowy scene. Lower your ISO to 50 or 100, and open your lens up one or two f-stops more than the auto setting suggests.
Most point and shoot cameras have a Program setting where you can adjust it to presets like no flash, an certain ISO or to overexpose the picture. (It will be a kind of plus or minus symbol with number increments.) On a bright, sunny day set your camera to 1/1000 shutter speed, f/8 aperture, and ISO at 100. Use the same settings for an overcast day. Check your histogram. If you need more light, adjust the shutter speed down a notch to a lower number. This allows more light into the camera.
If you want to try shooting snow scenes at night, increase your shutter speed to about 5 seconds and make sure you use a tripod. Release the shutter with the self timer so you don't cause a blur when you push the button to take the picture. Check the photo and adjust the shutter speed to make the photo lighter or darker (increase it for lighter photos; decrease it for darker photos).
After you return from shooting in the snow, put your camera back in its bag for a few minutes, then bring it in. Allow time for it to readjust to the warmth. I place mine near a window for 5 minutes and then move it to a warmer area before taking it out of the bag.
PHOTOTIP: Play around with the brightness and contrast levels on your computer. Add more red and yellow into the photos if they appear too blue or grey. Save a few color variations versions as well as black and white.
BLESSINGS!
Matthew 13:16
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Bella update: We thought we were doing really well with potty training, but apparently we were wrong.
Before you venture out into the Winter Wonderland, make sure your clothing will keep you warm and dry. Dress in layers, warm socks and snow boots, if possible. Consider a pair of fingerless gloves to keep your hands warm but still allow you to adjust your camera settings.
Your camera equipment needs to stay warm and dry, too. Let your camera adjust to the sudden temperature change from a warm house to the cold outside air. If you don’t allow for the adjustment your lens will fog over and you can’t get a thing. Take it outside in its case or your camera bag. After a few minutes, take it out of the case. Make sure your battery is fully charged, as they run out of juice faster in cold weather. Watch where you are walking as you are shooting; a misstep in the snow can land you – and your camera – in a wet soggy mess. Also, make sure your extra lenses are secure. One fell out of my coat pocket into an icy stream like this one. :_(
Most point and shoot cameras have a Program setting where you can adjust it to presets like no flash, an certain ISO or to overexpose the picture. (It will be a kind of plus or minus symbol with number increments.) On a bright, sunny day set your camera to 1/1000 shutter speed, f/8 aperture, and ISO at 100. Use the same settings for an overcast day. Check your histogram. If you need more light, adjust the shutter speed down a notch to a lower number. This allows more light into the camera.
After you return from shooting in the snow, put your camera back in its bag for a few minutes, then bring it in. Allow time for it to readjust to the warmth. I place mine near a window for 5 minutes and then move it to a warmer area before taking it out of the bag.
PHOTOTIP: Play around with the brightness and contrast levels on your computer. Add more red and yellow into the photos if they appear too blue or grey. Save a few color variations versions as well as black and white.
BLESSINGS!
Matthew 13:16
Sharktooth Gallery
Home Page
email: artisticimagesbypc@me.com
Bella update: We thought we were doing really well with potty training, but apparently we were wrong.
Posted by Pamela at 1/19/2012 9:05 PM 
Categories: America, How to take better pictures, Instructional, FUN, Photography tips
Tags: photos snow winter wonderland camera fog warm gloves layers photo readjust lighter darker brightness contrast shutter speed ISO self timer night tripod
Categories: America, How to take better pictures, Instructional, FUN, Photography tips
Tags: photos snow winter wonderland camera fog warm gloves layers photo readjust lighter darker brightness contrast shutter speed ISO self timer night tripod
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