Winter photography tips You won’t go wrong if you…
1 Check the exposure: Bright snow, pale skies and overcast conditions can lead to pictures that are too dark. Be ready to use positive exposure compensation to brighten things up. If you’re working in Manual mode, open the aperture, extend the shutter speed or increase the ISO.
2 Get out early: The conditions are often calmer at the start of the day, and you can capture fresh snow or frost looking its finest; otherwise you’ll miss some of that magic, especially if you live in a town or city where footprints will quickly ruin pristine ice-white pavements. Plan shots in advance so that you don’t inadvertently spoil the scene with your own feet!
3 Go minimalist: Use foggy or snowy conditions as a blank canvas, and focus on creating sparse compositions where there are only a few carefully arranged elements in the frame.
4 Get creative with colour: Look for colourful subjects that can form a focal point on grey days, and experiment with white balance along with hue, saturation and luminance adjustments in editing software to add a cool quality to frozen scenes.
5 Look after your kit: Whether you’re shooting in rain or snow, take some precautions to ensure that your camera doesn’t let you down. Use microfibre cloths to dry it regularly, fit a lens hood, and avoid changing lenses if you’re working in particularly windy conditions.