Digital Photo Tip #24 By Bruce Kirkby Jan 1, 2007

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Making Your White Album

 

Shooting photos while enjoying a day on the slopes can be challenging, and it’s easy to come home with results that miss the majesty and exhilaration of being in the great, snowy outdoors. With a few simple tips and a bit of practice, you can bring home stunning mid-winter memories.

 

TH E BASICS If you’re cold, you’ll rush, so a good jacket, synthetic underlayers and a toque are crucial. Also, try wearing thin gloves under your mittens to stave off numb fingers while operating your camera.

 

You also need to protect your camera and equipment by keeping them warm, dry and safe from being knocked around. Try burying your camera beneath several layers of clothing in a Ziploc bag or, better yet, in a protective case. And remember that the cold will wreak havoc on battery strength, so only use brand new or freshly charged ones out in the field.

 

EXPOSURE Your camera is programmed to make each picture appear at medium or average darkness. But because the white stuff is so bright, and your camera wants to make it look gray, you have to fool the technology. Try using “snow/beach” mode (if your camera has one), otherwise the surest way to solve this problem is by shooting in Program mode (P), and setting your “exposure compensation” (see your camera’s manual) to +1.0. Alternatively, if you want to make the snow even brighter, try experimenting with
+1 1/3 or +1 2/3. It’s also a great idea to try and include a single, colourful subject (like a neon-clad skier) before an otherwise monochrome, snow-covered landscape. To avoid shaded faces and dark outlines, turn on your flash and shoot with the sun at your back.

 

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