Glamour Photography In The Snow Techniques
Shooting in the snow certainly creates potentially limitless challenges beside the obvious cold temperatures. I recently did a photo shoot at the Mountain High Ski Resort here in southern California with a wonderful model from Ecuador; Barbara Palacios.
When shooting models in the snow there are a few things that you should probably be aware of.
Snow Photography Preparation Tips
Photographing models in snow can have a lot of challenges, some of which you may not be able to prepare for ahead of time. After all, winter weather can be extremely unpredictable.
So it’s important that you take the time to prepare for those items that you know you’re sure to encounter, such as the three following situations:
- The warm golden light at dawn, combined with the cold blue tones of snow, give magical effects. (Alternatively, you could shoot at sunset for similarly dramatic images.) Plus, the snow will be relatively untouched by footprints if you get up early!
- Dress warmly and wear waterproof clothes. This may sound obvious, but you’ll be amazed by how quickly you lose heat in snowy conditions. Buy “shooting gloves” (which double up as mittens and fingerless gloves) and don’t forget a hat.
- Make sure your camera’s batteries are all fully charged and keep your camera in a camera bag while moving around, so that it doesn’t get too cold. When you get home, try to put your camera in the coolest part of the house and let it warm back up gradually to avoid condensation. You could invest in some silica bags if temperature difference is a real problem.
- Sunglasses might be a good idea as well…just to keep your eyes from frying due to the sun reflecting off the snow.
Use the Correct Exposures
Knowing that your camera attempts to find the middle gray you must remember that your camera will want to make everything mid-toned, and this can lead to problems when shooting snow.
White snow always confuses your camera, and it can lead to under-exposed shots … and snow that looks gray in the final image. You’ll need to help your camera out in one of these three ways.
- First, frame your shot and focus. Then zoom in to a bright area of snow in the scene. Using your exposure compensation button, dial in a value between +2/3 to +1 2/3 EV, depending on the brightness of the snow. Take a meter reading, remember the settings, switch to manual, and dial in the new shutter speed and aperture. This overexposure will ensure that the snow looks white, but it won’t blow out other objects in the photo.
- If any mid-tone objects (such as a gray rock or building) are visible in the scene, take a meter reading off these. Setting your camera to these settings will then help it to render the snow correctly. You may have to dial in a little negative compensation (such as -1/3 EV) to stop the highlights in the snow from being blown out.
- Alternatively, you can just use your camera’s histogram to correct exposure. Take a test shot and check the histogram. If it is slightly “humped” in the middle, then just dial in a little positive compensation to add brightness. If the graph appears to fall off in the right hand edge, then just dial in a little negative compensation to stop blown out highlights.
- I personally suggest using a light meter and a strobe. You meter for the ambient and then overexpose slightly to make sure your snow is white yet retains proper texture and sparkle.
- When you bring your model in to shoot you need make sure to expose for both her and your snow. Tough I know. But the same rule applies. You over expose slightly.
Working With Your Model
Keep in mind that you will be working with models, and they likely will eventually get cold. Some of them will get colder faster than others. Be prepared for this.
- Have bottled water readily available, and stay hydrated throughout the shoot.
- Give the models regular breaks to warm up. They will thank you for it.
- It is vital to remember to maintain great communication with your models as well. You need to be checking in to make sure she is comfortable. More often the less clothes she wears.
Taking Care of Your Camera
One vital thing is taking care of your camera in the cold weather. Once you’ve exposed your camera to the outside and the change in temperature you would do well to resist the urge to bring the camera into the house right away.
Do not place your camera under your coat in hopes of warming it up or keeping your batteries from draining too quickly. The warmth of your body heat and the moisture from sweat can be potentially harmful. Plus, there is nothing worse than whipping out your camera for that once-in-a-lifetime shot only to have it fog up as soon as it’s re-exposed to the cold.
Ever notice how your glasses instantly fog when coming into warmth after being out in the cold? The same can easily happen to your camera, fogging the mirror, causing harmful condensation inside the lens, and maybe even shorting out electronic components (provided you’re part of the 21st century and using a digital camera).
Be Aware of Your Environment.
One of the things that you have to keep in mind are your footsteps and those of the models and your team in the snow. You may want to minimize those as much as you possibly can. That was something I kept telling the members of my team during our shoot.
Also be aware of deep snow. It is very possible and likely that you could end up waist deep in snow that looks like it isn’t deep.
