Ten Tips For Shooting Winter Landscapes (Part 1)

[Editor's Note: I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Renée to our team! She has a tremendous passion for outdoor photography, as well as getting back to the basics, which I think we can all appreciate at any skill level. For her first articles, she is going to write a two-part series for winter landscapes. I hope you find her writing as informative and motivational as I did!]

If you’re living in the northern hemisphere right now, chances are you’re struggling with the snow. As a photographer, snow can be a nightmare. Not only does it make conditions rather cold to work in, but the lighting is a bit intense and it tends to mess with your exposure. So here are some steps to keep in mind if you’re planning on capturing some beautiful winter landscapes this season.

1) Bring a kit for you and your car.

It’s always good measure to bring heavier coats just in case, as well as a basic kit if you find yourself stuck in the middle of a storm. Such kits often include a blanket, food and drink, first aid, a flashlight, batteries, and the essentials for your car, such as cables to pull your car out of trouble if someone finds you stuck, and jacks to lift your car up, chains for your wheels if necessary, extra gas, oil, etcetera

2) Plan the weather accordingly.

Even though the weather might seem bearable where you are as you step out of your house, if you’re planning on reaching higher elevations, that can all change very quickly. The weather is more unpredictable in mountainous regions — storms come fast, and they hit hard. It’s also colder, and it keeps getting colder the higher you go. Use the Internet or The Photographer’s Ephemeris to search for weather patterns and temperatures, and always make sure you’re ahead of the game.

3) Your batteries don’t like the cold either.

Cold weather often promotes a shortened battery life for you and your camera, so it’s good to remember to bring extra batteries if you have them (if not, invest!), a car charger if your batteries are rechargeable, and keeping them somewhere warm while you’re in your car. If you’re outdoors, keep the battery in your pocket somewhere close to your body, so it takes in your body heat.

4) The cold could also bring dangers to your camera.

If you’re planning on extreme temperatures, make sure to keep your camera warm as well. From 0C/32F on downward, your screens will generally start to slow down, and your camera’s gears have the danger of freezing (which could possibly damage your camera permanently if they break).

However, if temperatures don’t seem to affecting your camera, or if it’s well above the below-zero zones, you should keep your camera cold. Don’t put it against your body, because the difference in heat and cold will cause condensation on your lenses as mentioned in the next step. Instead, keep your camera in a case to avoid contact snow when you’re moving between locations.

5) Remember to avoid condensation!

When moving from the cold outdoors to your warm car, your lens and viewfinder will fog up from condensation. Always bring a soft lens cloth to remove this condensation if necessary. However, one good way to avoid this is to keep your car cold. If the outdoors is cold, and your car is cold, no condensation will occur, which is important if you’re going into and out of your car frequently.

But that’s not all — your warm breath on a cold viewfinder or lens could also produce negative results. So make sure to watch your breath when snapping pictures, and don’t breathe on your camera lenses either.

These are just a few tips for you to keep in mind when shooting out in the frigid cold of winter. Next month, I will follow up with five more tips that will help you get the best results for shooting winter landscapes!