Winter Photography
10 tips to capture scenes of the season on public lands
Steam rises off a frosted river and catches the low-angled sun, glowing up into gold, pink, and purple reflections on the ice. Wind lifts drifting snow into glittering columns, and hoar frost spikes around bare branches.
Have you taken your camera out for a walk yet this season?
On a clear, cold morning, ice crystals in the air form a “sundog” halo on the horizon. Bald eagles, waxwings, and bluebirds gather around their winter feasts, and river otters frolic in and out of their patch of open water.
Winter photography may bring a few extra challenges, but the creative rewards more than make up for chilly temps and short days. Check out these tips and get focused on the wonders of winter:
1. Take advantage of extra golden hours
Winter brings the best light of the year for outdoor photography. The sun stays low in the sky stretching out what photographers refer to as the “golden hour” into “golden hours.” The low-angle light is softened by the amount of atmosphere it must pass through and its directional quality creates interesting shadows. Look for days with 20 to 30 percent cloud cover for great results.
2. Create mood with water, low temps, and a late sunrise
If you don’t mind cold fingers, try out the bank of a river right at sunrise on a sub-freezing morning. The difference in temperature between the water and the air produces steam. The extra atmosphere combined with the light can create amazing sunrises even on otherwise uninspiring, cloudless mornings. Bonus: the winter sun gets up at a more reasonable hour than summer sunrises.
3. Play with snow
This is true year-round, but just being ready with the camera is half the battle. Light and fluffy snow can create photo opportunities that you don’t see coming. Often they happen very quickly, but if you’re looking for them, your chance of capturing something memorable is much higher.
4. Look for winter wildlife convocations
A collection of eagles is called a “convocation” — and winter is the best season to catch large groups of bald eagles gathered together in prime ice-free fishing areas. Along lakes and rivers, patches of open water also attract other wildlife such as osprey, waterfowl, American dippers, and river otters. If these areas remain dependably ice-free through the winter, plan to return to them often — you never know what might show up!
Fruit-eating birds such as waxwings and bluebirds are another winter social spectacle. Large flocks wander through towns and cities, feasting on the fruits of trees like mountain ash and crabapple. Set your camera at a higher shutter speed to capture the commotion. Zoom out for the scene and zoom in to follow the antics of individual birds.
5. Work with the wild elements
The combination of wind, water, and cold can create amazing scenes. This can happen when a powerful storm front arrives before lakes freeze up. It also can play out all winter in areas with moving water that never freezes solid. You can visit a spot like this over and over throughout the winter and find something new each time.
6. Ice reflects and refracts light
We often take photos of sunrises or sunsets reflected in water, but ice also has reflective qualities. Adding some ice to the low angle of morning and evening winter light results in dramatic effects and illuminated landscapes. When skies are clear and cold, look for the phenomena of “sundogs,” especially when the sun is low on the horizon. These halo effects form when light refracts through ice crystals suspended in the air — their arcs and rainbows can make fun photo compositions.
7. Keep the important bits warm & acclimatize the rest
Although cold temperatures create winter magic, they can also create a lot of challenges for photographers. Have spare batteries and keep them warm — when it is extra cold out, you might need to cycle batteries between your camera and inside coat pockets between shots. In situations where you might leave your camera outside for longer durations — say, for a timelapse — you might need to attach handwarmer packets to your lens to keep the glass from fogging up.
If you are out scoping for scenes from your car, be prepared for a chance wildlife encounter by keeping your windows down — the chill is not ideal, but your camera will already be acclimated to the outdoor temperature and your lens won’t fog during that once-in-a-lifetime shot.
Finally, make sure you have enough layers to stay safe in unpredictable weather, and be prepared with extra supplies.
8. Narrow your focus during a snowfall
Photographing wildlife during a snowfall can be rewarding but a little tricky. It helps to understand how your camera’s autofocus works. Contrasts of color helps a camera to automatically find its focus, which is why getting a sharp focus lock on a darker subject will be easier and faster than on a light-colored subject during falling snow.
If the snowfall is heavy, the camera may also struggle to find focus among so many moving particles at different depths of field. Try using a single point autofocus setting, but consider switching to manual focus if the camera continues to struggle.
9. Frost is fascinating
Hoar frost displays a unique texture and is great for landscape photographs, where it adds contrast and depth. Play with your camera settings to capture frost in detail, using a shallow depth of field and close focus.
10. Approach by anticipation
How you approach wildlife can affect your success in getting the shots you want. More importantly, there is an ethical way to approach wildlife, no matter what the season. A novice mistake is to take the A-to-B approach, walking directly toward the subject and sometimes getting too close. This can disrupt the behavior you want to capture, and it often results in the animal fleeing for safety and leaving you without a shot at all.
Instead, try anticipating the animal’s movements and get ahead of your subject. Settle down quietly behind a snow drift and become part of the winter landscape, and then let the approach unfold naturally.
Contributed by: Sam Stukel, Krista Lundgren, Kyle Moon, Keith Ramos, Peter Pearsall, and Lisa Hupp.
