Winter Shooting Tips

“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” – Paul Theroux

Our photography motivation often takes a hit during the winter. Those cold, dreary, short days leave us yearning for the warmth of summer, and in turn our cameras are often neglected more often than we would like. To help you stay out of this seasonal rut and keep creating, while also venturing out into the white abyss, I’ve pulled together some Winter shooting tips to keep you shooting regardless of weather conditions.

Layer up – both you AND your camera!

There’s nothing worse than freezing your buns off when you head out to capture some fun snow photos. If you are uncomfortable, it will show in your photos. What’s worse? Your gear getting cold and fogging up on you, making way for potential issues in the future. Be sure to layer up yourself, bring extra gloves, and also bring warmers for your gear. Even if it’s just an extra sock to throw over your lens. Protecting your gear will save you major headaches!

Embrace the Storm!

Some of the best winter photos are made in the middle of a storm. The whirling winds and heavy snowfall create magical worlds and help add to that pretty bokeh effect we covet so much. And on the flipside of that, head out JUST after the storm has ended. The calmness of the scene, the dramatic light as the clouds roll over the hills, the freshness of the snow. All of these elements together create the ultimate photo opportunity! It may be extra cold, but trust me, it’s extra worth it!!

Use filters on your lenses.

Another way to potentially save your gear from accidental spills or other elements is by using UV filters. Having snowflakes building up on the outside of your lens is much easier to clean and much less dangerous for your gear if all you have to do is unscrew a filter and wipe it down.

Carry a spare battery.

The cold weather will deplete your battery life much more quickly that warm temperatures. One thing you can do to help prolong the life of your batteries is to let them get down to about 50% of their charge remaining, and swap it out for your spare, and putting it somewhere warm like your pocket until it’s time to swap again. Doing this usually gives me about double the amount of time outside as opposed to simply waiting for one to die and then swapping them.

Look for bright or contrasty colours.

Snowy scenes are often full of white, grey and brown. To make your focal point pop, strive for deeply saturated or contrasty colours to really make them stand out.

Experiment with macro photography
Ice crystals are amazing to capture! The uniqueness of each individual flake is an inspiration in and of itself. I won’t claim to be a pro at macro photography since I do not own a macro lens, BUT I do love to play around with reverse freelensing when it comes to capturing those tiny details. Winter is the perfect time to really get to know your camera and try out new shooting methods!

Play with flash.

Flash isn’t only for dark interiors! Using a flash outside during a pretty snowfall can have the most dramatic and amazing effects! I like to use my flash as a backlight of sorts to outline my subjects and illuminate the snow falling around them. But don’t worry, you can do this without a flash! Use headlights from a car, a lantern, a flashlight – anything that creates directional light. Go out and play around!

Just get outside!

The only way to grow and feel more confident shooting in conditions that intimidate us is to push through your discomfort and do it anyway. You may just find a new favourite photo or 2! Maybe even a new favourite winter location to shoot. Don’t feel reduced to shooting inside all winter long. Now is the time to really throw yourself into learning new techniques. You won’t regret it! I hope you enjoyed these Winter shooting tips!

Join Jill McMillan in her Brand New Winter Wonderland Mini Course! She will share all about how to shoot and edit in the snow to create magical Winter images!

For more inspiration, follow Jill on Instagram!