I used to relish getting out in the cold and snow. But, there is a limit to how much windchill and wind Iāll tolerate.
Maybe that makes me not a ārealā or āseriousā photographer, Iām OK with that. It doesnāt mean that I stop creating though. There are always ways to do things it means you just have to be creative.
Challenge yourself
If youāre stuck inside, not a fan of winter or for some other reason just canāt get out to your favorite local spot to photograph the snow, donāt just give up. Do something different. Iāve written about this before.
There are many ways we can challenge ourselves. Today, letās just take photos from inside, through the windows. Thatās crazy, isnāt it? Wonāt you have spots from dirty windows, weird moire from screens, not really sharp images because youāre shooting at an angle through more than one layer of glass?
Embrace the outcome
Let go of technicality. Let go of perfection. Let go of tack sharp images. Seriously, I know it can be difficult for some of you but letting go of all of that can free you up to just be creative. When youāre not thinking about what settings, how best to photograph something, your mind will start seeing things in a different way. You may start noticing details you never would have if youād been focused on the dials and buttons on your camera.
If you must know, these images were all shot on my Canon 6D with the Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3mm.
One of the favorite exercises given to me by a mentor of mine, Ron Clifford, is what he calls auto yoga. You go out (I know, weāre staying in today but it is relevant), put your camera in Auto mode and shoot. No thoughts of the depth of field, sharpness, focus, exposure or anything but what your subject is and how you are framing it.
Play and have fun in or out of the snow
These two words are part of my photography vocabulary. I ask the question āwhat if?ā a lot as well. What happens if I try this? Shoot through the window? Photograph through the screen? You really can be amazed at what outcomes you get sometimes that you may actually love.
This extends into post-processing. Every image in this article was edited in less than two minutes (Iām not patient.) A preset here, a slider there, what happens if I try this hue/more black, less texture, etc.
Out of the box snow photos
Oh right, that was the point of this article, wasnāt it? I took the majority of these images while standing toasty warm inside my house. Through the window, through the screen. There are a few (noted in the captions) that I opened the front door for. That works too and you donāt have to freeze your toes off.
While this article was about creating out of the box snow photos, you can apply these principles to any subject. Play, get creative. Put that box that you tend to operate in into the trash. Go out and create with no restraints. If itās cold, just stay in and create.
Great little article – warmly written on a cold subject. Perhaps it is time to invent the photographer’s snow-suit?
I’m out in the winter weather often so I do have snow pants, boots and warm jacket, clothing and lots of layers. Thank you.