Have you ever noticed how wind can shape our environment? In Minnesota, the wind plays an especially big role in winter. It shapes the snow into unique and beautiful snowdrifts! In a wide-open space where the wind had been playing with the snow for weeks, I found many amazing shapes!
While just seeing these snowdrifts is fun, we often want to share neat things we find with others. In today’s digital age, this is often done by photographing them. However, photographing snowdrifts can be quite challenging due to the reduced contrast, as well as the cold weather you’re shooting in. So, read on to learn how to deal with these conditions and create beautiful snowdrift pictures that you can share with your friends and family.
Keeping Comfortable
Most importantly, you’ve got to keep yourself comfortable. It will be a lot easier to focus on photographing and it will be a much more pleasant experience if you dress for the weather. I always wear layers so I can adjust as needed. You should plan to wear a hat, gloves, snow pants, insulated boots, a winter coat, and as many base layers as you need. Snowshoes may also be helpful, depending on how deep the drifted area is that you plan to photograph.
Creating Contrast
Contrast is one of the most difficult things to deal with when photographing snow. A lack of contrast can make focusing difficult, and it can make your snowy images look like a white sheet instead of showing the detailed snowdrifts your eyes can see. Luckily, there are some things that can be done to create contrast with snow scenes.
Time of Day
Photograph snowdrifts in the afternoon when the sun is low in the sky. This will create contrast because there won’t be such harsh overhead lighting as there would be at midday. However, it’s also important not to go out too late or there’ll be lots of shadows, which will also reduce contrast.
I created my snowdrift images between 3:45 – 4:30 pm, and the sunset was at 7:15 pm. Based on my time, a good starting point for you may be 3.5 hours before sunset. Try that, and then fine-tune your shooting time by going out earlier or a little later on following days.
Angles
It’s important to pay close attention to the angle you choose to photograph the snowdrifts from because the light will change drastically based on your shooting position. To get an idea of how the light is hitting your drifts from different angles, you can walk around them. Stand tall, crouch down, and look from all angles possible. You’ll notice that the light hits very differently from each position, and from certain angles you are able to see much more of the “design” of the snowdrift.
I prefer to shoot snowdrifts facing the sun or angled towards it with the sun just out of my frame. I like the shadows this creates on the drifts, and I feel that I capture the shape of the drifts best this way.
The two images above are of the same set of snowdrifts. But, changing the angle that you photograph from changes the image dramatically. I stood for the top image, and for the second image, I stepped left to accentuate the “bumpy” part of the drift set, and crouched down to show the drift’s texture.
Orientation
You’ll also need to consider the orientation of your photos. Landscape images are great to illustrate the size of the drifts, and to show big snow formations. Vertical images are useful to illustrate movement, or how the drifts are stretched. To illustrate scale in large open spaces, include something for people to reference, such as the horizon line. Or, cut out the horizon if you want people to focus solely on the patterns in the snowdrifts.
Go Explore
Now that you’ve learned how to photograph snowdrifts it’s time to bundle up, explore open areas, and create some great images! Remember, practice is the only way to improve, so put these tips to good use and pretty soon you’ll have awesome snowdrift photos!
