In addition to this article, don’t miss our compilation with all the tips to photograph the most incredible landscapes (winter or any other season 😉 ).
Not everything in landscape photography is lush flowers, deep green lawns, lush vegetation, and warm lighting. Landscapes can also be cold, snowy, wet, dark, and lonely. If you are one of those who hibernate together with your camera throughout the cold season, or one of those who think that there is nothing to see in a forest in winter, or that the only thing that can be portrayed in winter are the wise men, Santa Claus or any tradition that characterize your land… This article will make you change your mind.
Of course, in winter it is cold, it rains, it snows, it gets dark early and many other inconveniences. Photographing landscapes in winter is for champions, for crazy people or for enthusiasts, but above all for the lucky ones, because the beauty of a landscape in winter, the force that it can transmit is so unique that it is worth going through all the inconveniences in the world to contemplate her
Equipment Considerations
Preparing the material you may need well before leaving home can make the difference between a pleasant photography session and a disastrous one.
Appropriate clothing and footwear: Study well the place you are going to, if snow can surprise you, what maximum and minimum temperature you will have that day, if it will be sunny, etc. and dress accordingly. It is very important to be comfortable but at the same time well protected of possible inclement weather. don’t forget some gloves, you can use thin tactile ones, ones with cut fingers, or whatever you like. Think that the camera gets very cold and easily and it is unpleasant to handle it with frozen fingers 😉
Batteries: If you still do not have two, this is another of the great occasions to buy it. batteries in cold environments are downloaded before. So make sure you carry yours fully charged, and if possible carry more than one.
Tripod: If you like landscape photography, you should already know that it is almost mandatory to have one. Although it may seem to the contrary, carrying a tripod will open up creative possibilities as well as guarantee better sharpness in your images.
Backpack: A good waterproof backpack will save your equipment on more than one occasion, and will also allow you to carry it well organized and safe inside.
Waterproof camera case: Or failing that, a plastic bag and tape, or a rubber band, or the parasol to adjust it to the body and the lens. The humidity can end up causing the appearance of fungi inside, if you protect it correctly, you will avoid this costly repair.
Objective: There is no perfect lens for landscapes, because each person has their style and preferences, although the standard lens recommended for landscapes is a wide angle, due to its wide angle that allows you to cover more of the scene.
special settings
Manual mode
In landscape photography we always recommend that you try to master all the parameters of the scene. That is, forget about automatic and even semi-automatic modes. You have plenty of time to set up your scene and decide what you want to get, test and make a few mistakes and fix them on the spot.
- Diaphragm: Remember that the larger the diaphragm opening, the shallower the depth of field (F/ 1:4, F/2:8, etc.), so if you want a well-focused landscape, you should position yourself at more closed diaphragms (F/16, f/18, etc.)
- Speed: Also remember that high speeds allow you to freeze the movement and slow speeds allow you to portray how it flows.
- ISO: Do not forget that the higher ISO the worse picture quality, so especially in landscapes it’s important to keep it low. Hence the importance of the tripod to work with low speeds.
Snow
Not everything in winter is snow, but it is clear that it is a very important and very characteristic element of winter. However, to photograph it correctly, it is important that you know how certain situations fool the photometer of your camera. Snow is one of the most characteristic. The photometer interprets that there is much more light than actually exists and makes its interpretation. The result is a grayish snow instead of white.
To correct this photometer error, you can expose for a neutral gray through a gray chart, or you can increase exposure in your camera by +1.5 to +2 points. To know what the correct exposure is, you will have to do several tests until you are satisfied with the result of your scene.
Fog
Don’t think of it as something to “deal with” in winter. Foggy days are as rare as they are magical and you can take advantage of them to increase the interest of your images. The fog will help you explain a story of mystery or loneliness, of unreality or sadness, in addition to giving you one of the most magical lights you can find; soft, diffuse, low contrast and non-existent shadows.
To photograph fog it is advisable, for example, to shoot low speeds that show the almost unreal path of the fog, but above all, control the exposure well, since the fog deceives the photometer in a similar way to what happens with snow. In this article you can delve into everything you need to know about fog photography.
What and how to photograph a winter landscape
Winter is similar to black and white photography since many of the colors that other times of the year give us disappear. This absence or decrease in colors makes everything take on a more monochromatic tone, but no less photogenic for that.
the center of interest
Since the image will not stand on its own, you will have to help it by choosing the center of interest well, and helping it to stand out through the compositional techniques that you choose
- rule of thirds: Locate the center of interest in one of the intersections that result from the division of the frame into three parallel and horizontal lines, will make your center of interest stand out automatically.
- Horizon rule: If you divide the frame into three horizontal lines, the part of your image you want to highlight should take up about 2/3 of the scene, and the other the remaining 1/3.
- Gaze law: It consists of “letting the image breathe” in front of the place where the gaze or the portrayed action is directed.
- negative space: Negative space is used to highlight the center of interest by placing it in a background that does not stand out above the main subject, so that it accompanies it, but does not detract from it.
The importance of details
Sometimes the vast snowy expanses too monotonous can become visually boring. Look in the details of fallen leaves, snowflakes, fruits hidden under the snow, moss… They will help you portray winter in a more original and visually attractive way.
- Textures: Some rocks, moss, the nerves of a leaf… Everything has texture and adds interest to the image.
- Contrast: In a “monotone” color scene, a vivid color for example, highlights a lot and is another way to add interest to the image and even make it the protagonist of it.
The beat and break the beat
Rhythm is the arrangement of elements in a plane. When these are repeated in an orderly or disorderly way, we speak of an image having rhythm. In the following image, you can see a formal composition based on rhythm (the trees are repeated in a more or less orderly way) which in turn breaks it thanks to the person riding a bicycle. The bicycle not only breaks the formal rhythm, but also does so through contrast which produces the winter color of the background (cold) with the warm and vibrant color of the cyclist’s red jacket. This increases the interest and beauty of the image.
black and white
Since many winter scenes contain similar tones, it’s not hard to imagine how a black and white winter scene might turn out. Not only is it a great opportunity to get black and white images, but it will also help you learn to preview the scenes, since many times the tones will be so close to black and white that you will hardly need to use your imagination to recreate the scene. in your mind before seeing the result.
Movement
If you have been cautious and have followed the initial advice regarding the necessary preparation before going to photograph the winter, being surprised by a snow storm is something that you can take advantage of a lot. As long as, as I say, you and your team are perfectly prepared and willing to spend some time under the snow. Use low speeds in the middle of a snow storm, it will provide you with images as suggestive as the one you can see below. Above all, forget about the flash, because all you would get is an image full of bright white dots in the foreground.
Use movement to portray snowstorms
symbology
Winter is not always evident in the landscapes that surround us because the truth is that there are many places where, for example, snow does not reach. Although that doesn’t stop them from being winter landscapes, right? Luckily there are many other ways to convey the cold season in an image. Using symbols that we associate with winter will convey the same feeling and the same message as if it were a snowy landscape. Deciduous trees, ice, a smoking chimney in the middle of the landscape, or animals huddled in the cold, are some examples of symbols that we easily associate with winter.
Feelings and emotions
Each season carries with it a series of feelings or common associations or at least generalized. Winter is cold, lonely, raw, and often cruel, but at the same time heartbreakingly beautiful. There are few people in the streets, few animals in the woods, few hours of daylight. Winter is the warmth of the home and the cold for those who unfortunately do not have it. As a photographer, surely you want to transmit something more than a beautiful image, right? so try not to forget the importance of transmitting emotion, and the possibilities that each scenario provides you.
control your steps
Be especially careful to watch your step in snowy landscapes. Your own footprints can destroy an immaculate landscape, pure and without a trace of human presence. Unless footprints are an interesting part of your composition, be careful where you step so you don’t destroy your own…