I LOVE shooting in the snow! Well…I love shooting in the snow as long as it’s fairly warmish (like 30 degrees and NOT windy), the light isn’t overly bright and direct (midday, slightly overcast skies are perfect), and I can do a quick, mini-session with a cooperative model. Not too many stipulations, do you think? LOL! Okay, so shooting in the snow can be challenging, but it can be fun and allow you the opportunity for capturing some amazing images!
Beautiful light is the biggest bonus for snow day shooting. What?!!! Yeah, I know we get the dreary, gray days and we also get those full-sun, blindingly bright days, but on the days when the sun is slightly out or even with bright cloud cover, you can find some amazing light! The snow all around acts as a huge, soft reflector to bounce light up on your subject. If the sun is out, you can shoot in the open shady areas that are usually preferred by natural light enthusiasts and if it’s slightly overcast, the whole world is your open shade! Okay, so you still need to find the best light for your particular subject. I found that on this day, shooting around 1:00 pm, I could position my model just about anywhere, but I liked the light best to her right side and coming in over her shoulder. The snow on the ground around her reflected enough light back into her face that I did not need to use any kind of fill light. I just love the soft, glowy quality of this light! I also like sun flare effect on some images, and since we were not shooting at the prime time of day to get that naturally (the sun was too high and hidden in the overcast sky), I did add in some pretty flare overlays during the processing of my images. The trick to doing this and making it look natural is to position it where the light is actually striking your subject. It would not have worked as well to have it coming in from the opposite side of the image since there are naturally more shadows there. I have to say, I love how it all came out! And, since contrast is my favorite thing in photography, the girly/glam clothing, the modern/vintage styling, the urban grunge in the country setting, and the light/dark tones from the rust and snow all blended together to make this photographer do a happy dance!
This shoot took me about 10-15 minutes tops, which included the time it took us to trek into the woods and find our spots. I was happy, and more importantly, my little model was happy and didn’t freeze while I tried to get the “perfect” shot. My camera gear was also happy to not be subjected to the cold for any longer than necessary. So, my advise about snow day shooting….grab your camera, bribe your model with the promise of hot chocolate, and get out there! You will be so happy that you did!
{Gorgeous custom dress and ruffle socks are from Hucklebuckles. LOVE!}
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by stacey
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