Shooting in winter...suggestions

[Liz]

Winter is on it's way according to the temperature today (40F).

I seem to always get into that "ho-hum-what-to-shoot" mode in winter. I'd love to hear some creative ways/places to shoot in winter to give me some incentive to go out in the cold.

And how to keep warm at the same time.

Liz

[Chunk]

Make a theme of how other people cope with the situations that winter throws at them.

[Frog]

I watch the weather closely in winter to be able to take advantage of those rare sunny days or partly cloudy ones.
Eearly mornings in winter seem to be sharper than they are in summer and it seems there are more sunrises worth shooting.
My problem with that is just getting out of bed so it helps that the sunrises are later.

[racingpinarello]

Hi Liz,

I love shooting in the winter. A clearing storm in the city, a rainy day and people looking out of the cafe window, or if it snows you can do macro work of snow flakes or fresh snow on trees.

Keeping warm is important so wearing the right clothes, or limiting your exposure to short bursts. The perfect time to spend 20 minutes shooting and then having tea and looking at your pictures on your camera.

Have a great day Liz..
Loren

[Asylum Steve]

I'd love to hear some creative ways/places to shoot in winter to give me some incentive to go out in the cold...and how to keep warm at the same time...

Liz, that's easy: STAY INDOORS...

Sorry, couldn't resist. Personally. I love the cooler weather (hit the low 50's here in Central Fla last night), but yeah, at some point it gets a little TOO cold...

Anyway, I'll be shooting outdoors in Chicago in less than a month, so I'll need to have a plan if the temp dips below the comfort zone. I'll keep an eye on this thread and see what ideas folks come up with... :thumbsup:

[Liz]

Early mornings in winter seem to be sharper than they are in summer and it seems there are more sunrises worth shooting.

I didn't know that - I'll remember that when I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to get out of bed.

Liz

[Liz]

Make a theme of how other people cope with the situations that winter throws at them.

Now that is a possibility, especially watching people trying to get their cars out from under the snow......this neighborhood gets very quiet when it snows.

Liz

[Mr Yuck]

If you're like me and live where winter=rainy season

After/pre-storm sunsets/sunrises are good.

Night photography of traffic is fun too, wet pavement is slightly reflective, this is great for other street shots too, adds a new dimension. Try panning shots of cars and people, if you have a compact digital, use the viewfinder to keep the subject in the correct part of the frame.

If you have an SLR that you can zoom or focus with while exposing, that makes for some pretty nifty effects which i have YET to get right.

[another view]

I went on a workshop with Layne Kennedy five years ago and remember his story of this shot (top of the page). He was teaching a winter workshop in northern Minnesota, and they woke up to a temperature of about 40 degrees below zero. Most people wanted to photograph the thermometer to show how cold it was, but he came up with this idea - the hot water froze instantly when it hit the cold air. He's a big fan of shooting in manual mode with the spot meter, and a shot like this wouldn't come out like this in auto...

What do I do? Not sure yet. I've been thinking about this myself lately... Shooting outside in the winter can give you great results, but the conditions have to be right. A clear morning after newly fallen snow would be fantastic, but this only seems to happen on work days!

[walterick]

Liz,

I think a perfect subject for you would be kids playing in snow

[Liz]

Loren,

Thanks for the suggestions....I really like the idea of "people looking out of the cafe window."

Also, the idea of 20 minutes shooting and taking a break with some warm tea is great. I tend to overdo the outside part, then get cold and eventually stop.

Thanks.
Liz

[Liz]

Anyway, I'll be shooting outdoors in Chicago in less than a month, so I'll need to have a plan if the temp dips below the comfort zone. I'll keep an eye on this thread and see what ideas folks come up with...

Steve,

Guess we're in the same boat. I'll watch for your images.....and try go get more ideas there too.

Liz

[Liz]

I love pre/post storms. However, for some reason around here (NJ), the sky seems to stay more gray - once in a while we get a beautiful sky. I've never tried traffic, and am terrible at panning, but haven't given up.

I've always wanted to try the traffic shots, so maybe this is the time to do it. BTW, I have the Canon XTi.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Liz

If you're like me and live where winter=rainy season

After/pre-storm sunsets/sunrises are good.

Night photography of traffic is fun too, wet pavement is slightly reflective, this is great for other street shots too, adds a new dimension. Try panning shots of cars and people, if you have a compact digital, use the viewfinder to keep the subject in the correct part of the frame.

If you have an SLR that you can zoom or focus with while exposing, that makes for some pretty nifty effects which i have YET to get right.

[Liz]

Steve,
Thanks for the link. Wow! Those photos are great. The one at the top that you referred to is awesome. I wonder what the "highest" temperature has to be to cause the water to freeze instantly.

I got more ideas from some of the other photos on that link - like the face with snowflakes. Sometimes looking for the "insignificant" results in great photos - like a look, a pair of boots.....or just a "part" of the whole picture. Hope that makes sense.

I never look forward to winter where photography is concerned. However, the past spring/summer/fall I didn't get much time at all to shoot. I don't want to spend the winter indoors waiting for a spring flower to bloom to take the camera out. I'm going to work on it this year.

Thanks Steve.

Liz

[another view]

Liz, that close to NYC you have some other great photo-related places to visit for inspiration and shooting - museums. I know some you can't photograph in, but the Met isn't one of them. Don't forget about that!

[Alison]

Depends what you are shooting really. If it's portraits, it's easy. Digital BG :thumbsup:
I took one just the other day of my baby girl sitting on my desk. She was in front of my plain cream wall and had a pair of suglasses on.
I took a photograph of a drawing I had done a few years ago of a sunny beach with palm trees. Lens blurred the image.
Used the magic wand tool on Trinny's pic and placed her on a sunny beach lol.
October Photo Project: Landscapes
Great fun!

[Ronnoco]

I am one of these Canadians who really likes winter. Twenty to Forty degrees below zero, I have been there and go searching for deep snow and those kinds of temperatures.
One of my favourite sports is cross country skiing with cameras. Great scenics, water droplets, ice on branches, deer, rabbit, reindeer and elk can all be seen in the quiet of forests or on lakes at night, on cross country skis. I even encountered a herd of reindeer out on a lake at night in the winter crossing from an island to the shoreline.

I ski alone, and the only danger is getting lost in these temperatures, which only happened once so far, for about 8 hours.

Ronnoco

[Liz]

Liz,

I think a perfect subject for you would be kids playing in snow

Hmmmmm.....I don't think I have a fast enough lens!

Thanks Rick!

Liz

[Liz]

That is a really CUTE shot, Allison. I'm not sure PSElements2 has the tool. However, it may be worth checking in the middle of winter.

Liz

[Liz]

Ronnoco,

Your description "the quiet of forests or on lakes at night" made the thought of winter actually sound quite good. Life has been too busy lately. I love the silence and quiet of the woods and countryside at night. Even walking down our street after a snow storm it is quiet and peaceful.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Liz

I am one of these Canadians who really likes winter. Twenty to Forty degrees below zero, I have been there and go searching for deep snow and those kinds of temperatures.
One of my favourite sports is cross country skiing with cameras. Great scenics, water droplets, ice on branches, deer, rabbit, reindeer and elk can all be seen in the quiet of forests or on lakes at night, on cross country skis. I even encountered a herd of reindeer out on a lake at night in the winter crossing from an island to the shoreline.

I ski alone, and the only danger is getting lost in these temperatures, which only happened once so far, for about 8 hours.

Ronnoco

[readingr]

Liz

Remeber to keep your batteries next to your body or they will be useless in the real cold of winter.

Just, come off the phone, booked a weeks skiing in Canada, so can't wait to get to the snow.

In the UK, its cold and wet and some excellent conditions. Take the bike a rucksack full of photo gear and warm clothes and black bin liners to kneel, lay on to get that picture.

Also carry a handwarmer to get movement back in the clicking finger.

Polarising filter, tripod, monopod, good pen knife GPS and compass are a must.

Womans tights under the trousers to keep body warm and a good wet weather jacket.

What more can you want?, Landscapes, people, activities... all are fair game.

Roger

[Liz]

Yep! Nearly forgot about that battery! Thanks!

All you guys are inspiring me to look forward to winter! That's cool! Literally!

Liz

Liz

Remeber to keep your batteries next to your body or they will be useless in the real cold of winter.

Just, come off the phone, booked a weeks skiing in Canada, so can't wait to get to the snow.

In the UK, its cold and wet and some excellent conditions. Take the bike a rucksack full of photo gear and warm clothes and black bin liners to kneel, lay on to get that picture.

Also carry a handwarmer to get movement back in the clicking finger.

Polarising filter, tripod, monopod, good pen knife GPS and compass are a must.

Womans tights under the trousers to keep body warm and a good wet weather jacket.

What more can you want?, Landscapes, people, activities... all are fair game.

Roger