When the weather turns from warm to cool to downright cold, and the once green grass is blanketed by a thick layer of powdery snow, many people avoid the outdoors in favor of sipping hot chocolate by a fire. However, the winter season can be a great time for beautiful winter photography.
The Winter Season
Winter is the last season of the year, and the first season of the next. Winter represents both death and life. Beauty can be found in the conflicting aspects of the season. A bare tree, stripped of leaves, standing in the midst of untouched snow. The glisten of sunlight off a row a icicles. A photographer can capture the essence of winter in a photograph that allows the viewer to feel the stillness and taste the chill. The low-lying sun causes objects to cast deeper shadows. The sun can also illuminate the scene or cast a hazy pallor depending on the cloudiness of the day.
Wildlife
Viewing a photograph of an animal during winter feels almost intimate. There is a raw beauty in seeing how another species has adapted to survive the harsh winter climate. Some animals, like the Arctic Fox, have fur that changes color with the seasons. Brown during the warmer months, the fur of the Arctic Fox changes stark white to camouflage itself with the snow. Many animals remain active during the winter season and some species adapt different habits. For example, white-tailed deer often form into large herds during the winter months. Winter photography can be especially beautiful when it showcases the adaptation and survival of wildlife.
Landscapes
During the winter season, landscapes are markedly changed. This allows the photographer to capture familiar locations in completely new ways, and can push them to find new locations that are made beautiful by the winter season. A run-down barn in a field of trampled grass in June becomes a stunning landscape of white when snow covers the barren soil and frost gleams off broken windows.
Winter Precautions
Winter can provide the inspiration to capture truly beautiful photographs. Take the proper precautions to assure you are able to take full advantage of the season. Batteries do not last as long in the cold, so come prepared. There is nothing worse than hiking a mile down a trail and finding out the battery on your camera is going to die after fifteen minutes of shooting pictures. If you are using a metal tripod in very cold weather be careful of touching it with bare hands. When your warm skin touches freezing metal it could cause your skin to stick to it. Be cautious of your breathing. In cold weather, your breath has the potential to ice up the back of your camera and can prevent you from taking that perfect split-second photograph.
So, what are you waiting for? Put that hot chocolate in a travel mug, put your equipment in the car, and don’t forget to bring an extra pair of socks.
Mark Dolby is a Wedding Photographer in Leeds. He has a number of years experience and has shot winter weddings.