Practise what you preach!

SNOW TOO!

My favourite shot of the year, so far!

Soon after writing the feature about Winter photography last weekend, it snowed in Nottingham- and some!

So, not one to miss an opportunity, I packed up my equipment and hiked up to the local park, where I expected to be alone with the trees and cold stuff.... Erm.... I think half of Sherwood was there on sledges, snowboards and even skis!

Winter photography essentials

SNOW!

Patterns and colours in Winter are often more vibrant because of the contrast with the snow.

So you’re excited about this cold, white stuff because it’s the first of the Winter and it’s a novelty…. And at the moment, it’s nice and fresh and fluffy and it makes you want to go out and get those amazing Winter shots you see all over the media at this time of year.

Well, with a few precautions and a little bit of knowledge, your efforts should look good, no matter what digital camera or phone you shoot with.

Look for the unusual opportunities.

I’ve picked out a few useful hints below that should help.

#1 Try not to let your camera get too warm before you leave the house.

As soon as all that warm metal and plastic hits the cold air, it’ll probably mist over and you’ll have to wait longer for it to be useful again- that’s on the inside of the camera, as well as the outside! Keep it in a coat pocket if you can, to allow it to acclimatise, or keep it on the strap around your neck, under your coat and only whip it out when you see your photo opportunity.

#2 Carry a spare battery or two.

When the weather turns cold, so does everything else and camera batteries are no exception. With all that zooming and focussing in a cold, recalcitrant camera, they’ll not last as long, even fully charged, so keep your spares in a lovely warm inside pocket or camera bag, away from keys, coins and any other metal object that could short out the contacts- we don’t want a pocket fire, no matter how cold it is!

#3 Use the viewfinder, if you have one.

Rear LCD displays are handy and useful, but they don’t half use up your battery power! Instead, find out how to switch it off and look through the little eyepiece conveniently placed on the rear, usually top right. Make sure it’s set for your eye by adjusting the focus with the tiny little lever or dial that’s often right next to it. If no eyepiece, see tip #2 above. There’ll be a lot of glare from all of that snow, as well, so it might not be as easy to see the composition in the LCD.

#4 Stop Chimping!

Unless you’re desperate for a particular shot and need to see if you got it, don’t keep looking at the pictures you’ve taken- it’s called ‘Chimping’, because when they review their images, photographers will often make an excited ‘ooh ooh’ sound! Wait until you get home, or at least, the warm café or car. That way you’ll save battery power.

#5 Once back home - wait!

For the same reasons your camera steamed up going from warm to cold, don’t be tempted to immediately look at the images- instead, leave the camera in the coat pocket for half an hour or so to re-acclimatise. Take off your wellies, go and make a deserved cup of tea and switch on the computer instead!

That's 'snow' lion, that's a statue.... I'll get my coat....! :)

I’ve not mentioned the technical aspects of Winter photography here as it’s worthy of another post- suffice to say that you should try to get out early morning or late evening, when the light is lovely and yellow- assuming the sun is out!

Wrap up warm and have fun!

Paul

Why do my photos have that colour cast?

As someone who lives and breathes photography, I have to admit that I’m always looking at the quality of the light around me; its sources, intensity and colour- that’s right, colour! Did you know that natural light presents as a spectrum of different wavelengths, most not visible to our human eyes?

Throw open the curtains one dull mid-winter morning and you’ll be immersed in blue tinged light, (watch the latest ‘Girl with a Dragon Tattoo’ movie, to see that gorgeously atmospheric  North Swedish light- Daniel Craig’s not bad in it, too…. ). Close the curtains on a Summer sunset and the warmth of the yellow glow from the sun hits you. Sit in your living room, fire crackling, old fashioned tungsten bulbs blazing and illuminating the space, and you feel comforted by their warm, orange light. Go to the kitchen for a cuppa, switch on the fluorescent light and find yourself bathed in a harsh, greenish glow. ….. And all the time, we don’t notice, because our vision adapts to each tint and tone. But it’s there, if you look. And it shows in your images!

Cameras, however, can’t adapt so easily, and the very act of taking a photograph throws the composition into a state where we’re able to scrutinise it with more care, so you notice the alien tints and tones. 

Take a picture of your kids in the living room, for example: A couple of table lamps in the corner, your new LED reading light on the desk, curtains open on a North facing window…. No wonder your camera is confused and your kids look half Avatar character, half jaundiced plague victim! 

Bluish on the left, yellowish on the right- they wouldn't let me switch the lights off....

Yellow/orange/green/blue cast?

...and it was ALL yellow!

.... too blue.

Correct 'tungsten' white balance setting on camera- (note my funky Paul Smith sock bottom right....

Use a more neutral light, such as daylight, an LED light, or a halogen bulb, which all emit a ‘whiter’ light, or play with the ‘white balance’ setting on your camera to see which is closest to what you desire. Different cameras have different menus and buttons- if in doubt, get out the manual or go online!

Overcast day outside, happy photographer inside!(window light only)

I love- and prefer- using daylight when I photograph, (not sunlight- too harsh and intense!), whether it’s people or products, and I turn off all internal lighting, where possible, positioning my subject near the window or doorway and ‘bouncing’ light back into any shadows with anything that I can put my hands on, such as a sheet of white paper, fabric, etc. I like the more contrasty effect this gives, with stronger shadows giving the subject more depth and contrast. If the outside light is too strong, filter it through a translucent fabric such as a net curtain or cotton gauze. And remember that direct sunlight is very yellow, so try to work with indirect daylight.

If you wish, you can use your flash, but for me, it produces a flat image that doesn’t really do justice to the subject unless you spend lots of time experimenting with bouncing it off things first. Personal preference!

OK, there are other considerations that you should think about, too, such as positioning, depth of focus, angles and groupings, but they all depend on what kind of image you need and its purpose, Another blog post subject!

Whatever you do, please remember that digital photography costs nothing until you print, so play, play, play with that camera!

Paul Dale