Amy Sandoval Photography Blog

This might be the big one! I know a lot of you are weather-burned from recent forecasts of snow only to see…absolutely not one flake. But all weather stars seem to be aligning and it seems it’s time to go to the grocery store and get ready for snow! I’m hoping to shoot a senior portrait session in the snow this weekend if we can coordinate it and you’ll probably want to get outside and photograph some snowy photos, too – since this is a pretty rare sight for Hampton Roads.

But why is it so hard to make the camera’s photos as pretty as what we see with our eyes? Metering! Cameras have a tendency to underexpose snow because the brightness throws off its metering functionality. There are ways to trick many cameras to expose bright photos properly.

See if your camera offers exposure compensation: Exposure Compensation lets you quickly add or subtract from 1/3 to 2 stops (or more on some pro cameras). When photographing snow, experiment with adding more exposure, anywhere from +1/3 to +2 stops. Let your camera (and your eye and that viewfinder) be your guide. Just remember that adding more exposure will help. To make things trickier, remember that if it’s too bright you will not be able to recover the photo and you will have very “blown out” areas of white with no detail. It’s a fine line.

Here are more excellent cold-weather shooting tips straight from Canon:

• Cold batteries die faster, especially in temperatures below the freezing point, so keep your batteries warm. Carry them close to your body/in pockets/under clothes. Also, bring spares and keep those warm in your pockets until ready for use.
• Give your camera equipment time to acclimate when going from cold to warm temperatures. Otherwise, you risk condensation build-up, which can damage lenses as well as internal digital camera components. Gradually introduce it to warmer temperatures. For example, leave your equipment in the garage or on a covered porch for a while before moving it inside.
• Another trick to prevent condensation build-up when moving from cold to warm temperatures is to seal your camera in an airtight plastic bag (such as a Ziplock). Seal the camera completely inside of the bag BEFORE moving indoors, and condensation should form on the bag rather than the camera. Leave the camera inside the bag until it’s had a chance to fully warm up to room temperature.
• If you anticipate mild snow or rain while shooting, waterproof your camera with plastic bags. Bring lens cloths or lint-free tissues to wipe off any moisture that might build up on the lens from melting snowflakes.
• Invest in fingerless gloves with a fold-back mitten top, so you can access camera controls while keeping your hands as warm as possible in between shots.