Winter Memories: Photographing Your Kids in the Snow

Snow can be tricky to shoot in, there’s so much white and when the sun comes out the light reflects all around making it difficult to expose properly. There is also the cold temperatures to deal with, making sure you are dressed warmly and that the moisture doesn’t damage your camera.
But the snow also makes for some wonderful photo opportunities, so there’s no excuse to not get out there and take some great photos of your kids!

Photographing in the Snow

Keeping your Camera Dry
One problem with shooting in adverse weather is keeping your camera safe. When shooting on cold, snowy days it is important that you keep your camera dry. You may want to invest in a specially designed camera sleeve, or in a pinch, you could use a plastic bag with a hole cut in it for the lens to keep moisture (or an errant snowball!) off of your camera.
You also want to avoid condensation build up on your camera, so seal it in a plastic bag before you return inside. The condensation will form on the outside of the bag instead of the camera as it returns to room temperature.

Metering and Exposure

Taking photos in the snow can be a little tricky at first, there’s just so much white reflecting light back at you. Your camera’s meter tries to compensate by underexposing and you end up with dull, grey looking photos.
I prefer to change the camera’s metering mode to spot metering and expose off of my subject, I may lose some detail in the snow but I would rather see the detail in the subject I am shooting. Alternatively, you could adjust your exposure compensation to over-expose slightly.

Capture the Wonder and Fun
Whereas adults seem to bore quickly of the snow and only notice how cold it is out, children are constantly fascinated by it. Step back and capture images of your children tirelessly playing: whether they are building a snowman, throwing snowballs, catching snowflakes on their tongues or simply watching the snow fall to the ground.
There is a multitude of different things you could photograph your children doing in the snow, from different angles. Why not try positioning yourself above them to take a photo looking down on them making a snow angel? Crouch down to capture them digging in the snow, step back to photograph a sledding scene or get in close for photographs of snow-covered hats, gloves or eyelashes.

Remember to dress warm and have fun!

Printique Contributor: Rebecca Sims is a British transplant living in the bustling city of Chicago with her husband and son after the three years that they spent living together in Germany.
Her blog, Bumbles & Light, is a place where she shares her love of photography, writing, cooking, and creativity.