Pls give tips / advice for taking pics in the snow

[djrambis]

Hello All,

Taking the family out to Lake Tahoe this weekend. Should be a lot of fun and I want to take some nice photos of the kids and family playing in the snow. This will be my first time taking pics in this environment. I only have the equipment listed below in my sig. I will of course do a lot of experimental shots (practice practice) but wanted to get some tips that I should be aware of when taking shots in the snow. Any/all feedback are welcome. Thanks!!

[Jim_T]

With lots of bright white in your scenes, you'll find that the metering gets overwhelmed and your exposures turn out slightly underexposed. As a result, the snow will appear grey..

You'll need to add positive exposure compensation to allow for it.. Add about one stop. You can see how you're doing by checking the histogram. You want as little space as possible between the histogram peaks and the right side of the display.. DON'T let any part of the histogram pattern go past the right side of the display or you'll be overexposed.

It's better to be a bit underexposed... In this case you can use the levels function in your photoediting software to correct it..

[Citizensmith]

What Jim said. Every camera imagines itself in a mid gray world. The camera still thinks snow is mid gray so it does its hardest to make it look that way. Use exposure compensation to add a bit. You've got digital so take lots with varying amounts, but as Jim said, watch you don't blow out the highlights.

And if you ever find yourself taking a picture of a black cat on a coal pile, remember the camera thinks its all gray. So now you need to underexpose.

[tim]

A book on exposure, especially relating to digital cameras, would be beneficial. Alternately have a look at this post (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=512601&highlight=green+towel#post512601), pay most attention to the first and last posts of the thread. It links to a useful resource.

You'll have to use exposure compensation up to 2.5 stops, trust in your histogram.

[robertwgross]

For a wide open scene at Tahoe, I would try to use a polarizer in daylight. Then, if there is snow visible in the scene, I would start cranking up the Exposure Compensation. The maximum for new/white/bright snow is +2.0, so more likely older snow should go at +1.5 or +1.0. Then if it is really old snow, maybe only +0.5.

---Bob Gross---

[Starfleet_EMH]

What Jim said. Every camera imagines itself in a mid gray world. The camera still thinks snow is mid gray so it does its hardest to make it look that way. Use exposure compensation to add a bit. You've got digital so take lots with varying amounts, but as Jim said, watch you don't blow out the highlights.

And if you ever find yourself taking a picture of a black cat on a coal pile, remember the camera thinks its all gray. So now you need to underexpose.

In this case, would it help to shoot an area of snow and use that picture for "custom white balance"? ???

EMH

[robertwgross]

In this case, would it help to shoot an area of snow and use that picture for "custom white balance"? ???

Do not confuse white balance with exposure. They are two completely different things.

---Bob Gross---

[Starfleet_EMH]

Do not confuse white balance with exposure. They are two completely different things.

---Bob Gross---

:o oops -- gotcha!

EMH

[Citizensmith]

Do not confuse white balance with exposure. They are two completely different things.

---Bob Gross---

As Bob said, the snow would be a good thing for white balance, but no, it won't solve the exposure problem.

This is actually another time when a gray card is useful. You could meter using the gray card (or suitable neutral subject) without having to worry about exposure compensation. You'd probably need to be in manual mode though or the camera will change its mind as soon as you give it a chance and go back to the ol' gray snow thing.

[robertwgross]

You'll have to use exposure compensation up to 2.5 stops, trust in your histogram.

300D only allows a maximum of 2.0 stops of exposure compensation. Beyond that, and you would have to eyeball it in Manual mode or something.

---Bob Gross---

[robertwgross]

This is actually another time when a gray card is useful.

Technically, this is correct. However, personally, I find the use of a gray card is terribly impractical outside of a studio. Especially up there in snow country, I'm not going to set up my camera, then step in front of it with a gray card, meter, think, etc.

Generally, when I am skiing, I will start my snow exposure at about +1.0 or +1.5, shoot, look at the histogram, and then modify as necessary.

---Bob Gross---

[Citizensmith]

Technically, this is correct. However, personally, I find the use of a gray card is terribly impractical outside of a studio. Especially up there in snow country, I'm not going to set up my camera, then step in front of it with a gray card, meter, think, etc.

Generally, when I am skiing, I will start my snow exposure at about +1.0 or +1.5, shoot, look at the histogram, and then modify as necessary.

---Bob Gross---

Technically I agree with you. :)

To be quite honest I never carry one and just rely on being able to estimate the exposure compensation needed.

[Todd Jacobsen]

We are talking minimum apeture f8 right?

I made the mistake of attempting to take a picture of a local igloo created from snow storm dump last month and was getting B-L-O-W-N out constantly. My shutter speed was maxed through f8. Going to f16 finally allowed a reasonable shot.

It was the one time I wished I had the ability to to EC down to +/-5 (Nikon)...

[robertwgross]

We are talking minimum apeture f8 right?

I'm not certain that any minimum aperture has been discussed in this thread.

Nothing wrong with f/16, or the Sunny 16 Rule.

---Bob Gross---

[DavidEB]

Snow scenes are one of the few situations in which I use Manual exposure mode. I find that the Av/Tv/P modes gives inconsistent exposure depending on what fraction of the frame is snow (white) and what fraction is person (darker).

What I do is this: use a polarizer (really helps), set lowest ISO, set medium f-stop, then meter on several people, take an average of the metering and dial in that shutter speed.

On overcast days, one exposure fits all uses. In bright sun, set the shutter speed for frontlit subjects in sun, and turn up 1-2 stops for backlit (face in shadow).

some parts of the snow will be "blown out" in your exposure (that is, pure white), particularly on cloudless days. If you don't like that, check the histogram and dial the shutter speed down until nothing is blown out.