My Tips for Capturing Photos in Winter

Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist!

Today I'm going to be giving tips for taking photos in winter. I will be using examples. All of these photos are mine. 

Let's get into the post!

King, Alexandria. Musings of an Arthritic Artist. 2021.

1. Play Around with Framing

Framing and composition is a key part of photography. Framing and composition can elevate a photo to the next level. There isn't really a 'sweet spot, one size fits all' kind of composition and framing. It all depends on the look of the photo you want. The rule of thirds helps, but it doesn't always apply despite it being called a rule. There are many ways to approach composition and framing.

Holly Jolly Holiday. November 25, 2016. Samsung WB1100F.

I took this photo inside Target. This is technically an edited photo, but the composition and framing are exactly the same as in the unedited, original photo. For this photo, the ornament is a little off-center. Part of it is in the center, but part of it isn't. 

Kaleidoscope. December 25, 2016. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

For this photo, the composition is directly in the center because I wanted to use light as the subject.

Candy Cane Frame. December 25, 2016. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

For this one I also decided to play around with framing. I used a candy cane to frame a cupcake.

2. Take Photos in a Winter Wonderland

This one is dependent on if you actually get snow near you or if you travel. I live in a desert. This means that it's usually hot. It does usually snow in winter, but not typically in December. If it snows at all we typically have to wait until January or February. The example photos shown below were actually taken in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is why they're so snowy. 

Winter Forest. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Garden of the Gods. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Mountain Range. April 17, 2017. Samsung WB1100F.

Landscape. April 17, 2017. Samsung WB1100F.

Snow Rock. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Icy. February 11, 2018. Samsung WB1100F.

Snow Bridge. February 11, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Winter Wonderland. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Frost. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Tree Frame. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Three Rocks. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Kissing Camels. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

3. Use Christmas Trees, Ornaments, and Presents to Your Advantage

This is an especially handy tip if you would rather stay out of the cold and take photos inside. Most people put up Christmas trees. Even if you don't, many places in your town or city will. Use those trees to your advantage. Get close up and personal if you can. Close up photos of lights and ornaments can look very cool. The best examples I can think of are the ones I included in my framing tip, so if you want to see which photos fall under this as examples, you can scroll back up and look at those. 

Presents can also be subjects, though I don't have any example photos for that as I honestly tend to forget to take photos of presents. 

4. Be Creative

Some of the best photos will be creative ones. The photo could be full of intentional creativity or accidental creativity. Both are valid. The more you have fun taking photos, the more creative you'll get. The more photos you take, the more ideas you can get and the more you can build off of some techniques you've learned along your photography journey.

5. Just Take Photos

Maybe this sounds confusing. After all, why read a post about tips for taking winter photos if the last one is going to be 'just take photos?' This is why. Photographers (amateur, advanced, intermediate, or professional) will typically say that the best photos are the ones that were unintentional--the ones that weren't completely planned. 

If I'm going to be honest, the best photos I've taken were intentionally unintentional. Maybe that's not what most amateur/aspiring photographers want to hear. Let me explain that further. Most of the photos I've taken were intentional, meaning that I meant to take them. However, there is an unintentional part to that, which can be as simple as how much light the camera takes in.

The only photos I methodically planned out were my sister's 2019 grad photos, but I didn't plan her poses. I picked places to take photos and everything else was unintentional. For another, when you're an amateur, planning out photos isn't always the best strategy. Photography is likely a skill/hobby that you've barely begun. How can you fully plan out something you have barely practiced for? 

If you don't have that foundation or that experience of, "I've taken a photo like this before, how do I apply this now?" then you can't necessarily plan exactly how you'll take your photos. It isn't impossible by any means, but it will be more difficult. 

I didn't plan out photos that much when I began the craft. I would just steal my father's phone (or ask to borrow it) and take a photo of anything and everything. I would steal my mother's cameras and I studied them by using them. I played around with their modes and researched photography on the internet. I shared my photos through National Geographic My Shot and Your Shot for a few years. 

Honestly, when I began, I knew little to nothing about photography. All I knew was that you needed a camera. I've spent pretty much my whole life around a camera of some kind, even if it was one just on a Samsung M140 from 2009. 

Not all of your photos are going to be perfect, and that's okay. Even the most professional photographers have photos they aren't that proud of. Every photographer messes up. Every photographer has photos that are blurry or imperfect, but as long as you keep trying and don't give up, you'll get there.

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed it! 

See you Thursday, 

Lexi K🖌