BetterPhoto Q&A
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How to shoot in snow covered environment

I'll be going honeynoon in various countries in europe and will be going to visit Mt Titsee in Germany..

I know that in a snow covered place my camera metering will be fooled to under-exposed. So how should I compensate for this or U can provide any tips in shooting in snow. Thank U.. :)

I will be shooting with canon Elan 7E and Fuji flim Rela.

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April 18, 2005

If it's cloudy,...open 1 or 1 1/2 stops over the reading off the snow.

Those are the general guidelines for print or slide film which will produce "whiter whites" in most scenarios. (This is best accomplished with full-manual exposure settings.)

...A few things I've learned through trial and error with winter scenics:

-In early morning (before the sun comes up), the light is as "cold" as the temperature, and will record the snow with a blue-cast. (The same is true when shooting after sunset or in deep shade.)
You can balance this with a warming filter (81-A or 81-B), to get the snow closer to white.

-Try to avoid scenics in which snow and moving water are adjacent to one another...particularily when using slow shutter speeds. (When looking at the photo, it will be difficult to determine where the snow ends and the water begins.)

-When possible, meter off a "neutral" element within the scene or a gray card placed in the same light. This will insure a good overall exposure.
(This is most effective if the light is uniform and even.)

-Whatever setting you determine as accurate,...bracket over and under in 1/2 stop increments.

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April 18, 2005