Northwest Arkansas got a record amount of snow yesterday (almost 20″ in Fayetteville – over three years’ worth of snow in 24 hours!), so I bet many of you are going to go out and take photos in it. I thought I’d share some images I took a few days ago along with a few tips for taking photos in the snow. Here you go! (More images are here on Flickr, and I’ll be going out to take photos in yesterday’s storm today!)

1. Most importantly, don’t trust your camera’s light meter. Cameras expose to a neutral 18% gray level, and in doing so make snow look gray. If you’re shooting on manual, you have control over this. If you’re shooting on auto, aperture priority, etc., set your exposure compensation from +0.5 to +1.5 stops overexposed. This will make the snow white and your subject will still be properly exposed. (Use spot metering!)

2. Be careful when changing lenses. If it’s snowing, snow could get in your lens or camera, melt, and be generally annoying. Many cameras and lenses are not weather-sealed, so you should be careful that your breath doesn’t melt too much snow on the camera. Also, use your lens hood if you have one; it will keep renegade snowflakes from getting on the front of your lens.

3. When you come in from the cold, leave your camera (with the cold air inside it) inside your camera bag for a little while. This will give the camera and lenses time to acclimatize and will prevent them from accumulating moisture and fogging up.

4. Prepare for the cold. If you’ll be outside for a while, your hands are going to get cold. While gloves/mittens inhibit your ability to use the controls on your camera, fingerless gloves may be your new best friend. The warmer you’re dressed, the longer you can stay out – and the more great shots you’ll get!

5. Keep a spare battery in your pocket. Batteries aren’t as efficient when they’re cold, but keeping a spare in your warm(er) pocket will keep you shooting for longer.

6. Pay attention to white balance. Oftentimes, auto white balance can make the snow appear blue. Set it to a warmer setting, such as “Cloudy,” or set it manually to something warmer, maybe about 6500-7000K.

7. Shoot the details! If you have a macro lens, use it! Icicles, tree bark, even the occasional large snowflake are all fair game. Bonus points for any bugs that weren’t smart enough to go away for the winter.

8. Turn off your flash. Flash can make your picture dark and will illuminate every snowflake between you and your subject. Of course, this tip can be broken if you have a specific reason to use the flash.

9. Time of day is still important. Colors in nature are not plentiful in winter, and the midday sun drowns out most of what remains. Shoot in the morning or evening for the best colors! Frost on things such as plants is best captured early in the morning before it thaws. Often, snowy days will also be cloudy days. While the clouds act as a huge diffuser, and can make some soft (and very non-directional) light, the best times to shoot, in general, are still dawn and dusk. Getting out there before the animals and kids do will also keep your snow nice and fresh!

10. Look for contrast. An icicle on a white background isn’t interesting, but against a dark background it might be intriguing. This is especially applicable to black and white photography. (If you’re lucky enough to have a blue sky, use it!)