It’s a “sad” time outside, but this does not mean that it interferes with creating beautiful photographs. Use your imagination and perhaps pack some warm clothes; winter is not a reason to let your camera sit idle.
The winter season opens up great opportunities for creating cool photos both outdoors and indoors. We hope the following 53 winter photography ideas will spark your inspiration and get you out from under the warm blanket. Snow, rain and frost create great scenes, and the constantly changing lighting is both a challenge and an opportunity to open up.
Of course, the short daylight hours in winter mean you only have a few precious hours to work with the lighting. But after sunset, for example, when you are walking along the streets at night or enjoying the comfort of your own home, there are no less opportunities for shooting
With our collection of winter photography ideas, photography tips and gear recommendations, you'll soon be wishing the cold season could last forever... Okay, maybe not!
Feel free to go outside: face the winter weather!
Often, bad weather can lead to great photos. We can't expect greeting card snowy weather 100% of the time, but strong winds, rain, and fog create good opportunities.
Idea #1. Fog, haze and frosty morning
The best time to catch darkness and fog is in the morning, before the sun rises and evaporates them. Even though it’s difficult to catch the moment, check the weather forecast for the evening. Make it a habit to carry your camera with you at all times, as much as possible. Leave a few minutes earlier before the start of the work day in case you see a suitable scene for filming on the way to work. Use a long lens to flatten the perspective and simplify images of objects into shapes. To maintain pale, mystical tones, compensate the exposure a little. Start with +0.7 EV and increase as needed. If this is not done, the camera’s automation will depict the translucent haze as a dirty gray veil.
Idea #2. Sunrise and sunset
Whether you go to pick up the morning newspaper or walk the dog, take your camera with you. Sunsets can be disappointing, but sunrises are often captivating with their red and pink tones. Look at the example above, photographed by David Queenan. You'll have to shoot quickly because the effect can wear off in minutes. If possible, plan your time, find out the times of sunrise and sunset. And, of course, choose a suitable shooting point.
Idea #3. Protect your camera
Sea spray can leave grains of sand on the front lens of the lens, so “dress” the lens with a UV filter. It will not affect the picture, but will protect the lens. Due to strong coastal winds, sand can get into the camera's crevices, so wrap your camera in a plastic bag and cover the junction of the lens with the camera with a rubber belt. Keep the shoulder strap on at all times to prevent the camera from slipping out of your hands, and spare batteries in the inside pocket of your jacket. Extreme cold reduces their ability to release energy.
Idea #4. Blue sky and snow
Sometimes the contrast between something colored and something colorless looks very impressive. The combination of blue sky and snow in David Queenan's photograph is a classic example of this. Look for a simple composition, and adjust your exposure carefully. You will need to compensate it to the “plus” level so that the white snow does not appear gray in the image.
Idea #5. Winter sky in a storm
The image above, taken by Sebastian Kraus, derives its expressiveness partly from the composition and partly from the dramatic, leaden sky. To capture this a natural phenomenon, you'll need a gradient filter and maybe some processing in Photoshop. Treat the sky as part of the composition, not as empty space. The shape of the clouds is also part of the composition. The degree to which you darken (or lighten) the sky determines the internal balance of your painting. The technique of dodging and burning has usually been discussed in relation to black and white photography, but it is no less effective for color images.
Idea #6. Neutral Neutral Filters (ND)
The movement of the waves in the photograph (see the image before the description of the second idea) was captured with a shutter speed of 1/2 second. If the lighting is too intense, use a neutral density (ND) filter. Jon Sargisson controlled the brightness of the sky using a neutral density gradient (ND Grad) filter.
Little ideas on how to apply filters
Idea #7. Square filters
Square filter systems, not round ones, allow you to use the same set of filters across different lenses. All you need is a variety of ring adapters to attach the filter holder to lenses of different diameters.
Idea #8. Buy a polarizing filter
The polarizer saturates the blue color of the sky, restores details in highlights and “cuts off” reflections from the surface of the water.
Idea #9. Gradient filters are great!
They help darken the bright sky on cloudy days and during storms.
Idea #10. Blurring with neutral density filters.
Neutral density (ND) filters allow you to shoot on long exposures and thus create blur effects on images.
In the kitchen: taking photos in the warmth!
Can’t and don’t want to stick your nose out into the street? It's okay, because in winter many scenes can be filmed within the confines of the house.
Idea #11. Making a self-portrait
It’s not always easy to find the desired subject, especially if you take your time setting up the lighting, selecting props and their position. With the help of your camera's timer or remote shutter release, you can be the hero of your photo. For the photo above, Owen Franssen hid the flash under a lamp shade. And that green carpet is just the lawn in front of his house! Sometimes best pictures are born when you go beyond your usual ideas about the world around you.
Idea #12. Still lifes
Night Photography: Shooting After Dark
Short daylight hours limit the possibilities for daylight photography. However, a lot of plots are hidden under the covers of darkness.
Idea #43. Glowing traces and movement
Try positioning yourself near the edge of a busy highway or on a bridge (but make sure you won't create a traffic jam or put yourself in danger). Experiment with shutter speeds ranging from 1 to 30 seconds, adjusting to the speed and intensity of traffic. Andrew Whyte developed this approach and made amazing photo from inside the car. He secured the camera and used a flash to illuminate the interior of the car.
Idea #44. Star Trek and Moonlight
Leave the shutter open longer and you will be able to see things that are invisible to the naked eye appear in the photo. Moonlight appears as intense as daylight. Stars “leave” luminous arcs on the rotating sky. Andrew Whyte's photography is impressive. Exposure time for such images can reach several minutes and even hours. You will also need to find a shooting location where the footage will not be exposed to artificial light pollution.
Idea #45. Exposure assessment
For light meters built into the camera, the difficulty night photography It's not about low light intensity (modern sensors are highly sensitive), but rather the presence of very bright light sources in the frame, as in the image above taken by Jon Sargisson. This situation always misleads the exposure meter. In addition, in scenes where you create the lighting yourself during the process of exposing the frame, the exposure meter is useless. Switch the camera to manual mode shooting (“M”) and try it! The very first attempt will show you approximately how much you made a mistake with the exposure.
Idea #46. City lights
Night lights can act as colorful, memorable subjects. A classic example is neon signs. But in the photo above, Michelle McMahon took the idea further by photographing through glass dotted with raindrops. Beautiful bokeh helped create the desired effect from the glow of the lights in the background. The autofocus system can struggle with darkness, especially if you're shooting objects that overlap or are distant from each other. So be prepared to focus in manual mode.
Idea #47. Concerts and music shows
Large events can be challenging to get into the desired position to shoot, but gigs at local bars and clubs offer ample opportunities to create great shots. An example is the photo above taken by Al Pulford. External flash triggered before the second shutter curtain closed ( approx. translator - synchronization via the second “curtain” from English.rear-curtainsynchronization), thanks to which the “blur” effect conveys a sense of movement in the picture. Start small: photograph aspiring musicians at concerts; they will be glad to be photographed. As you gain experience, try to participate in larger gatherings and concerts.
Idea #48. Use your own light sources
Jon Sargisson used Nikon SB-600 and SB-800 flashes to highlight the ruins in the background (see photo before idea #45).
Idea #49. Fixed light sources
They are good, but moving sources are much better! IN night photography look for an opportunity to depict another dimension - time.
Key Ideas for Depicting Time
Idea #50. Distance yourself
Remote control allows you to avoid camera shake when you press the shutter button. This means you can shoot with longer shutter speeds.
Idea #51. Keep track of time
For shutter speeds longer than 30 seconds, shoot in B (Bulb) mode and adjust the exposure time manually. Ultra-precision is not needed here.
Idea #52. Bring a sheet of black cardboard with you
If during exposure, someone or something appears in the scene, close the front element of the lens until the unwanted object disappears from the scene. Then remove the partition.
Idea #53. Self-timer
If you don't have a remote shutter release, use the time-delay self-timer, a feature built into the camera.
A winter photo shoot conveys all the charm of winter, unique moments of snow games and entertainment. It will give you pleasant memories of the New Year holidays. With the advent of the first snow and frost, it is a wonderful time to bring to life various ideas for a winter photo shoot.
As a place for a winter photo shoot, you can choose:
- city square
- lake
When the first snow covers an ordinary natural area, it takes on a new fabulous look - the familiar landscapes of the city change beyond recognition. For a winter photo shoot, it is better for women, men, and couples in love to include bright fragments (elements of clothing, jewelry, props) in their images.
Photography in the studio
Those who are afraid of the cold outside in winter should not refuse a winter themed photo shoot. Eat a good option conducting studio shooting indoors using winter holiday decorations:
- artificial snow
- decorated Christmas tree
- snowman
- sleigh with reindeer
- models of animals (horses, dogs)
Studio photography reveals the fabulous image of a snowy winter from a completely different perspective. In progress studio photo shoot Not only beautiful scenery can be used, but also bright, light clothing and various decor.
Decorative photo zones are used for subject photography. Despite the fact that it can be held at any time of the year, the most popular theme for its creation is New Year's celebrations.
Winter look for a photo shoot
Choosing an image and theme for a photo shoot in winter is one of the main components of the preparatory stage of shooting. The most common ideas for winter photo shoots include:
- close-ups (allow you to show emotions)
- portraits (against the backdrop of snow or pristine nature)
- group photos (capturing games with friends or children in the snow)
- photos in motion (sledding, skiing)
- photo in ethno style (creating an individual image)
- pictures with animals (riding a horse or walking a dog)
Outdoor photography
A street photo shoot in winter will look beautiful outdoors in places where there is a lot of snow. The snowy forest is an ideal location for filming, and the sunrise and sunset... best time for photographing against the backdrop of winter landscapes. Evening street photography or photo sets taken early in the morning in the forest look unusual and creative.
The clothes of a girl and a guy for photography should be bright and unusual: you can focus on the details of women's and men's accessories and the contrast of colors. When photographing a couple, the photographer will offer several original joint poses that will decorate the photos taken during a romantic evening walk.
Winter children's photography
Children's photographs turn out very natural, as the kids openly express their joy and behave relaxed.
Options for a winter children's photo shoot:
- drawings on the snow (ideally smooth snow is suitable for sketches and inscriptions)
- modeling from snow (you can make a snowman or any other figures)
- winter games (you can come up with a lot of entertainment, for example, playing snowballs and wallowing in the snow, or just catching falling snowflakes)
- a child sledding (it will look good if the whole family gathers to participate in this process)
Children fell in love with winter thanks to snowy fun and celebrations. If you engage your child in usual activities while shooting, then you won’t have to select poses, and winter holidays will bring joy and pleasure.
If a girl is posing, then, like a real fashionista, you can dress her beautifully and wrap her in a warm scarf. For a photo, a little girl can also be seated under a tree and given a basket in her hands, as if she were collecting snowdrops.
Romantic photo shoot for a couple
A photo shoot for lovers in winter can be an original gift. Show your sincere feelings and emotions, refresh your memory of the pleasant moments of your relationship, and the photography will be very tender and sensual. It’s better to take pictures outside the house, because every frame using natural winter scenery will be magical and romantic.
It looks very beautiful in the pictures when couples in love use these ideas for a winter photo shoot:
- holding hands
- cover their face with mittens
- wrapped in one scarf or blanket
- looking into the distance, huddled together
For example, a man can pick up a girl and spin her around. Women's outfits can be changed and combined with different accessories during the photo shoot.
Winter wedding photography
Newlyweds usually very carefully choose a location for a winter wedding photo shoot, as well as for those that take place at other times of the year. Most couples in love prefer studio photography, forgetting about the unique beauty that reigns outside in winter.
Creative ideas for winter photography will turn an ordinary wedding into a real fairy tale that will be remembered for a lifetime. You can warm up in cold weather with hot tea or a woolen blanket.
To make it beautiful pictures, the bride and groom can be advised:
- take a walk along a snowy path in the park
- laugh, have fun, have fun
- show all the happiness they feel on their wedding day
The photographer’s task is to capture the most sincere moments, select the most beautiful angles for the photo and focus on the beautiful bride’s dress and the appearance of the couple as a whole.
New Year's photo shoot
New Year is a family celebration. Bright and soulful family photos They remind us of loved ones and relatives, so they are of great value. There are many ideas for a photo shoot for the New Year. Photography in the studio or at home is most relevant during the pre-holiday period.
Home photography is performed:
- at the festive table
- near festive attributes
- with the participation of all loved ones
Beautiful outfits of guests, a decorated Christmas tree, gifts, tinsel, bright lights - all these attributes create a festive homely atmosphere in the photo. If you have children, you can invite Santa Claus home. The process of a home photo shoot in winter will not be complicated by the cold and other disadvantages of shooting outdoors.
You can choose any location for photography. An interesting option would be an evening city with many people. The main thing is that the woman and man feel at ease, and that strangers do not distract them with their presence. With good preparation, a winter photo shoot will bring a lot of positive emotions, and high-quality photographs will delight you for many years.
So, before you go to a winter photo shoot, you need to decide on a location. If this is an outdoor photo shoot in winter, then we determine in advance exactly which parks, squares, and sites we plan to visit.
And if we have a photo shoot in the forest in winter, then of course we need to look for a forest, and preferably a coniferous one, where there are different types of fir trees, pine trees, and a lot of snow, and if you’re lucky, then also frost on the trees.
To make a winter photo shoot in the forest the envy of all your friends on Odnoklassniki or VKontakte, you need to take care of your outfits in advance.
Best of all, for a photo shoot in the forest, outerwear made from natural fur, which must be complemented with a bright scarf, gloves, or boots.
By the way, the principle of bright clothes also applies to a beach photo shoot. Also, if you have a photo shoot in winter, you can’t do without high-quality hair styling.
And most importantly, in order not to freeze during a winter photo shoot in the forest, you need to dress and put on warm shoes. As for makeup for a photo shoot in winter, it is important to highlight the eyes, achieve an even tone of the face, and add a little gloss to the lips, because after all, the shooting will take place during the day, and the makeup accordingly should not be masquerade.
I offer you interesting poses for a winter photo shoot, which you can safely repeat at a winter photo shoot in the forest or on the street. I collected all the ideas for a winter photo shoot on the Internet, one at a time.
It is advisable to remember all the poses for a photo shoot in winter so that the process itself goes faster, but you can download the photo to your phone and use it on the spot. I wish you, dear readers of Ladyemansipe, that you have the best and most beautiful winter photo shoot in the forest.
THE MOST POPULAR POSITIONS FOR AN OUTDOOR PHOTOSHOOT IN WINTER
- Portrait photography. In order for the photos to turn out great, pay attention to your makeup, as well as accessories: headdress, gloves. Photos that show falling snow will be great.
- Portrayal of emotions. Poses that will accurately convey all the naturalness of your emotions are throwing snow over your head, playing snowballs, you can also lie in the snowdrifts or look out from behind a snow-covered tree.
- Photo without outerwear. Poses can be different: the model can cross her arms, as if she is cold and wants to be warmed up, or, on the contrary, spread her arms to the sides and enjoy the falling snow. In such photographs, the emphasis is on the model’s figure.
- Pose sitting in the cold with a cup of hot tea– leader in the number of photographs taken outdoors in winter. Everyone likes the combination of a frosty snowy winter and hot steaming tea. For such a photo, choose a comfortable pose, sit comfortably, you shouldn’t wear mittens on your hands (you’ll take hot tea with them and keep warm), you can put a warm scarf on your neck.
ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES FOR WINTER PHOTOSESSIONS
- Scarf. They need to tie their necks and also cover their mouths;
- Gloves. An indispensable accessory for a winter photo shoot;
- New Year's toys. You can take great photos when a girl decorates a Christmas tree with toys;
- Candles. They look unsurpassed on the white snow cover;
- Sled;
- Hearts made of snow will be appropriate when you take them carefully in your hands;
- Blind snowman will be an excellent attribute for a winter photo shoot.
POSITIONS FOR AN OUTDOOR PHOTO SESSION IN WINTER FOR GIRLS
- Pose portrait. A girl in a coat, tied with a scarf and a hat on her head looks at the photographer over her shoulder. The picture will be great if the sun comes out on a frosty winter day;
- Girl in profile, raises his hands up to the falling snow, and supposedly catches it;
- Takes a ball of snow, and blows snowflakes onto the camera;
- Photo with footprints: a girl walks along a snowy, flat road (you can choose a frozen river), turns around and looks at her tracks. At this moment you can take a photo;
- The girl stretches out her palm to the sun when everything around is snowy (after all, in cold weather you want a little warmth);
- A girl sits on a bench without a warm jacket holding hot tea in her hands. He looks into the distance thoughtfully. The result will be a beautiful photo: the steam line from the tea will be clearly visible against the background of a white snow carpet;
- You can jump up, keeping your legs together and your arms above, as if reaching for the sky;
- The image of a Russian beauty. For this look you will need accessories: a down scarf, a fur coat, a samovar, and definitely bright painted cheeks and luscious lips;
POSITIONS FOR AN OUTDOOR PHOTO SESSION IN WINTER FOR GUYS
- The most common pose is when a guy just stands in the snow, with his arm bent at the elbow and the other down;
- The guy stands straight, turning his head towards the snowy spruce and looking at it;
In general, men look more harmonious in the frame with a girl, so there are many more poses for a photo shoot with a girl.
For example:
- A couple kisses while standing on a frosty snowy road, holding hands;
- Great photos would be on a sled, with the guy sitting in the back and the girl in front, supposedly going down the hill. Both legs should be apart;
- An interesting idea is to put some object in the foreground, for example, a burning heart (when it’s frosty outside), and in the background to plant a couple, facing each other, in lotus positions;
- A lying position will look interesting when both the guy and the girl lie on the sand, spreading their arms and legs in different directions. You will need to take photos from above, then the photo will turn out creative and interesting;
- It can also be a pose when the girl stands with her head raised up, and the guy at that moment confesses his love to her, standing on his knee and handing her a ring;
- Shooting from the back. A young couple walks towards the snow-covered trees with their arms around each other's waists.
POSITIONS FOR AN OUTDOOR PHOTO SESSION WITH CHILDREN IN WINTER
Photo sessions with children always turn out the best, because children behave at ease, as they want. And therefore, it is much easier to work with children, they themselves will prompt and help and the photographs always turn out beautiful. The main thing is to dress your baby warmly, because the shooting process can take two or even three hours.
After all, children love snow very much, so why not let them enjoy and walk to their hearts content in a snow-covered park or square. Let the children play, and the adults join in these games and then there is no need to come up with any poses, because with the child the poses will be natural and harmonious.
For a photo shoot with children, you need to be doubly prepared: prepare several pairs of mittens in case they get wet, and this will be necessary, because children love to play in the snow. You also need to take a warm hat and several scarves.
It is much easier to work with a child than with adults, because he will behave at ease in the snow: play snowballs, throw snow, try to catch snowflakes, roll lumps - at this moment you just need to choose the right occasion and take pictures, because there will be plenty of poses. And at this moment parents need to adapt to their baby and then the photos will be harmonious.
Below are a few photo shoot poses that anyone can use.
You can take it with you Christmas decorations, hang a few on the Christmas tree, and give the rest to the baby so that he can do it himself. And film the process when a child decorates a fir tree, reaches for a high branch, and examines toys.
If you have a dog, you can take it with you and let the child fool around with it and tumble around.
A good selection of photos would be photos when you and your baby are making a snow woman: the process of rolling lumps, a photo with a finished snowman, where you are not in the background, and your child is standing in front.
Bring a sleigh with you and ride it with your baby. The poses in this case can also be different: when you sit in the back on the sled, and the child is in front. Or you are simply holding the sled in your hands, preparing to climb the next hill, and the child is trying to sprinkle snow on you.
Bring large plastic children's shovels that are specifically designed for snow. Kneel down so that you are the same height as your child and throw snow at each other using shovels. The photos should turn out very funny.
With an older child, you can do a photo shoot on skis. For this you need a slide, costumes and, of course, the skis themselves. You can get into a preparatory position and sit down a little to get a good push, but you can just stand while holding your skis. The child's position should be similar to yours.
You can walk with your child on the snow carpet, then stand with your back to the photographer, you should put one foot forward, as if you are walking. Let the child stand next to you. Let the photographer take pictures of your and your child's footprints.
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