How To Series: Winter Photography

Last Light on El Capitan, Yosemite National Park

Last Light on El Capitan, Yosemite National Park

In addition to all of the usual photographic challenges, winter provides some extra complications, especially in terms of metering. So I began this series of articles on winter photography. Check out the links below. The articles will help you meet the unique challenges of winter photography. So get out there, have fun, and create some great winter images!

Originally posted January 11, 2016. Updated and re-posted January 2, 2021. Most recent update, February 17, 2021. The articles in this series are updated every year during the month of January.

The Winter Photography Series

“How To” Series: Winter Photography – An Overview

Metering Daytime Winter Scenes

Metering People in the Snow

Metering Wildlife in the Snow, Part One

Metering Wildlife in the Snow, Part Two

Metering Evening Winter Scenes

Metering Nighttime Winter Scenes

How to Protect Your Camera Gear in the Cold and Snow

Testing Your Camera’s Snow Exposure Latitude

The Sunny f16 Rule Isn’t Reliable in Winter

How To Work With A Model (or Anybody Else) When The Windchill is 4°

How to Photograph a Nude Model in the Cold and Snow

Winter Photography Safety Essentials

How to Find and Photograph Snowy Owls

Related Series

“How To” Series: Snowy Owl Photography

From the National Park Series

The Best National Parks to Photograph in Winter

One Photographer and Nine Outdoor/Travel Writers Pick the Best Winter National Parks

More Links

Why Is Exposure So Important? The first in a series of articles covering the basics of exposure with links to the rest of the articles.

Speaking Your Camera’s Language: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO (thinking in stops).

Using Reflected Light Meters, Part One (with a section on exposure compensation).

Your Camera Loves “Middle Gray” – And Why That is Important

How to Use a Gray Card

How To Use Your Camera’s Exposure Compensation Scale

RGB vs Luminance Histogram

Exposure Warning: Turn on the Blinkies

Simplify Your Life With an Incident Light Meter

The Best Colors Come From the Best Exposures

Mastering exposure is one of the first and most important steps to becoming a better photographer. One of the best ways to do this is to read Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies and do the exposure exercises in the book. This book will teach you the basics and then take you well beyond the basics. Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies is one of the highest rated photography books at Amazon.com (5 stars) and it is praised by amateurs, professional photographers, and photography magazines as one of the most helpful and comprehensive books on exposure currently available. You can learn more here and order it at Amazon.com