Blizzard 2016: 7 Snow Photo Tips For Rookies

With the 2016 blizzard dumping more than a foot of snow in the D.C. region, there are a lot of opportunities for great pictures.

Sledding, snowball fights, snow forts, snow men — all provide great images for pics. And you probably have an incredible camera in your phone.

Here are some top tips for taking pictures in the snow.

• Black and White: “Snow is gorgeous in black and white. There’s often little to be gained by snow pictures in color,” according to photographer Nick Kelsh. A cloudy day will also provide a better pic than a sunny day, he says.
• Or Show Strong Colors: “A green pine sapling sticking up through the snow or a skier in a red jacket can add great contrast and instant interest to an otherwise plain vanilla image,” says David Peterson.
• Break It Up: “Snowy scenery can look great when you’re there, and very bland in the photos that you take,” writes Geoff Lawrence. “There is usually too much ‘blank space’ in the photo, big white areas that go on forever. You need to look around for something that breaks up the snow, trees, rocks, or anything that puts a bit of contrast into the picture.”

More at Patch: Blizzard Conditions Saturday, Early Snowfall Measurements, Storm Timeline

• Windy Day? Hooray!: “I always look for places where the wind is blowing,” photographer Moose Peterson tells Nikon. “When there’s steam or snow or ice crystals in the air, the picture tells the viewer, ‘It’s cold!’
• Dress for the Weather: “On a recent photographic excursion into the Great White I was wearing an old pair of boots that had cracked in the rubber along the side near the toes,” writes Udi Tirosh. “Every step I took allowed snow into my boots, and by the time I got home I was wringing water from my sock (which was wrapped around a numb foot).”
• Get Close: Text+ offers Instragram tips, including, “Hyper close-ups of snow on branches. It’s hard to grow tired of snow’s natural beauty, especially when it’s already so artfully layered on winter branches.”
• Steady Now: “I steady the phone by propping it against something completely stable. Then a slow shutter or steady camera sensor app will help,” photographer Sam Elias tells National Geographic.