Taking Photos in the Snow

We hadn't had a decent snowfall all winter. Every time there was a 'storm' in the forecast, it would start in the evening after dark, and it would look gorgeous outside when we went to bed. But in the night it would turn to rain, and in the morning it would be a totally washed out mess.

So, on March 22nd another storm was forecast, and it was supposed to start in the morning for a change, and it did. Big soft flakes started falling at dawn, and actually stayed on the ground. We were expecting several centimetres before it was over, and it looked like the perfect snowfall for some doll photos.  I'd wanted to take photos of Matias and his horse in the snow, so I packed them up, and off we went to the Guildwood Ruins Garden.

As we arrived, the softly falling snow turned into a blizzard, and the place was deserted. But we weren't deterred. We trudged through the snow to the first place I had in mind for some photos. That ruin had a nice, raised, stone railing on which to stand Matias and his horse, so I posed them on it, and started taking photos.

When taking photos in the snow it's always important to take more than one, because you never know when a snowflake or three will streak in front of your subject's face. Like here...

It's fine if there are streaks of snow anywhere else, as it adds to the reality of the storm, just as long as there aren't any streaks across the middle of the subject's face....

Then I wanted to take some photos over at my favourite spot between two large pillars with the Greek Theatre in the background. It meant posing Matias on his horse on the ground, along with the dragon. The spot was somewhat sheltered by some tall trees, so the snow wasn't coming down quite as hard. But it was windy, and very cold.

I knew I'd wanted to take photos in this spot, and that meant getting down on the ground, so we'd brought along a tarp for me to lay down on.  The best doll photos are always taken level at the doll's eyes, so that meant laying flat on the ground. It's the only way to get a photo like this....

Then it's just a matter of zooming in for some closer shots...

...and squirming around on the tarp for a different angle....

I love taking photos in the snow, especially while it's actually snowing, as it gives a certain, magical quality to the scene. Almost like a fantasy painting. I had wanted to take some photos of the ruins as well, but my fingers were in severe pain from the cold (even though I was wearing mittens) so we just left. In the end I was thrilled with the photos, and was glad we'd made the effort.