Winter is on its way with snow already falling across the country. There is nothing more serene than a fresh snowfall, but capturing a winter landscape full of white can be challenging to get right. Here are a few tips to help you ace those snowy shots.
EXPOSE TO THE RIGHT… A LOT Snow means a lot of white, and white can trick the auto balance in your camera and lead to underexposed images. The metering system of your DSLR will try to expose white snow to middle gray. You want to overexpose your image to make sure white snow is, indeed, white. Be sure to constantly check and adjust your exposure.
KEEP YOUR PALETTE MINIMAL Winter scenes are often meant to be calming and do not need too many colors or over editing. Stick with “winter colors” like whites, blues, and greens to keep your images simple. If you’re trying to evoke Christmas, then feel free to break out the red!
3. SHOOT ANY TIME OF DAY
In the winter there is no need to limit yourself to shooting at sunset because the sun will stay much lower in the north and south and the days are often overcast. This makes a large majority of the day a viable option for photography.
4. CHECK YOUR METERING MODE
Metering is how your camera determines the correct shutter speed and aperture based on the amount of light that goes into the camera. Most DSLRs are automatically set in matrix metering or evaluative metering mode, which divides the camera into zones to determine the correct exposure. In the snow, you don’t want to leave your camera in this mode because it will average the image and expose for grey. Instead, try spot metering the brightest part of the snow.
A Pexel Photo
5. STAY WARM
The best piece of advice for shooting in the winter is to be well protected from cold weather and dress warmly. If you’re not comfortable you cannot enjoy the photo and you won’t get a good memory. Be sure to dress warm and wear waterproof clothing.
If you plan to take to the snow, don’t forget to follow these easy tips. A warm outfit and special attention to your settings will go far and result in amazing shots for your holiday card, portfolio, or Instagram.
About the Author Francesco Carucci from Dreamstime is a travel and landscape stock photographer outside of his daily desk job, spending most of his spare time chasing the light.
As the Kennel Club says, “Dogs are more popular than ever. In the hearts and minds of people everywhere, dogs are true companions and make a real difference to our lives.”
That’s why every year, they decide to honor dogs — and the people who bring us beautiful photos of them — by holding the Dog Photographer of the Year contest. The 2019 winners were selected earlier this year and show man’s best friend in all their loving, inquisitive, and adorable glory.
This year’s overall winner and first-place winner of the Oldies category was “Dreaming Merlin,” taken by Denise Czichocki of Switzerland.
“Dreaming Merlin.” Courtesy of Denise Czichocki/The Kennel Club
This is Merlin, a 14-year-old rescued Podengo. “I was lucky to find this beautiful magnolia tree near my home in Switzerland. And still more lucky to get the chance to take photos of wonderful dogs in these magnolia,” Czichocki told the Kennel Club.
“Merlin was one of them. It wasn’t easy to take photos of him because of his absolutely deafness. … He gave me so many beautiful moments as you can see in this picture. This is Merlin, beautiful, dreamy and kind of wise. A wonderful old dog with so much charisma.”
The runner-up in the Oldies category was “Young At Heart,” taken by UK photographer Cat Race.
“Young at Heart.” Courtesy of Cat Race/The Kennel Club
This sweet face belongs to a Labrador retriever, Bailee.
“This grey-faced gal had absolutely no concept of her ripening age. Right to the very end of her photo session at Beacon Fell, Bailee leapt and scrambled over logs smiling down at me hopefully for a snack,” said Race.
“Although she had slowed down a little more with each grey hair appearing on her soft face, Bailee was as raring for adventure as she had ever been. I created this portrait in a bright wide angle format to accentuate the pup-like spirit that shone from her. I tucked myself in close as she gleefully watched my lens, capturing every grin — and drop of drool — that she had to give.”
“Soul Comforter” won the Assistance Dogs Charity category.
“Soul Comforter” by German photographer, Angelika Elendt. Courtesy of Angelika Elendt/The Kennel Club
Angelika Elendt chose to support the German organization, Die Seelentröster — Tiere helfen Menschen, which translates to The Soul Comforters — Animals Help People.
She captured this photo while the organization worked with some dogs, like Lilly, pictured, at a retirement home.
“Whenever I looked at this old lady suffering on depression and dementia she was completely apathetic and seemed to be captured in her own world,” Elendt explained. “Towards the end of the visit, Lilly was put on her lap and suddenly the lady woke up from her lethargy: She started stroking the little dog and bent her head down to it.
“Lilly managed to get through to this old lady, who was beforehand always experienced as lethargic and utterly disinterested in social interactions. This once again shows the very special connection between dogs and human beings.”
The second-place photo, “Laying Down on the Job,” was taken by American photographer Tracy Allard.
“Laying Down on the Job.” Courtesy of Tracy Allard/The Kennel Club
Allard’s not just a professional photographer, she’s “also a dog trainer and had the pleasure of meeting Bosco and working with his handler to help them earn certification with Therapy Dogs International,” she said.
“When they invited me to watch him in action (or lack thereof, he was truly born for this job), I jumped at the chance. … Bosco lowers the stress level of any room he’s in, but he’s especially magical with children, enabling their tensions to melt away.
This joyous photo won the Dogs at Play category. It was taken by Monica van der Maden of the Netherlands, and it is fittingly called “Dirty Dog.”
“Dirty Dog.” Courtesy of Monica van der Maden/The Kennel Club
“This particular picture is one in my series [called] ‘Dirty Dogs.’ I wanted to make something different instead of beautiful and clean dog portraits,” said Maden. “I searched for a dog that loved to play in the mud. … I also wanted to make people smile when they see this picture.”
The runner-up was “Let’s jump rope together!” taken by Hungarian photographer Zoltan Kecskes.
“Let’s jump rope together!” Courtesy of Zoltan Kecskes/The Kennel Club
“The girl you can see in the picture is Kathleen and her dog is called Rebel. She is actually a trainer. She teaches tricks to dogs. … I saw her videos of doing these awesome tricks with her dogs and I just knew that I had to photograph them,” said Kecskes.
“I was particularly interested in the skip-roping trick. I think the most challenging part was to find the right focal length and angle to capture them in a way that really showed how awesome was what they were doing.”
Dorine Scherpel of Canada snapped this photo called “The Loyal Co-Workers,” which took first place in the Dogs at Work category.
“The Loyal Co-Workers.” Courtesy of Dorine Scherpel/The Kennel Club
“I was walking on this narrow country lane in the Lake District one February day this year when Laddie (right) came happily barking towards me. As I have had dogs all my life and formed some extraordinary bonds with [dogs], I of course welcome any dog that wants to say hello,” said Scherpel.
“To me this image portrays all you expect of a country dog’s life on a working farm. Their eagerness, their innocence and the way they so happily go wherever they may be needed makes them men’s best co-workers.”
Sherpel, who is not a professional photographer, took this image “solely … to bring joy to my friends.
The second-place winner of Dogs at Work was taken by Katie Behan of the UK, called “Among Hills and Heather.”
“Among Hills and Heather.” Courtesy of Katie Behan/The Kennel Club
This beauty is an English springer spaniel called Belle.
“Always alert, Belle takes advantage of exploring the fells of Buttermere in the Lake District while I take advantage of capturing her in the beautiful heather. This is one of the brief moments she paused. It was such a pleasure to watch her in her element, doing what comes naturally,” said Behan of the photo.
One of the categories is for photographers aged 12 to 17, and their theme was “I Love Dogs Because…” This year’s winner was taken by 12-year-old Mariah Mobley of the US with her photo, “Doggy Bed Time.”
“Doggy Bed Time.” Courtesy of Mariah Mobley/The Kennel Club
This is one of Mobley’s three dogs, Koby.
“Taking photos of Koby is extra fun because he is my mom’s trick dog, so he knows lots, and lots of cool tricks, and loves to pose for the camera. He is really fun to play with too, we even do handstands together. He is a very sweet little love bug, who I love very much,” said Mobley.
The second-place photo, “Peace and Quiet,” was taken by 17-year-old Hungarian Luca Gombos.
“Peace and Quiet.” Courtesy of Luca Gombos/The Kennel Club
“This particular photo was taken during our first holiday we took as a whole family. My two dogs, my parents and I spent a few days together away from home. One day, on a sweltering morning we were having a short nap, when I noticed that both of my dogs put their heads down on the sheets. There was something special in this moment maybe because I have not had this kind of experience with them before. Accordingly, I knew immediately I would not miss capturing it and make it everlasting,” said Gombos of her pup, Lia.
This photo, called “Connected,” earned top honors in the Man’s Best Friend category.
“Connected.” Courtesy of Cat Race/The Kennel Club
This photo of Inka, a Munsterlander, was also taken by Cat Race, a British photographer.
“We had just wrapped up a warm June evening session with Annie-May and her Munsterlander Inka. As the two of them sat in front of the reservoir enjoying the summer air, I could see a real moment unfolding between them. So I unhooked my camera from my Spider-Holster and released the shutter, forever preserving that heart-warming connection,” said Race.
“As they sat on the bank with sparkling bright light reflecting off the water behind them, I knew there was something so universal about the unspoken bond between a little girl and her dog.”
This image of this lovable giant took second-place honors. The photo was taken by Alexandra Novitskaya of Russia, who calls this “White Cheesecake.”
“White Cheesecake.” Courtesy of Alexandra Novitskaya
Novitskaya was used to only taking photos of animals — but she captured something special when she included this dog’s owner, too.
“This photo was taken after an advertising photoshoot,” she said. “Cheesecake was quite nervous in unusual surroundings of flash lamps and photo equipment. But it only took a jump into [the] arms of his beloved owner to feel peaceful and safe.”
This breathtaking shot won the Portraits category. It’s called “Honey saluki” and was taken by Russian photographer Anastasia Vetkovskaya.
“Honey saluki.’ Courtesy of Anastasia Vetkovskaya/The Kennel Club
“I love working with sighthounds! They are beautiful dogs but it’s not always easy to find an approach to them. Toys and treats — usual props of any animal photographer — are rather useless with these creatures. Each time I should come up with a new idea to make it work with particular dog,” said Vetkovskaya.
The runner-up, “Mirror,” was taken by Ria Putzker of Austria.
“Mirror.” Courtesy of Ria Putzker/The Kennel Club
It’s not hard to see why this shot of Pumpkin the Catahoula leopard dog is called “Mirror.”
“This photo was taken after a rainy weekend in summer which left a lot of huge puddles on the ground. I took the opportunity to photograph my friend’s beautiful dog in one of them. She had to stand still for about half a minute until the water was calm enough so you could see the reflection clearly,” said Putzker. “It was truly a magical moment and it is still one of my all-time favorite photos.”
The rule for the Puppies category stipulates that pups must be under 6 months old, like these dogs in “The Little Twins,” taken by Monica van der Maden.
“The Little Twins.” Courtesy of Monica van der Maden/The Kennel Club
These little twins are named Macy and Vino.
“The breeder and I were in a shopping mall together where we had so much fun during this photo shoot. It can be very difficult to photograph two puppies together, let alone a whole litter of puppies especially in a shopping mall,” said van der Maden.
“But when Jose (the breeder) placed the two pups together they started to wash each other.”
The rest was award-winning photo history.
Carlos Aliperti’s “Father and Son” was the second-place winner — but there is a heartbreaking story behind it.
“Father and Son.” Courtesy of Carlos Aliperti/The Kennel Club
Aliperti, who has five dogs, said this photo is particularly special to him.
“It is a moment of pure relationship between father, Toddy, and son, Ted, and that brings me a huge [sadness],” he said. “On October 22, 2018, Toddy passed away, [as a] victim of a great cruelty: poisoning. Since then, it is very difficult to overcome the loss and I consider this award a well-deserved tribute to my dear companion.”
The Rescue Dogs Charity category winner also gets to donate £500 to a charity of their choice. This year, the winner was Anne Geier with her photo “Finntastic.”
“Finntastic.” Courtesy of Anne Geier/The Kennel Club
“This photo shows my own dog Finn,” Geier said. “I took the photo during our holiday in the Dolomites last year. We rescued Finn from Rumania in 2014. Since that time he fills our life with so much love. I never met another dog who has the same patience and calmness. He is such a lovely dog … and I always hope that all the people can feel his special power through my photos of him.”
The second-place photo, “Curiosity,” was taken by Tianhang Zhang of China.
“Curiosity.” Courtesy of Tianhang Zhang/The Kennel Club
“When I took pictures of [these three], they had just been abandoned by a kennel,” said Zhang. “My friend temporarily adopted them and tried to find a new home for them. When I visited them for the first time, they stared at me curiously. Then I waved my camera, playing with them and snapping pictures. In front of people, they are like innocent children. It’s hard to imagine the ferocity of their hunting. I miss the time when I interacted with them and I will never forget their lovely faces. Now these lucky guys all have their new homes and live with their people who really love them.”
The final category, Young Pup Photographer, is reserved for photographers 11 years old and under. The first-place photo, “Sea Dog,” was taken by 11-year-old Sabine Wolpert of the US.
“Sea Dog.” Courtesy of Sabine Wolpert/The Kennel Club
Wolpert has had her dog Georgie for four years, but she started getting into photography when Georgie was 2, and she was 9.
“I took this picture on a beach near my home. Georgie had been running around. She brought a clump of seaweed to me and I put it on her head. I expected her to shake it off but she seemed to like it so I took her picture,” said Wolpert.
Eilidh Shannon, 7, took second place with “Maisie’s Music.”
“Maisie’s Music.” Courtesy of Eilidh Shannon/The Kennel Club
Euan, Shannon’s brother, got a Judges Special Mention in the Young Pup category in 2018 so she thought she would submit a photo this time.
“I have 2 dogs called Maisie and Lexie. Maisie is the one that I took this picture of. I thought [it] was funny watching Maisie singing along to the clarinet. She sings every morning when Kirsten does her practice, but she doesn’t like Euan’s drums,” said Shannon.
Thanks to INSIDER for this amazing article about the winners of this years Dog Photos.
Here is some more amusing photos of animals to enjoy:
This rhino is wearing a tutu — or a peacock is conveniently right behind it.
Trendy. Courtesy of Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards
This dog is sneaking a treat while his friend is distracted.
Sidewalk drama. Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images
Highly Commended: ‘Coastal Brown Bear Cub with a Headache’ by Danielle D’Ermo
The best time of year to photograph birds is Spring. That way you have the opportunity to capture birds you wouldn’t normally see due to spring migration. Later in spring you can also capture the adults tending to their offspring. That being said, any time of year can be good, in late Autumn you will get the migration coming back down south and winter you may have birds that live north during summer but live in your back yard during winter.
Best Time of Day
Early morning is best. I find within the 3 hours after the sun rises the birds are at their most active. At this time the sun is not at full strength which gives you nice even light. Two hours before sunset can also be a very fruitful time.
Camera Gear
To get ‘pro’ shots in the wild you will need a SLR/DSLR with a 300mm (or more) lens, but in the back yard the rules change. You can even get good shots with an advanced point and shoot with 10x Zoom as I did with my Minolta Dimage Z5.
You will need a tripod to steady yourself also I some times set my camera up in the yard closer to the feeders, sit back away from the camera and use my remote to fire off the shutter. So I recommend you have at least a 10x zoom or a 200mm lens, a Tripod/Monopod, remote shutter release and most of all patience.
Camera Settings
I recommend using either continuous focusing or manual focusing with pre-focusing on the branch/perch or feeders.
manually although as I do tend to forget that sometimes I always shoot in RAW. That way if I do forget to set my white balance or my exposure is off a little I can fix within my image editing software.
I tend to shoot in Aperture Priority Mode when shooting birds that are feeding, that way you can control the depth of field.
With in flight birds I shoot in manual mode, setting the shutter and aperture. This is all a learning curve that takes practice and patience.
Attracting Birds
There are numerous way to attract birds and it will largely depend upon the type of birds that are in your area.
Flora – One alternative is to plant native plants, shrubs, and/or grasses. For example planting a chokecherry will attract Cedar Waxwings and Robins to your yard for the 2 weeks that the berries are ripe. There are ten native plants that attract hummingbirds to your yard also. In the end I recommend you do the research for each bird that you want to attract as each will have it’s own unique things that attracts it.
Water – Another alternative is to have a running waterfall or pond that will attract birds that don’t feed from feeders. Also having fresh water in a shallow dish will help.
Seed – Most feeders come in a variety of shapes and sizes (again research is needed to find the right one for the type of birds you’re hoping to attract). Keep in mind that most feeders are not aesthetically pleasing to the eye and could prove to be distracting in your shots. This is where your imagination comes in and you can get creative. For example try hanging extra large sunflower heads off trees, get semi hollow logs and placing them upright with seed in the top etc.
Perches – Using perches made from broken branches and twigs can be good as they will provide a place for the birds to sit. Make sure that you use the right size branch for the size of bird you are trying to capture.
Besides photography, there are other reasons attracting birds is a good idea. For example having the northern Oriole come to your yard will help keep down the Wasps. Humming birds don’t just feed on sugar water they east insects too !
I could go on and on about attracting birds to your backyard but the rest is up to you to research as each yard and bird species is so different.
Setting up and Positioning yourself
There are a few things you can do here that will help you create a place that birds feel comfortable to visit without knowing you’re there.
You can get a hide (a camouflage tent)
Hide behind something (I hide behind the lattice on my back deck)
Shoot from inside your house – I shoot from my bedroom, particularly in winter. I have the feeder set up just off my bedroom window. You can shoot from whatever room you like, even the bathroom, as long as it gives you a clear line of sight. Just make sure you clean the glass. A polarizer can help in this situation. It can help with the glare if you are picking it up off the glass.
You can hide where ever. As long as it gives you a clear line of sight to the bird.
Birds In Flight
I don’t have many in-flight shots because they are harder to do, but here are a few tips that will help.
You can get shots of birds flying off from the feeder by pre focusing just off the feeder and setting your shutter speed and aperture manually.
You can get shots of birds flying off from the feeder by pre focusing just off the feeder and setting your shutter speed and aperture manually.
Here is one tip I will try this season. I have one feeder where the birds have only 2 ways to land there. I plan to set my camera on a tripod just behind the feeder and, using my remote, I will fire off shots as they are coming into land. This should capture them with their wings stretched out.
Conclusion
Just remember, bird photography takes practice and patience. You will toss many more shots into the trash then you keep, but that’s why we shoot digital.
Getting into the backyard can be rewarding. You get to see Mother Nature at her best and you get to help save some species.
For example, here in Ontario the Black Capped Chickadees need help, so feeding them through the year can help the species survive. There are some great websites that can help with identification, like eNature.com that you can search with your zipcode if you live in the United States. Search via zipcode and eastern western cananda, there are many different sites that pertain to different parts of the world. Your countries government environmental website will also have some good information.
