Article

Photography Over the Winter Months

Many places are open these days over the winter, see the article Always open . This covers what is open, specific topics that can be photographed in the winter, a look at the affects of weather and light and more besides.

In this article we are exploring opportunities for photography without needing to go out into the cold, and although most of the items covered here could be done at any time of the year, in the winter months these may become more appealing.

Studio Portraiture

You don't need a lot, a flash and a reflector or a couple of flash units gets you started. From there you can add more over time, lighting stands, backgrounds and more flash lights.

Still Life

Using lights, flash and reflectors or a light cube you can allow your creative juices to flow.

Food Photography

One of the challenges in photography is to photograph food really well. In some ways similar to still life, but you have to be able to work faster. Tricks include using olive oil to get a glaze or shine and in some cases using alternative items to get the effect you like. There are a number of ways to get steam including real steam, dry ice and using a garden mist maker. Alternatively photograph steam against a black background and add it in Photoshop later.

Experimental Photography

Not images that you normally want to keep, but practical experiments so that you can see the results you get. For example photographing a line of dominoes with different apertures and focus points, or experimenting with while balance settings. Or how about a series of photos at different ISO's to see what, if any, noise you can see.

Converting Old Film/Slide Stock

Do you have loads of prints, or negatives, then consider over the winter trying to convert many of these to digital. You could re-photograph the prints or slides, or us a scanner, both have advantages in some cases.

Index the Photos You Have

As you take more photographs identifying where the one is that you want becomes an increasingly difficult task, the job of indexing them also becomes ever larger the longer it is left. Indexing effectively is one of the most difficult areas in photography.

Creating Backups

If you computer or hard drive failed, would you have lost a large number of valuable photos. Do you have them backed up, at enough levels to have the confidence that you could recover them all. We have some articles in development on this whole area.

Getting some of your work seen:-

• Editing and printing some photos, also perhaps mounting and framing some to put on the wall.
• Producing a portfolio, showing the range of work that you can do.
• Producing a coffee table or other book with your photos.
• Working out which magazines might like to use some of your photographs, but never will unless you tell them about them.
• Editing up some photos to submit to picture libraries.
• How about looking to put on an exhibition of your work.

Working with other photographers

• Producing some location guides to help us to give all photographers an increasingly wider coverage. Take a look at the some of the many location guides we have and take inspiration for what you could do for us. Once you have decided what you want to share with us, then email the text content grid details to the editor, and don't forget to attach some of your great photos, so that the reader can see what they can do and photograph when they are there.

Researching and Planning for Your Year Ahead

Perhaps looking through our location guides, perhaps looking elsewhere, and making a list of the must photograph places and events for the year ahead.