Winter Inspiration Ideas

que es tu · 10-31-2020, 01:01 PM

Now that the leaves are down, the insects and spiders are gone, and the colorful birds have migrated or grown winter plumage, I was wondering what everyone does in the winter for inspiration?? Snow is unreliable for me, and I don’t get to stay home if it does snow, so that is a toss up. Any ideas or suggestions?

Unregistered User · 10-31-2020, 01:56 PM - **2 Likes**

I start taking pictures of leafless trees and shrubs. There are so many forms in trees and shrubs that you do not see when all the leaves are blocking your vision

.

**StiffLegged** · 10-31-2020, 02:10 PM - **2 Likes**

You don't have to get up at 4am for pre-dawn light, or stay out past 9pm for evening blue hour and golden hour lasts a lot more than 60 minutes. The weather changes more in winter and that changeable light as storms arrive or clear is endlessly fascinating. You do need to dress warm and dry for it, but the possibilities are legion, especially somewhere like the Smokies! My problem is I can't just drop everything and shoot, but I do especially enjoy watching the changing evening sky colours in winter.

vector · 10-31-2020, 02:24 PM - **1 Like**

My outdoor photography falls off a cliff in winter. Lots of beautiful stuff around here with all the Rocky Mountains within just a few hours drive but we endure weeks and weeks of -20C to -30C and while the cameras will work, this photographer begins to fail. Try as I might, I fail to find beauty in the dead brown winter world. The snow can be beautiful but I would need to take up snowshoeing or snowmobiling to really do what I want as a lot of the roads are closed and impassable in the winter. It's just not going to happen. So in the winter I tend to work on mastering artificial lighting and be that annoying guy who shows up with a camera at all the school, church, family, sports, and other community events. Most of that will be restricted or non-existent this winter due to covid so probably just a lot more around the house.

**Mooncatt** · 10-31-2020, 05:23 PM - **2 Likes**

I live in Wisconsin and my goal is to go out on the ice at some point for steel wool photography. Light painting in general can be serene as it reflects off the snow.

If I still lived down south where 3 snowflakes shut the entire state down, I don't know what I'd do for photography. It was always so drab.

**jlstrawman** · 10-31-2020, 05:45 PM - **3 Likes**

Post process all the files you have sitting on your hard drive(s).

**Gorgarath** · 10-31-2020, 06:59 PM

Post processing is something I really need to learn to properly do. I save both RAW and JPG when I shoot and generally just share the JPGs straight from the camera with some resizing done to make them small enough to send.

**DWS1** · 10-31-2020, 07:50 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by jlstrawman

Post process all the files you have sitting on your hard drive(s).

That's my plan. Took a 15 day road trip in Sept. out to Moab, Utah, area. Snapped about 1500 shots and have barely looked at them. Probably add more to that because fall colors are just now reaching peak here in the southern Ozarks.

**AggieDad** · 10-31-2020, 08:33 PM - **2 Likes**

I find winter is a good time for dusting off and cranking up my macro studio.

**robgski** · 10-31-2020, 08:57 PM - **1 Like**

Bad weather makes good pictures! Get outside and try to capture rain , snow, ice, storms, etc

Winter light creates long shadowns and high contrast.

If cold weather is a deterrent, stay inside and really learn your camera (RTFM!) and other gear, or take on a new skill or a new style .

Go through old photos and self critique, culling technically poor images often reminds me of what I need to improve upon.

Join some PF groups or challenges, commiting to a daily In challenge gives me impetus to find something, anything to photograph each day.

Plan out a photojournal project, consider the elements and scenes you want to present, in what order

Try composing a still life of related objects

**UncleVanya** · 10-31-2020, 09:15 PM - **2 Likes**

Black and white high contrast shots of skeletal trees, buildings, people...

**Michail_P** · 10-31-2020, 11:05 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by jlstrawman

Post process all the files you have sitting on your hard drive(s).

That’s what I thought. I have files sitting on the drives for months (at least...)

garywakeling · 11-01-2020, 02:04 AM - **1 Like**

+1 for macro work taking priority as well as bad weather makes great photos ( if you are determined enough to try )
Good luck

35mmfilmfan · 11-01-2020, 03:04 AM - **2 Likes**

Winter's great ! The few people that are around wear funny clothes and go funny colours !!

**travelswsage** · 11-01-2020, 05:41 AM

I have a lot of problems with my fingers in the winter cold so winter photography has always been difficult for me. One exercise I try to do when I do get out for some shooting is to think of grey and brown as the colors I'm trying to capture and train myself to find variations, patterns and textures within these colors.

10-31-2020, 01:01 PM	#1
que es tu Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Smoky Mountains, NC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,602	Winter Inspiration Ideas Now that the leaves are down, the insects and spiders are gone, and the colorful birds have migrated or grown winter plumage, I was wondering what everyone does in the winter for inspiration?? Snow is unreliable for me, and I don’t get to stay home if it does snow, so that is a toss up. Any ideas or suggestions?

10-31-2020, 01:56 PM - 2 Likes	#2
Unregistered User Guest	I start taking pictures of leafless trees and shrubs. There are so many forms in trees and shrubs that you do not see when all the leaves are blocking your vision.

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10-31-2020, 02:10 PM - 2 Likes	#3
StiffLegged Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2018 Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,634	You don't have to get up at 4am for pre-dawn light, or stay out past 9pm for evening blue hour and golden hour lasts a lot more than 60 minutes. The weather changes more in winter and that changeable light as storms arrive or clear is endlessly fascinating. You do need to dress warm and dry for it, but the possibilities are legion, especially somewhere like the Smokies! My problem is I can't just drop everything and shoot, but I do especially enjoy watching the changing evening sky colours in winter.

10-31-2020, 02:24 PM - 1 Like	#4
vector Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Alberta Posts: 713	My outdoor photography falls off a cliff in winter. Lots of beautiful stuff around here with all the Rocky Mountains within just a few hours drive but we endure weeks and weeks of -20C to -30C and while the cameras will work, this photographer begins to fail. Try as I might, I fail to find beauty in the dead brown winter world. The snow can be beautiful but I would need to take up snowshoeing or snowmobiling to really do what I want as a lot of the roads are closed and impassable in the winter. It's just not going to happen. So in the winter I tend to work on mastering artificial lighting and be that annoying guy who shows up with a camera at all the school, church, family, sports, and other community events. Most of that will be restricted or non-existent this winter due to covid so probably just a lot more around the house.

10-31-2020, 05:23 PM - 2 Likes	#5
Mooncatt Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2020 Location: Wisconsin Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,373	I live in Wisconsin and my goal is to go out on the ice at some point for steel wool photography. Light painting in general can be serene as it reflects off the snow. If I still lived down south where 3 snowflakes shut the entire state down, I don't know what I'd do for photography. It was always so drab.

10-31-2020, 05:45 PM - 3 Likes	#6
jlstrawman Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Midwest US Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,058	Post process all the files you have sitting on your hard drive(s).

10-31-2020, 06:59 PM	#7
Gorgarath Total n00b Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 735	Post processing is something I really need to learn to properly do. I save both RAW and JPG when I shoot and generally just share the JPGs straight from the camera with some resizing done to make them small enough to send.

10-31-2020, 07:50 PM - 1 Like	#8
DWS1 Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Arkansas, USA Posts: 1,169	Originally posted by jlstrawman Post process all the files you have sitting on your hard drive(s). That's my plan. Took a 15 day road trip in Sept. out to Moab, Utah, area. Snapped about 1500 shots and have barely looked at them. Probably add more to that because fall colors are just now reaching peak here in the southern Ozarks.

10-31-2020, 08:33 PM - 2 Likes	#9
AggieDad Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Houston, TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,456	I find winter is a good time for dusting off and cranking up my macro studio.

10-31-2020, 08:57 PM - 1 Like	#10
robgski Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,817	Bad weather makes good pictures! Get outside and try to capture rain , snow, ice, storms, etc Winter light creates long shadowns and high contrast. If cold weather is a deterrent, stay inside and really learn your camera (RTFM!) and other gear, or take on a new skill or a new style . Go through old photos and self critique, culling technically poor images often reminds me of what I need to improve upon. Join some PF groups or challenges, commiting to a daily In challenge gives me impetus to find something, anything to photograph each day. Plan out a photojournal project, consider the elements and scenes you want to present, in what order Try composing a still life of related objects

10-31-2020, 09:15 PM - 2 Likes	#11
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,454	Black and white high contrast shots of skeletal trees, buildings, people...

10-31-2020, 11:05 PM - 1 Like	#12
Michail_P Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Kalymnos Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,006	Originally posted by jlstrawman Post process all the files you have sitting on your hard drive(s). That’s what I thought. I have files sitting on the drives for months (at least...)

11-01-2020, 02:04 AM - 1 Like	#13
garywakeling Moderator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,773	+1 for macro work taking priority as well as bad weather makes great photos ( if you are determined enough to try ) Good luck

11-01-2020, 03:04 AM - 2 Likes	#14
35mmfilmfan Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 4,338	Winter's great ! The few people that are around wear funny clothes and go funny colours !!

11-01-2020, 05:41 AM	#15
travelswsage Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 385	I have a lot of problems with my fingers in the winter cold so winter photography has always been difficult for me. One exercise I try to do when I do get out for some shooting is to think of grey and brown as the colors I'm trying to capture and train myself to find variations, patterns and textures within these colors.