Shooting Portraits in Snow

geekkt · 11-22-2011, 10:10 PM

I dragged the little guy out today for some practice in the Edmonton snow. I got some okay shots, but looking at them now I'm finding the snow pretty blown and am wondering what the best method for exposing it correctly is. I basically played a bit until I got the skin tones I expected - is there a specific rule of thumb? It was also an overcast day, if that makes a difference. Shot with my K-r and 50/1.4.

A couple examples, these are untouched aside from a quick crop, which I'm not all that final on. ISO 200, f/4.0, shutter speeds of 1/250, 1/200, and 1/320 respectively.

Last edited by geekkt; 11-22-2011 at 10:31 PM.

Nuff · 11-22-2011, 10:34 PM

One way to do it is to underexpose to keep the detail in the snow, then in post-processing you can keep the details in snow and skin tones. In software like lightroom (got to shoot in RAW to preserve as much detail as possible), I would increase contrast, blacks, recover (recovers highlights). Also I'm not sure how dark was the jacket/pants, but I usually like my blacks more black.

By the way, after doing all this adjustment, the face might not look right, so you would have to use a local brush (I forget the exact name of this tool in LR) to turn down, clarity, contrast. Also you would have to set the correct exposure for the face using this tool etc...

Not so perfect example (click on them for bigger pics)...

And here are couple taken with Olympus e-p1 which has very little latitude in the way the photos can be manipulated.

geekkt · 11-22-2011, 10:45 PM

Thanks! I'll have to go back out and play a bit more - I know that I tend to underexpose as a habit but apparently managed not to today.

**dms** · 11-23-2011, 12:46 AM

meter a white card and find the ev adjustment to just avoid blowing the white--and then use that adjustment and meter the snow, But if some of the snow is reflecting sunlight at a glare angle don't meter it--let it be overexposed--it adds sparkle.

Deiberson · 11-23-2011, 03:08 AM

I believe you should always push the EV to +1 or +1.5 in the snow. The camera meter wants to turn everything to grey, esp all that white that is in your image. EV comp will force the snow to become white. Likewise for a dark scene.....camera wants to meter that to grey as well so it actually tries to make it lighter....therefor..you must drop the EV comp to below zero.

Gashog · 11-23-2011, 04:52 PM

This is straight from the camera through a Hoya polarizing filter.
a little PP in LightZone and it looks decent.

Nuff · 11-23-2011, 06:21 PM

Gashog, that's a great photo. I think the polarizer must help a fair bit to nail the exposure like that. Next time I'm in snow I will give it a shot.

Gashog · 11-23-2011, 08:08 PM

Thanks. I must disclose that it was shot with my old S2 Pro.
Settings from memory:
Color. High
Sharpnes. Hard
Saturation. High
WB was the cloudy day preset, im pretty sure.

I wanted it to be a warm portrait of a cold day. Snow is usually blue.

Don From The Radio · 11-24-2011, 01:19 AM

ND filters also help.

Gashog · 11-24-2011, 05:16 AM

Do you mean a graduated ND?

reeftool · 11-24-2011, 06:27 PM

Underexposing tends to turn the snow blue/gray but in a portrait, you always want the person exposed right. Your shots look pretty good to me.

Voytech · 11-25-2011, 06:45 PM

I agree. They look spot on. If the snow is slightly too bright, that's ok by me.

MPrince · 11-25-2011, 08:15 PM

If it's a sunny day, put your camera in manual mode, choose your aperture, and meter the blue sky. Just point the camera away from the sun and make sure there are no white clouds in the viewfinder. Works regardless of time of day or season. This will also work on an overcast (grey) day.

geekkt · 11-25-2011, 11:03 PM

Thanks, all. Some good suggestions here.

**jbinpg** · 11-25-2011, 11:40 PM

Or the Poor Man's Incident Light Meter - manual exposure, meter off your hand which is reflecting the major light source in your image, and open up one stop from the given exposure. See how that turns out then adjust to taste. This is for Caucasian skin so you will have to experiment for other skin colours.

11-22-2011, 10:10 PM	#1
geekkt Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmonton Posts: 60	Shooting Portraits in Snow I dragged the little guy out today for some practice in the Edmonton snow. I got some okay shots, but looking at them now I'm finding the snow pretty blown and am wondering what the best method for exposing it correctly is. I basically played a bit until I got the skin tones I expected - is there a specific rule of thumb? It was also an overcast day, if that makes a difference. Shot with my K-r and 50/1.4. A couple examples, these are untouched aside from a quick crop, which I'm not all that final on. ISO 200, f/4.0, shutter speeds of 1/250, 1/200, and 1/320 respectively. Last edited by geekkt; 11-22-2011 at 10:31 PM.

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11-22-2011, 10:34 PM	#2
Nuff Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Sydney Posts: 671	One way to do it is to underexpose to keep the detail in the snow, then in post-processing you can keep the details in snow and skin tones. In software like lightroom (got to shoot in RAW to preserve as much detail as possible), I would increase contrast, blacks, recover (recovers highlights). Also I'm not sure how dark was the jacket/pants, but I usually like my blacks more black. By the way, after doing all this adjustment, the face might not look right, so you would have to use a local brush (I forget the exact name of this tool in LR) to turn down, clarity, contrast. Also you would have to set the correct exposure for the face using this tool etc... Not so perfect example (click on them for bigger pics)... And here are couple taken with Olympus e-p1 which has very little latitude in the way the photos can be manipulated.

11-22-2011, 10:45 PM	#3
geekkt Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmonton Posts: 60 Original Poster	Thanks! I'll have to go back out and play a bit more - I know that I tend to underexpose as a habit but apparently managed not to today.

11-23-2011, 12:46 AM	#4
dms Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: New York, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,192	meter a white card and find the ev adjustment to just avoid blowing the white--and then use that adjustment and meter the snow, But if some of the snow is reflecting sunlight at a glare angle don't meter it--let it be overexposed--it adds sparkle.

11-23-2011, 03:08 AM	#5
Deiberson Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Photos: Albums Posts: 734	I believe you should always push the EV to +1 or +1.5 in the snow. The camera meter wants to turn everything to grey, esp all that white that is in your image. EV comp will force the snow to become white. Likewise for a dark scene.....camera wants to meter that to grey as well so it actually tries to make it lighter....therefor..you must drop the EV comp to below zero.

11-23-2011, 04:52 PM	#6
Gashog Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NY Photos: Albums Posts: 523	This is straight from the camera through a Hoya polarizing filter. a little PP in LightZone and it looks decent.

11-23-2011, 06:21 PM	#7
Nuff Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Sydney Posts: 671	Gashog, that's a great photo. I think the polarizer must help a fair bit to nail the exposure like that. Next time I'm in snow I will give it a shot.

11-23-2011, 08:08 PM	#8
Gashog Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NY Photos: Albums Posts: 523	Thanks. I must disclose that it was shot with my old S2 Pro. Settings from memory: Color. High Sharpnes. Hard Saturation. High WB was the cloudy day preset, im pretty sure. I wanted it to be a warm portrait of a cold day. Snow is usually blue.

11-24-2011, 01:19 AM	#9
Don From The Radio Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Delaware Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 344	ND filters also help.

11-24-2011, 05:16 AM	#10
Gashog Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NY Photos: Albums Posts: 523	Do you mean a graduated ND?

11-24-2011, 06:27 PM	#11
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	Underexposing tends to turn the snow blue/gray but in a portrait, you always want the person exposed right. Your shots look pretty good to me.

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11-25-2011, 06:45 PM	#12
Voytech Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY/NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 952	I agree. They look spot on. If the snow is slightly too bright, that's ok by me.

11-25-2011, 08:15 PM	#13
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	If it's a sunny day, put your camera in manual mode, choose your aperture, and meter the blue sky. Just point the camera away from the sun and make sure there are no white clouds in the viewfinder. Works regardless of time of day or season. This will also work on an overcast (grey) day.

11-25-2011, 11:03 PM	#14
geekkt Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmonton Posts: 60 Original Poster	Thanks, all. Some good suggestions here.

11-25-2011, 11:40 PM	#15
jbinpg Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Prince George, BC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,546	Or the Poor Man's Incident Light Meter - manual exposure, meter off your hand which is reflecting the major light source in your image, and open up one stop from the given exposure. See how that turns out then adjust to taste. This is for Caucasian skin so you will have to experiment for other skin colours.