Had the pleasure this past weekend of babysitting our sweet granddaughter — the most agreeable of toddlers I’ve ever known. Easy going, happy-go-lucky, social, curious and delighted in everything, a day with her is one spent in sunshine.
Good thing too because there wasn’t all that much of that outside. Not that it was dreary, just not quite as bright and cheerful as I like if I’m going to be enticed out of the house on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Fortunately, this was another positive in having our little darling visit. Though I might not want to face Old Man Winter, it’s important that children get exercise and fresh air. So, I sucked it up and like sausage into casing, I stuffed her into snowpants, hat, coat, boots and mittens. She couldn’t move, but she was going to be toasty.
Her immobility, of course, meant that once we were outdoors there wasn’t exactly a lot she could do on her own. We tried to plough through the snow as she hung on to my hand, but her little 2 1/2-foot self was no match for the depth of snow that had blanketed our area the previous week. So we walked the driveway, I pulled her in the sleigh and we sat in a few snowbanks.
It was fun, but unable to really let her flounder around on her own, I wasn’t able to do what I had hoped, which was to grab some fun photos of our outing.
I like the challenge of taking pictures in the snow. And over the years I’ve been both pleased and disappointed by outcome. With sun bouncing off pristine, crisp white, the lighting can be tricky. Also, a palette devoid of much colour is a test for one’s creativity. It’s the reason I was eager to get some shots of dimpled smiles and rosy cheeks.
If you like the idea of taking your camera outdoors in the winter, but have been less than happy with the results here are some great tips from a variety of sources to up your skills:
How to Photograph Winter Landscapes
15 Beginner Tips for Winter and Snow Photography
Simple Tutorials for Photographing Snow
