How to Photograph Snow: Ski Photography Tips

Snow comes out grey because your camera tries to make every scene a mid-tone, so add +1 to +2 stops of exposure compensation (or slide your phone's exposure up) until the snow is white but still shows texture. Shoot in the low side light of the morning and late afternoon, when shadows give the slopes shape, set white balance to daylight so shaded snow does not turn blue, and use 1/1000 second or faster with burst mode for skiers and snowboarders. Keep batteries in an inside pocket, because cold drains them fast.

That is the short version. Below are the settings, light, action technique and cold-weather habits that make winter photos work, for a camera, a phone or an action camera. When you are back from the mountains, our ski photo books turn the week into a printed book under a drawn SKIING or SNOWBOARDING cover or your resort's.

Why Snow Looks Grey, and How to Fix It

A camera's light meter assumes the scene in front of it averages out to a middle grey. Point it at a bright white slope and it darkens the exposure until the snow is grey, and anyone standing on it ends up too dark as well.

On a camera: dial in +1 to +2 stops of exposure compensation. Start at +1 on a sunny slope, go to +1.7 or +2 for a scene that is almost all snow, and less in flat light.

On a phone: tap the person or the slope to focus, then drag the sun icon beside the focus box up until the snow looks white. Phones handle snow better than cameras did, but they still tend to underexpose a bright white scene or flatten it.

Do not overdo it. Snow with no texture at all looks like a blank sheet. The aim is white snow you can still see the surface of: tracks, ridges, sparkle.

Use the histogram

The histogram on a camera's screen shows the brightness of every part of the photo, from dark on the left to bright on the right. In a well-exposed snow photo, the big hump of the snow sits near the right edge without touching it. If it is pressed against the right edge, the brightest snow has turned pure white with no detail; dial back a third of a stop. Turn on highlight warnings ("blinkies") if your camera has them, and the burnt-out areas will flash on the screen.

Fix the Blue Cast

Snow in shade reflects the blue sky, and on overcast days the whole scene can turn cool. Automatic white balance does not always correct it.

• Set white balance to daylight or sunny for consistent colour all day.
• Shoot RAW if your camera allows it, so you can correct the colour later without losing quality.
• On a phone, warm the photo slightly when you edit it, a few points of warmth is usually enough.

A little blue in the shadows looks natural and cold. A blue cast over the whole slope does not.

Find the Best Light on the Mountain

• Morning and late afternoon give low, side-on light that shows every ridge, mogul and track. Midday sun from overhead flattens the slopes.
• Shoot with the sun to the side for texture, or into the sun for glowing powder sprays and backlit snowfall. Keep the sun behind you for bright, clean colour on faces and jackets.
• Flat light (cloud, fog or snowfall) removes the shadows, so the slopes lose their shape. Move close: photograph people, faces, the lift, the tree line or anything with colour and edges.
• Blue sky after fresh snow is the classic ski photo. A polarising filter deepens the sky further, but at altitude it can make a wide sky look unevenly dark, so use it lightly.

Ski and Snowboard Action Photos

Action on the snow is fast and the background is bright, which is a good combination: you can use a fast shutter without raising the ISO.

Where to stand. Stop at the side of the run, below a turn, a roller or a small jump, in a spot where people coming down can see you. Never stop in the middle of a run or just below a ridge where you are hidden from above.

Shoot from below or the side. From below, the slope looks as steep as it felt. From directly above or behind, every run looks flat.

Catch the spray. Ask the skier to make a hard turn just in front of you with the sun behind them: the powder spray lights up.

Pre-focus and wait. Focus on the patch of snow where they will turn, then hold the shutter as they arrive. Keep the frame where the skis or board are sharp and the body is in a strong shape.

Leave space. Give the rider room to move into in the frame, and keep a little of the mountain in the background for scale.

Action cameras

A helmet or chest-mounted action camera captures the run as you saw it. Chest mounts usually show more of the skis and the slope; helmet mounts give the classic point-of-view shot. Record in the highest resolution you can and take still frames later, because stills from video need good resolution to print. Keep the lens clean: one snowflake or a smudge of sun cream shows on every frame.

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Photos of People on the Mountain

• Goggles up for at least one photo of everyone each day. Helmets and goggles hide faces, and a book full of identical helmets is hard to tell apart. Lunch, the chairlift and the end of the day are good moments.
• Bright jackets stand out against snow. If someone in the group wears red or yellow, put them in the front.
• The chairlift gives a steady seat, a view down the valley and a few relaxed minutes for photos. Keep a wrist strap on the phone.
• The details: the lift pass, boots by the door, the piste map, the hot chocolate, the ski school badge. They tie the action shots together.

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Photographing Falling Snow

• To freeze the flakes, use a fast shutter (1/500s or faster) and a dark background, such as trees or a building, so the flakes show.
• To show snow as streaks, slow the shutter to about 1/30 to 1/60 second.
• At night, a flash or a street light behind the falling snow lights up every flake.
• Shoot through it, not at it. Focus on a person or a chalet and let the snow fall between you and the subject.

Cold Weather: Batteries, Condensation and Gloves

• Keep batteries warm. Cold drains batteries much faster, and a cold phone may shut down early. Apple, for example, recommends using iPhone in ambient temperatures between 0°C and 35°C (32°F to 95°F). Keep the phone and spare camera batteries in an inside pocket and take them out only to shoot.
• Carry a spare power bank in an inside pocket for the phone.
• Avoid condensation. Bring a cold camera into a warm chalet and moisture forms on the lens and inside the body. Put it in a sealed plastic bag or a closed camera bag before you go indoors, and let it warm up for an hour before you open it.
• Wear liner gloves with touchscreen fingertips under your ski gloves, so you can use the phone without bare hands.
• Do not breathe on the lens to clean it in the cold: the moisture can freeze. Use a dry lens cloth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does snow look grey in photos?

The camera's meter darkens bright scenes towards mid-grey. Add +1 to +2 stops of exposure compensation, or slide your phone's exposure up, until the snow is white but keeps its texture.

What are the best camera settings for snow?

Exposure compensation of +1 to +2, daylight white balance, a low ISO in sun, and for action 1/1000 second or faster with continuous autofocus and burst mode.

Why does snow look blue in photos?

Shaded snow reflects the blue sky. Set white balance to daylight or warm the photo slightly when you edit.

How do I take good photos while skiing?

Stop at the side of the run where you can be seen, below a turn, and shoot from the side or below with burst mode and focus set on the turn.

Does cold weather affect phone and camera batteries?

Yes. Keep phones and spare batteries in an inside pocket and take them out only to shoot.

When you are home, a ski photo book puts the best runs, the views and the evenings in one place.