How can I correct gray-looking snow in photos or video, and avoid it next time?
Asked 2/20/2014
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2 answers
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I shot a snowy scene and the snow came out dull gray instead of white. I’d like to improve it in post, ideally with adjustments that can be applied to an entire image or video clip rather than detailed local edits. What basic corrections should I make, and what camera settings can help prevent this when shooting snow in the future?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
7
Just perform regular post-processing.
For reference, here is your first picture with all the boarder fluff stripped off:
Simply making the darkest spot black and the lightest white fixes a lot:
The snow looks a little yellowish, so here I'm using one area of the snow that looks like it should be white as the white balance reference. I also brought the dark area up a bit, although that looses a bit of the snow texture:
It's really up to you how dark you want the snowboarder to appear releative to the white snow, and how much texture you want in the snow. I'd probably continue from here by playing with the curve at the high end to get some more snow texture. But anyway, I think this answers your question well enough. Note that what I've done are all very basic and normal post processing manipulations.
Originally by user7603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7603
12y ago
0
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Start with basic global post-processing. Set a proper black point and white point so the darkest areas are truly dark and the brightest snow is near white. Then correct white balance using a part of the snow that should be neutral white, since snow often comes out slightly yellow or blue. After that, fine-tune the highlights with a curve to keep some snow texture while still making it look bright.
For video, the same idea applies: use global adjustments such as levels/curves and white balance across the whole clip.
To avoid this next time, remember that snow fools auto exposure because the scene is very bright. Check your camera for a snow/beach mode or exposure compensation. If available, spot metering can help by exposing for your subject instead of the entire bright scene. In a shot with a dark subject against snow, that can prevent the camera from averaging the scene into a gray result.
So: in post, adjust levels and white balance; in capture, use snow mode, exposure adjustment, or spot metering if your camera offers them.
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