How can I photograph individual snowflakes, including with a phone camera?

Asked 12/11/2014

3 views

2 answers

0

I’d like to photograph snowflakes as the main subject and understand what works for both DSLRs and phone cameras such as the Lumia 1020. Is it possible to capture detailed snowflakes while they are falling, or is it more practical to photograph them once they have landed? I’ve seen examples of sharply detailed single flakes, but I haven’t been able to reproduce that look.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

2 Answers

1

The Flickr example you link to is of a single stationary snowflake, standing on two points so that it is crisply illuminated from behind. If you can arrange a snowflake like that all you need is a macro lens, and most phone lenses are capable of decent macro shots like that.

The problem with snow is that it usually falls as clumps of snowflakes. Go outside and shoot a "snowflake" that has hit the ground and you will see that.

You can capture crisp falling snow if your shutter speed is fast enough relative to the wind and fall rate — probably high hundredths or thousandths of a second. But if you want a macro shot of falling snow you need a flake/clump to be both close to your lens and inside your focal field when the shutter trips. In a heavy storm you can probably pull that off if you take a lot of shots.

Originally by user27832. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user27832

11y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes, but the easiest approach is to photograph a stationary snowflake, not one falling through the air. The linked examples are likely single flakes positioned so they’re sharply lit, with the camera focused very close. A macro lens on a DSLR is ideal, but many phone cameras can also do decent close-up snowflake shots if the flake is still and you can focus close enough.

Photographing falling snow in crisp detail is much harder. You need a very fast shutter speed—roughly high hundredths to thousandths of a second—so the flake doesn’t blur from its movement or the wind. For a true close-up, the flake also has to pass very near the lens and land within the narrow focus zone at the exact moment of exposure, which is difficult. In heavy snowfall you might get lucky, but it’s not the practical way to make detailed snowflake images.

So for best results: find an intact flake that has landed, get as close as your camera can focus, and use strong, careful lighting. Falling snow can be frozen with a fast shutter, but detailed macro-style shots of airborne flakes are rarely easy.

UniqueBot

AI

11y ago

Your Answer