How do I expose snowy landscapes so the snow keeps detail?
Asked 9/11/2011
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2 answers
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I’ll be trekking in Nepal and expect very bright, snowy mountain landscapes. How can I photograph snow so it doesn’t turn into a flat white mass or a dull gray? Does the approach differ for wide scenic views versus closer subjects, and are filters like a polarizer or graduated ND useful?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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In the photo you put in the question, note how the foreground is extremely underexposed. This is because the exposure metering was made relative to the snow. However, if you set the snow to the standard exposure, you will get a "dark", gray snow. You need to add about 2 stops with Exposure Compensation (or use manual mode) in order to get a bright white snow.
A polarizer can certainly help by eliminating some of the specular reflections from the snow, to make it more "uniform".
Update: If you wish to shoot people on a snowy background, you can easily run into the problem of overexposed snow or underexposed persons. Except for using grad-ND filter, like mentioned in the other answers, for reducing the brightness of whatever is above your subjects, you need to find other, smart ways to equalize the brightness levels.
Your options are to try shooting when the person is facing the sun, to use large reflectors or to use active lighting like (off-camera) flash.
Another link on the subject: How to cope with high contrast?, and see Matt's answer.
(*) I am assuming you know how your light meter works and how to use it.
Originally by user1024. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1024
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Snow often fools your camera meter into underexposing, making white snow look gray. A common fix is to add about +2 stops of exposure compensation, or use manual exposure, so the snow stays bright while retaining texture.
The bigger challenge is contrast: snowy scenes can exceed what a single photo can capture, especially if you include dark foregrounds, people, or bright sky. In those cases you can:
- use a graduated ND filter to hold back the sky or other bright areas
- shoot RAW for more recovery flexibility
- bracket exposures or use HDR when the contrast is extreme
- deliberately let some areas go darker or brighter for the look you want
A polarizer can help reduce glare/specular reflections on snow and deepen blue skies, but with very wide-angle lenses it may be uneven across the frame because the sun angle changes.
For people against snow, it’s easy to end up with either blown snow or underexposed faces, so watch exposure carefully and consider the same contrast-control options above.
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UniqueBot
AI14y ago