Photography Tips for Your Family Ski Vacation
A family ski vacation is always unforgettable, but with the harsh conditions that come with the snow, it can be difficult to take home photos that capture the spirit of your vacation. They say never work with children or animals, but what’s the bet that children and snow go into this equation? Chances are, your child is excited and buzzing down the slopes before you get a chance to yell ‘say cheese,’ so here are some tips for getting the best family snapshots.
It is a little known fact that you catch the sun more easily in snowy surroundings than on a beach vacation, and this is because the snow causes reflections. So when taking your photos, remember to compensate for exaggerated brightness or your subjects will end up looking like dark outlines against dust. If you have access to a light meter, take a reading of your skin or a gray card and then take an incident reading with a separate light meter and adjust the exposure accordingly. Another method is to put the flash on, it may not make sense at first, but the flash can help illuminate the figure in the foreground against the bright snow in the background.
By keeping your camera warm, you will prevent the batteries from draining too quickly, thus avoiding the frustrating feeling of missing out on timely photos because your camera has run out.
The other important factor to remember when taking family ski photos is blur. Whether you want to capture your partner’s action-packed descent carving down the slope, or you want to avoid the excess blur that plagues so many potentially great action shots, there are a few key techniques to keep in mind. To deter unwanted motion blur, be sure to capture your subject moving closer to or away from you rather than at a right angle. On the other hand, some really fun effects can be achieved by playing with the blur by holding a steady hand, or a tripod if one is available, then changing the shutter speed by setting it very low and following the skier as he passes. Try to keep your subject in the middle of the viewfinder, as this will give you a measure of how fast you were traveling in your shot.
To ensure the best chance of taking home great shots is to take as many as possible, surely there will be a gem among them. Make the most of your digital camera and pack an extra memory card and you’ll be sure to return with a full album of perfect family photos in the snow.