Wintertime photography can produce some of the most interesting images, but even the most advanced cameras can get confused by bright white snowy scenes. Try these simple tips to get stunning winter wonderland shots.

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Simple Quick Tip

First, try focusing your camera on a darker object, then press the shutter down halfway so it meters the dark object instead of the snow. Next, without lifting your finger, re-frame your photo to capture the shot you actually want, and depress the shutter button the rest of the way down to take the picture.

Produce Bright White Snow with Exposure

Snow scenes in pure white can be very beautiful, but it can be difficult to effectively capture the pure-white look of freshly fallen snow. Try using Exposure Compensation to bring out this look. If your camera has the [Beach & Snow] Scene Mode, your exposure will be automatically compensated to represent the true tonality of the snow. Want more control? Most cameras include a manual Exposure Compensation function. You can enhance the whiteness of your scene by simply by adjusting it towards the [+]. If you emphasize the white color too much, the realistic quality of the snow may be lost. Check your results on the LCD after each adjustment, and take several shots until you get one you like.

On many models you can check for overexposure on the playback display after taking a picture. Or you can display a histogram on the LCD as you compose your shot.

Create a Feeling of Intense Cold With White Balance

Usually, the purpose of the White Balance function is to properly represent colors in a picture. But sometimes it is better to accentuate some colors in order to create a certain look or expression. With Olympus cameras that feature the white balance compensation function, you can adjust it towards BLUE to strengthen the blue tones in a snowy scene. Even with models that do not include the white balance compensation option, you can get a similar effect by using the Tungsten Light setting, or by adjusting the hue later in Olympus Master 2.