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Winter Photography Tips featuring Nick Irwin

Winter photography certainly comes with its challenges, however, it also offers the opportunity to capture unique photos, from beautiful landscapes, to whimsical night scenes. We asked professional photographer Nick Irwin to share some of his top tips for photographing in the winter, ranging from the necessary gear to recommended camera settings.

Tip #1) Often in winter we experience uneventful, cloudy weather. When this is the case consider using a 6 or 10 stop neutral density filter during the day to create a long exposure. This will smooth out the water, draw out more color, and in this case highlight the intricacies of the icicles and snow. Minimalism = simple beauty.

© Nick Irwin
Sony A7Rii Tamron 17-28 F22, 24mm, ISO 100, 30 sec, 10 Stop ND filter
Click image to view larger

Tip #2) Long exposures during the blue hour can be striking as well… and we don’t have to mess with filters with our cold hands. Use your tripod, set the ISO low for less noise, and let the photo run for 15 or 30 seconds, sometimes a minute or more. Using a high f/stop will turn those lights into stars. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your settings.

© Nick Irwin
Sony A7Rii Tamron 28-75 F22, 36mm, ISO 100, 15 sec
Click image to view larger

Tip #3) Ice can be beautiful, but it can also be dangerous. Invest in a $25 pair of crampons (ice cleats) and you can navigate to places that would otherwise be impossible—and just in time to capture that colorful sunset contrasting with white ice and snow.

© Nick Irwin
SonyA7Rii Tamron 28-75, F9, 28mm, ISO 400, 1/60th sec
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Tip #4) Find the light! In order to capture snow in motion we need a fast shutter speed and light. In this case a flood light at the park illuminated the area enough to show the snow, but at the time caused shadows on the tree, painting a dramatic winter scene.

© Nick Irwin
Sony A6000 Sigma 16mm F1.4 prime, shot at F1.4, 16mm, ISO 4000, 1/60th sec
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Tip #5) Finding exotic places to explore is fun, but rather than square up and take the obvious shot everyone else does, experiment with new angles. My goal with this image was to make the trees appear as if they had ice roots. Being taken in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, some might believe it.

© Nick Irwin
Sony A7Rii Tamron 17-28, F6.3, 17mm, ISO 160, 1/60th sec
Click image to view larger

Tip #6) Look past what’s in front of you. In this photo there is fascinating ice up close, but beyond it are beautiful snow-covered pine trees that want to be seen. Combining the two into one image makes a compelling, dual-layered winter scene.

© Nick Irwin
Sony A7Rii Tamron 17-28, F3.2, 17mm, ISO 640, 1/640th
Click image to view larger

To see more of Nick Irwin's work, visit his instagram: @irwin.nick


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