I will be the first to admit that most of the photos I take during the winter months are inside shots. Being that I was born and raised in Hawaii it is hard enough for me to expose my body to the brutal Wisconsin winter elements, let alone my prized camera. But, as I’ve discovered in the last couple of years, blaming Mother Nature is a bad excuse for missing frameworthy shots of my daughter sledding down a hill or making a snow angel in the front yard. So in 2008 I am resolving to get out more… and take my camera with me.
My uncle lives in Lake Tahoe and takes his camera everywhere. His shots of my aunt skiing at Squaw Valley are outstanding and it’s his work that has inspired me to get out in the snow and capture more adventure shots. The challenge with documenting adventure shots is that it requires balancing photography with participation, and I don’t excel in winter sports. However, I like to think I possess solid camera techniques and I also have the ability to anticipate unfolding events, which offsets my lack of hard-core athleticism.
If you are an avid skier or snowboarder then you can use your skills to enhance your winter photography, especially if you are shooting a family member or friend on the slopes. Typically, when you are shooting someone skiing or snowboarding, you want to be ahead of him or her. Doing so allows you to find the ideal shooting location. It also helps if you are a fast skier (or at least faster than your subject).
Having quick hands also helps when you are trying to capture winter sports enthusiasts in the heat of the moment. If you are hitting the slopes with your camera forget about bringing a backpack, which makes access too slow. Instead, use a hip pack that has a waist belt and shoulder strap. Just make sure your hip pack has a zipper to keep out the snow. Otherwise, you might consider investing in a hip camera bag that doubles as a daypack. That way you have full access to your camera, but also have room for food, water, and extra lenses. And this goes without saying (but I’ll add it anyway) you should never wear your camera around your neck (dangling by its strap) or under your jacket when skiing or snowboarding because if you fall, the camera could injure you and vice versa.