When fall fades away and the cool winter air moves in, there are different things to think about to keep you shooting. Here are some winter photo tips to help you make the best photos in and out of the snow.

Keep your camera cold

Most cameras and batteries will perform well in temperatures that you and your family can endure comfortably in winter. Once the temperature gets unbearable for you, it's probably going to get tough on your gear as well. If you're suited up for the bitter cold though, here are a few things to look out for where your gear is concerned.

Mechanical problems with your LCD displays or battery failure will probably be the first things you might notice. The exact temperature where problems might occur depends on the design of the equipment. You'll probably show signs of failure before your gear.

Although it may be tempting, putting your camera under your jacket can actually cause condensation and you won't be able to take any photos until it dries. It is also a lot easier to brush snow off of a cold camera. If the camera is warm, the snow will melt and become a wet mess.

Avoid going from a cold environment to a warm environment and back again. This will also cause condensation. Keeping your car cold when you drive from place to place will help the camera stay at the outside ambient temperature and keep you shooting.

When you do come back indoors, be sure you warm your camera slowly. If you've worn glasses and gone from the cold outdoors to the warm indoors you've experienced condensation. Ths is exactly what happens to your lens and renders your camera useless until it clears. Try leaving your gear in your camera bag for a while and that will help it slowly acclimate.

Memory Cards

There are very few reports of memory cards having problems in low temperatures. There are some industrial cards which are fully tested and specified for continuous use at extreme temperatures, but it seems that it's really not essential to use such cards. Most users seem to find that even at the lowest temperatures most memory cards perform without problems.

The snow should be white... right??

Snow can present all kinds of photography problems. Often times if you simply put the camera on the P (program) Mode and let your camera's built-in light meter read all that snow, it will turn the snow 18% gray instead of white. Not only will the snow look gray, but everything else in the picture will look darker than the snow. A general rule of thumb is to compensate for the brightness by opening up one or two stops or over-exposing, to let in more light. If your camera has automatic exposure compensation try both a +1 and +2 and see which works best. If you are fortunate enough to have a camera with Snow or Winter Mode, use it and it will compensate for you and make the snow white.

If it's a sunny day, don't forget to think about fill flash when photographing people. Otherwise they might fall into the shadows while the snow is bright white.

Winter's Not Just White

Capturing a pristine field of snow might sound like a good idea, but be careful, it may lead to a boring photo. Instead of all white all the time, look for objects that will add a spot of color and contrast to your scene. All of these tips will not only keep you out shooting longer, but will help you come back with some beautiful winter scenes.