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8 Tips for Winter Photography

6 years ago
gtapcnew
Adult Classes
1) Use fast shutter speeds to capture moving snow

Falling snow simply looks stunning and adds to any scene. However, to avoid any motion blur, make sure you set your shutter speed correctly! We recommend using a speed of 1/250, and even faster if lighting allows for it.

2) Batteries drain fast in the cold!

Try your best to keep your batteries warm when you’re in the snow as cold batteries lose their charge fairly quick! By simply putting your batteries in pockets that are inside your jacket, or even the front pocket of your pants, your body heat will keep the batteries warm enough so they don’t die out too quickly. And as always, no matter what shoot you’re doing, BRING EXTRA BATTERIES!

3) Adjust your exposure compensation higher

By simply increasing your composition exposure between +0.3EV to +0.7EV, you’ll be able to capture the pure whiteness of your scene easier! Test your shots a few times to find the right composition exposure value and make sure to look for how white the snow is. In some cases, the snow may look grey if the composition exposure is not increased enough!

4) Your Gear, Snow & Moisture

Protect your gear! When you’re outdoors, dry powdered snow won’t damage your camera, but be sure to wipe it off with your glove, sleeve or a small towel. Make sure you don’t use your hands! Your hands will melt the snow, creating a possibility of water seeping into your camera.

In general, cold weather won’t really effect your camera, but keep in mind of the change in humidity when your heading indoors. You may notice that your lens fogs up with condensation when you head inside a warm place. Although you can wipe it off your lens, condensation builds up inside your camera as well! This could potentially harm the mechanics inside your camera and lens. Best solution for this is to put your camera into a airtight bag or container before heading indoors. This will protect your camera from the change in temperature & humidity. If there’s a small build up of condensation, don’t try to wipe it as it may seep into other parts of your camera. Instead, let your camera sit on a towel and let it warm up!

5) Use a zoom lens

Even though a prime lens may get you a great shot, it doesn’t offer the flexibility you need when shooting outdoors. You may need to take a macro shot of a snowflake, then a landscape shot right after, and when you’re outdoors, we don’t recommend switching lenses and equipment too often as the inner parts of your camera, and other equipment, would be exposed to the elements.

6) Later sunrises, earlier sunsets

The Golden Hours (1 hour after sunrise & 1 hour before sunset) are the best times to shoot, especially for landscapes. Great thing about winter is that you won’t have to get up by 4am to capture the summer sunrise. Keep in mind that Golden Hours occur later in the morning and much earlier in the evening. Be sure to check your local weather report the day before to see the times for the sunrise and sunset.

7) Add contrast to your photos

With all the white from the snow, your photos may need a little kick when editing as the colours and contrast may seem dull. Simply increase and adjust your blacks, contrast, vibrance and shadows to bring life back into your photo.

8) Frozen bubbles

If it ever get REALLY cold (roughly around -25˚C), you could create some amazing frozen bubble photos. Watch the video below to see how it looks! Tools, materials & instructions are below on how to create these frozen bubbles, all thanks to Popular Science.

Tools + Materials:
  • Bowl and spoon
  • 200 milliliters warm water (for freezing)
  • 35 ml corn syrup (for thickness)
  • 35 ml dish soap (for bubble formation)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (for crystallization)
  • 1 plastic straw
  • Squeezable bottle (optional)
Instructions:
  1. Mix liquids and sugar in a small bowl, and store in the freezer. Lowering the mixture’s temperature will help your bubbles freeze faster when they land. After 30 minutes, take the bowl out and give its contents another stir.
  2. Find a cold, textured surface to stick your bubbles. Ready, aim, and fire! Blowing bubbles with a straw rather than a store-bought dipstick will create less sticky, frozen mess.
  3. If you really want to go for it, you can rig the straw to a squeezable bottle (see Ratzlaff’s version above). The breath you exhale will be much warmer than the ambient air inside the bottle. So this method can help keep your bubble mix cold as it floats to its final resting place.
  4. Be patient! “Even with the perfect formula, many bubbles will pop before you’ll have one that freezes for you,” says Ratzlaff. “The slightest breeze can pop them.”

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Katherine Seatree
Katherine Seatree
23:10 24 Feb 20
I recently did the Photo 101 class with Lauren and it exceeded my expectations! Lauren was a great teacher - very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about photography which definitely helped boost my own enthusiasm. The class also benefited from being small, think it was just 6 of us and the content felt appropriate for a beginner. I now have a good understanding of things like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, composition etc. What I really loved was that there were practical exercises and steps explained that made it so much easier to understand and master what we learnt. My photos have already massively improved, and I can now say I feel confident shooting in manual mode! I would definitely recommend this course.
Samantha Peck
Samantha Peck
18:23 10 Feb 20
I took Photo 101, knowing very little about manual photography and left knowing the basics- and more! I'm feeling much more confident in my skills and interested in pursuing more classes. The small class size, knowledgeable instructor and hands-on learning all helped me get more familiar with my camera. I highly recommend taking classes at GTA Photography!
Fazeela Jahangir
Fazeela Jahangir
08:50 28 Jan 20
I was very keen to end up at the right place to brush up my photography because I wanted to learn from the best. GTA Photography exceeded my expectations at that. The location is conveniently located one stop from Kings Station with lots of places to eat and practice photography around. The best part I would say are undoubtedly the instructors who are some of the top in their various fields of photography. They were very patient with students asking questions as and when they wanted, which meant by the time we got to the end of the class and QnA session all queries had already been dealt with and everyone was happy with the instruction. We got lots of opportunities to practice as well. I am so happy I found this place to connect with other photographers- I have taken 3 courses already and am planning to take 3 more. I think that speaks for itself!
Melany Tiago
Melany Tiago
04:54 20 Jan 20
I spent my time at GTA photography Classes as a Co-op Student and really enjoyed my time here! Great kind hearted Staff & 5 star classes!
Anna Medvedev
Anna Medvedev
19:24 10 Jan 20
If you want to learn photography, this is the school you should go to. Knowledgeable instructors, interactive classes and very practical instruction.
Yve Benz
Yve Benz
17:42 10 Jan 20
Best photography school in the GTA and beyond. Amazing management, nice and professional staff, great camps and adult classes. Can highly recommend it!!!
Mark Buck
Mark Buck
15:09 14 Dec 19
As a photography and digital arts teacher with both the TDSB and YRDSB I highly recommend GTA Photography (Toronto). They teach us (students and adults) how to capture the special memorial moments of our lives.Dorothy Lange once remarked:"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."-
Josh Kim
Josh Kim
19:07 12 Dec 19
I spent time as both a counsellor at GTA over the summer as well as a co-op student during the school year. Super friendly staff that love teaching and helping people. Sitting in on different workshops and camp sessions, their instructors are always available to help and seeing how they teach, I'm not surprised when I see the other glowing reviews here. Would highly recommend both their camps and adult classes for anyone with an interest in photography!
Pam Robertson
Pam Robertson
00:58 10 Dec 19
The kid camps are amazing! They had very informative instructors, interactive teaching, and a so many fun field trips in a great location! The staff were very friendly and you could tell that they loved what they do and were so great with the kids!
shepherd Huang
shepherd Huang
17:05 09 Dec 19
Very knowledgeable instructors, interactive teaching and fun field trips. Lauren is so patient and I have a great time.
Candice Pollack
Candice Pollack
15:56 15 Oct 19
Our organization rented this space for a two day meeting. The team at GTA Photography was incredibly helpful and the space was clean, well-kept, and made for a great workshop space.
stephanie grace
stephanie grace
16:15 16 Sep 19
Great location and clean and light filled rooms for smaller groups. We came here for a management meeting and it was perfect for our needs.
Senthuran Kopalakrishnan
Senthuran Kopalakrishnan
15:14 09 Sep 19
Learned so much in a short period of time. Knowledgeable friendly instructor. Highly recommended for anyone interested in photography.
Sandra Nagy
Sandra Nagy
02:21 25 Aug 19
My 9 year old son had an unbelievable week of camp at GTA photography. He went on amazing field trips, had amazingly passionate counsellors and raves about every day. He also learned a ton and gained tremendous skills and confidence. There were tons of older kids as well, up to 15-16 year olds and they all seemed to love it as much as him. A unique and fun experience. I highly recommend it.
Agnes Roter
Agnes Roter
19:10 06 Jul 19
My daughter absolutely loved this camp. It was her first intro to photography and she quoted techniques and instructions from day one. She also quite enjoyed exploring downtown Toronto with the crew. That was a great part of the program. Highly recommend GTA Photography camp.
Anson Wong
Anson Wong
05:20 27 May 19
I received a nice camera for Christmas but did not know how to use it properly while on vacation. Decided to take an introductory course and it provides me with the tools to understand my camera. Alex is a great instructor. Not only is she very knowledgeable but her class was very well structured. She provided me with the confidence to use my camera and highly recommend this to anyone who finds cameras intimidating.
Culham Anderson-Brodie
Culham Anderson-Brodie
15:41 12 Mar 19
I took the photo 101 course through gta photography and i must say my experience was amazing. My instructor Donovan was extremely knowledgeable and I left with all the skills necessary to properly operate my camera in manual mode. Since taking this course my photography skills have continued to improve and I will MOST DEFINITELY be back for more classes!
Greg Leung
Greg Leung
19:56 11 Feb 19
Very professional, patient instructors. Perfect balance between fun & informative. I've taken Photo 101 & 201 and will definitely be enrolling in future courses! GTA Photography has ignited my passion for photography.
Tricia Anderson
Tricia Anderson
16:37 11 Feb 19
I took a couple of weekend sessions (Photography 101 and 201) to get me going with my new Digital SLR camera. They provided a great foundation to help me progress with my photography. The small class size and enthusiastic instructor made for a great learning environment. Tricia A.
A Woods
A Woods
22:07 17 Dec 18
Took the Portraiture 101 class. The Instructor was very informative and had some really great tips for making my photos better. She clearly is very experienced and has a great eye. It was part function and part art course and I loved that! The school was well designed and felt very warm and inviting. I loved that they took us outdoors to practice in real life conditions. I would definitely recommend this course and am looking forward to taking another!
troy bacchus
troy bacchus
16:00 26 Nov 18
UPDATE: Took the Photo301 lighting class this past weekend with Shayne and it was fantastic. Shayne was an excellent instructor and gave us a good grounding in lighting techniques and tips and tricks that really save a lot of time. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to advance their skills working with natural, and artificial light.Just finished the photo201 class this past weekend and it was great. The instructor Neil made the class enjoyable while conveying all the necessary information. Material is good, they may want to consider having it printed for note taking. Overall a great class and I have already registered for photo301.
Danial Mirzakhani
Danial Mirzakhani
21:42 17 Jul 17
I haven't ever gon ther..but I think it's so good
Kristen Valente
Kristen Valente
19:00 14 Jun 17
Yesterday I took the Travel Photography workshop and it was awesome! It was such a small class that we really got to fire off questions whenever needed. Neil was a very extremely knowledgeable, engaging and patient teacher. He is clearly passionate about his craft and he did an excellent job of preparing us for future travel endeavours.
Jason Hopkins
Jason Hopkins
19:30 24 May 17
I took the Lightroom class which is a 4 week class every Thursday for 2 hours. The class was taught methodically and left me feeling confident using Lightroom. The teacher was very friendly and kept the learning environment fun and relaxing. I highly recommend gta photography, I've been around the owners and other people who work there. They all really care about their job and the students who come to learn.
Tess Vardy
Tess Vardy
13:10 20 May 17
I took classes last year in the fall and winter, and I learned so much!!!! I really feel like I have gained a lot of skill and confidence with a camera that I will carry with my for the rest of my life. I definitely missed having the classes once they were done because they were just SO much fun and the instructors really know what they're doing. I would recommend to anyone!!!
Jennifer Qu
Jennifer Qu
20:25 19 May 17
GTA Photography Classes is a really amazing camp for kids of all ages. I was 15 when I took teen camp 1 and teen camp 2 in the fall and winter. The instructors are amazing and I learned so much. The classes were really informative plus the instructors did a really good job making everything as clear as possible. I had Laura and Kylie as my instructors. They were amazing and really knew what they were talking about. Each class was accompanied by a field trip every other week. Because the camps location is in the centre of Downtown Toronto, the field trips were pretty cool if I do say so myself. We went to Kensington Market, ROM, Nathan Philip Square, etc. I highly suggest GTA Photography Classes if you're a beginner and even if you have experience and you want to get a little more creative with your work, it's definitely worth the money.
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