Here in Knoxville, we haven’t had much snow over the past few years, so I haven’t had many opportunities to shoot in winter conditions. But when a fresh blanket of snow finally arrived yesterday—about three inches in our backyard—I remembered just how magical the lighting can be on a snowy day. The kids (and [our new pup, Hank](http://www.photographybay.com/2015/07/19/meet-our-new-mascot-hank/)) couldn’t wait to dive into the white stuff, and Hank, experiencing his first snow, was especially thrilled.
What makes snow so special for photography? It acts like a giant natural reflector, bouncing soft, diffused light onto your subjects. When combined with overcast skies, the effect is like shooting inside a massive softbox—both above and below your subject. It’s essentially the world’s biggest clamshell lighting setup, and best of all, it’s completely free!
Of course, all that bright white can confuse your camera’s metering system. The camera tries to average the exposure, often resulting in dull, gray snow and underexposed faces. To fix this, you have a few options:
1. Use Exposure Compensation – Dial in +1EV to +2EV to brighten the scene and restore natural-looking snow.
2. Shoot in Manual Mode – If lighting is consistent, take full control by adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO yourself.
3. Edit in Post – Shooting in RAW gives you flexibility to adjust exposure later, though it’s always better to get it right in-camera.
现在，我承认——这次我没有完全遵循我自己的建议。我以 f/2.8 的 [光圈优先] 拍摄，最终在 [Lightroom] 中将曝光提高了 +0.8EV 至 +1.5EV。并不理想，但最后的镜头仍然很棒，而且额外的工作很少。不过，下次我会从一开始就从 +1EV 开始。
If you’ve got snow where you are, don’t miss the chance to capture beautiful portraits or action shots. After all, why spend hundreds on a [studio softbox](http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/608742-REG/Lastolite_LL_LB3492_Kickerlite_Floor_Level_Softbox.html/BI/1141/KBID/1447) when nature provides the perfect lighting for free?
