Snowflakes are beautiful, delicate works of natural art and it is no wonder that you would want to capture that beauty on film. As the saying goes, no two snowflakes are alike, and that is one of the things that makes photographing snowflakes so interesting. Taking a photograph of a snowflake is not as difficult as it might seem, but it does require some persistence, patience and know-how to get a good photograph that showcases the delicate, lacey pattern of the snowflake.
The first thing you will need to get started photographing snowflakes is a good camera that can shoot at close distances. Most digital cameras or digital SLR cameras are good enough to get the job done. Obviously, the better your camera and the more skilled at using it you are the better, sharper photo you will get. However, even armatures photographers using decent cameras can get great photos of snowflakes. If your camera has a setting on it for taking close up photos be sure to set it to that so that it will focus properly if it is automatic. If it is manual you can focus it yourself.
Your next job is to find some snowflakes. Typically the bigger the snowflake the easier it will be to photograph, so wait for a day when there is fresh snowfall and where the flakes seems particular large to attempt photographing them. Light, powdery snow is usually the best for getting great individual snowflakes to show up.
To make the details of the snowflake stand out you will want to photograph it on a dark background. Look for snowflakes on wood, stones or rocks that contrast nicely with their background. If the snow is light you can take along a black or dark colored cloth and try to gently blow a few snowflakes up onto it or catch some as they fall from the air.
After you have found your perfect snowflake, position your camera as close to it as it will allow – usually around 2″ away. Then, with a steady hand snap the picture. Don’t just take one photo of the snowflake – take at least several from different angles to try to capture at least one that will be a great photo.
You can also play around with photographing snowflakes at different times of the day to get difference in lighting and mood. If you are really ambitious and have a great camera you can attempt to photograph some on lighter backgrounds, too, although often the edges of the snowflake are lost on a lighter background and your photo won’t have sufficient detail to really show the beauty of the snowflake.
If you don’t get a great picture of your snowflake the first time, keep trying and adjusting your technique until you do.
