NYFalls.com Talk

Share your Snowflake Macro Photography tips here.

So, it's time.

Be patient. If at first you don't succeed, don't blame yourself or your camera. Not all flakes are created equally. Some just aren't nicely formed and will not produce a decent photo no matter how hard you try. A snow crystal's shape and "photographability" are totally dependent on weather conditions. Remember this. If you go out and don't see any nicely shaped flakes in 2 or three minutes, go back inside and try again later. You can read about what makes the snow crystals shaped the way they are in lots of places.....it's fascinating stuff - but I digress.

There are some folks who have a whole elaborate microscope/camera setup. That's not me. I'm more interested in the art of a snowflake against a colorful wool or earthy background, than I am a scientific look at every intricate detail of a crystal.

Things you'll need: (or at least what I use.....)

• Flat surface to let flakes fall onto. I use the hood of my car.....or I'll sit on a stool using my legs as the flat surface. Either way, bundle up, becuase you're in it for the long haul, right?
  
  A scarf or other woolly piece of material. Could be anything that the snowflake will show up on. I use pieces of wool, because I like the colors and textures. Lay this on your flat surface. It's good to have an extra or two so you can swap out and shake off the first one, replacing it with a clean slate. Keep alternating.
  
  Camera with macro lens or a P&S camera with super macro abilities - I've had success with the macro lens, but prefer the super macro feature of my el cheapo Canon P&S. It's easier to hold and keep still. Your call.
  
  As the flakes fall, find an isolated one that has potential and get as close as your lens will allow. Just experiment. Stray flakes in the way of your gem can always be cloned out later if need be.

You're going to have to crop. These things are small. Here's a reminder of just how small they are.....


If you look at the wonderful crystal that is in the upper right of the photo, maybe you can see that it's a dumbbell shape with a rod connecting 2 hexagonal plates? Those are really cool. Watch for those.....I digress again.

So, I hope that's enough to get you started. Come back with questions.

Now that I'm back at it, here are a couple of tips I remembered once I got going. See if they work for you....

Use spot metering
White balance on Cloudy
Exposure Compensation -1/3 or -2/3

Also - new to me as well..... a picnic table is perfect for being comfy and having your flat flake collecting surface. Head for the park (or do all parks put these away for winter?) if you don't have one where you live. Bring a bath towel or blanket to sit on so you don't freeze your butt off.

with some snow in the forecast for this weekend, I will try to capture some flakes with my S95.

Do I need calm conditions or does it work as well in windy conditions? With a wool surface like a scarf it shouldn't matter.

Wind doesn't seem to matter much. What matters more is how heavily it's coming down....light snows are a little easier to work with - but this winter.....we've just got to go with what we've got.

Good luck, Yvonne!

thanks Kelly

I'm still not so sure about the snow they are predicting. So we will see.
I'll be ready

Yvonne...

Have you been successful catching a good snowflake shot yet?

I have an S95 too...and haven't been able to do this with it.

Let me know if you get it to work for you.

mikell

A couple of things that are helpful to have close at hand are 1- a small artist's paintbrush (works great to pick up and move a specific flake if necessary) and 2 - a [amazon=B00017LSPI]Giottos Rocket Air Blaster [/amazon]for blowing extraneous flakes out of your way - or clearing a small area of a smooth surface instead of wiping with a cloth)