Snow can be a photographer's nemesis

But not if you know how and when to properly adjust a few key settings on your camera!  We're here to help you figure out all of the technical mumbo-jumbo, get outside and capture some awesome winter images.  :)

I bet you have taken many, many photos of your kiddies playing in the snow and the person turns out looking darker than they should be and the snow is an icky grey/bluish tone.  Let me show you exactly what I mean... this cutie was having fun playing in the snow with my boys on the weekend and I took this photo of him in Auto Mode on my dSLR:

AUTO

It is nothing like how the scene looked like to me at the time, and what stands out to me the most is that the little boy is underexposed (that's a nerdy photography word for 'dark').

So I flipped the dial over to Manual Mode and adjusted a few settings to get the image I had intended on taking of him in the first place.  I now have a perfect exposure on my subject with white snow, natural skin tones and shows the true vibrant blue colours of his snowsuit.

MANUAL MODE

To get you on your way to taking images like this, Clicks is offering the second installment of The Magic of Manual Mode on Saturday, January 14 for dSLR owners - and it's not too late to join inl!!  We demystify the exposure triangle, teach you to understand light metering modes & white balance, and offer basic editing tips and much more.  If you're serious about mastering your digital camera, this is the class for you!!

If you own a compact point and shoot camera, there is no need to fret.  In our Mastering the Basics, Part 1 (on Monday, January 16) we teach you to confidently take your camera off of Auto Mode, put it in Program Mode and never look back. And with the concepts we teach in Mastering the Basics, Part 2 (on Tuesday, January 17) we take using Program Mode to the next level and really tap into all of the image options.  Here's a similar situation to the above photos, but I used my handy point and shoot camera instead, along with some of the tricks we teach in Part 2:

AUTO

Again, the snow is greyish, and his adorable little face doesn't jump out at you like it should.  In fact, Auto has done a terrible job at focusing properly on my pint-sized subject.  But I have Program Mode ready and waiting for me to use, and tweak a few of the adjustable options. 

PROGRAM MODE

Much better - his face is much crisper, the colours look truer to life and I have white snow!!!  And the best part is that I have unleashed the power of my little digital camera!

We discuss how to get snow looking white (as it should be) with some of the tips we teach in Mastering the Basics, Part 2.  Click on the links at the top of the page for more information about each of our classes.  To sign up, or be the first to be notified when we announce new class dates, send us an e-mail to clicksgonewild (at) gmail (dot) com ... or click here.

edited to add: This information is now in our new Intermediate-Level course, Step it Up, Shutterbug!  ;)

Happy Winter, Everyone!!
Gemma
(Thanks to my little buddies for helping me out taking these example shots!!  Big hugs from Auntie Gemma.)  :)