The Ice Is RightSandra Nykerk creates images of wintry splendor with her Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD lens. |
Article By Jennifer Gidman Images by Sandra Nykerk |
Sandra Nykerk sees photographic potential in the most extreme climatic conditions: While other people hibernate by the fire with a cup of cocoa, she’s drawn in not only by winter’s sun-rimmed snow drifts and icicles, but also by the gray, gloomy skies often looming overhead. The Montana photographer, who lives on the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, captures stunning winter scenics with her Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD lens, which has proven invaluable when she’s stumping through the ice and snow — sometimes in temperatures as frigid as 20 degrees below zero. |
“It’s such a versatile lens,” Nykerk says. “With the Vibration Compensation (VC) doing its job behind the scenes to stabilize the image, I can either handhold my camera or choose to use a tripod; I can shoot wide, sweeping scenics or portraits of people or animals. I’m able to go into the field in the winter with just this lens, one filter, one cable release, one tripod, one lens shade and capture 98 percent of what I see. By being so unencumbered, I’m able to concentrate on my creativity.” |
Winter Highlights |
An overcast day can be ideal for documenting the season’s icy aesthetics. “Overcast and cloudy conditions are actually great for details, which get washed out and lost in the shadows when the sun is out,” says Nykerk. “Gray days work well for macro photography, when you’re looking for those details, as well as for wildlife and people portraits.” |
Discovering color on a desolate, frozen landscape could be as simple as incorporating a vibrant blue sky, a snowshoer in a red jacket, or a brightly hued architectural element — but don’t discount a monochromatic palette, either. “You shouldn’t ignore those monochromatic images, because that’s what winter is all about,” says Nykerk. |
Follow tried-and-true compositional guidelines when composing winter images — for example, incorporate a foreground and a point of interest to add depth to your image, use leading lines, and make sure there’s overall balance within the frame. However, Nykerk also suggests zooming in on the details, whether it’s a leaf frozen on the edges of a lake or the intricate patterns of swirling, wind-blown snow on the ground. |
“Patterns are always effective in winter scenes,” she says. “Think ice-covered branches against the sky or cracks in the ice. One of the best places to look for these unusual detail shots is on the edges of frozen ponds and lakes — just be careful you don’t fall in! I also like to use shadows as a compositional element, such as photographing a forest of tree trunks with long shadows: Shadows add depth and interest to your images.” |
Look for ordinary scenes or elements that show winter in an extraordinary way, says Nykerk. “Maybe there’s a wire fence with snow piled on each wire, with one lone autumn leaf stuck in the wire,” she explains. “Bird wing tracks are also one of my favorite types of images. Put bird seed on the ground after a big, fluffy snowfall and you might find prints left by the birds’ wings when they take off.” |
Brightening the Bleakness |
The low angles of the winter sun when it does make an appearance provide the backlighting and sidelighting that emphasize the shape, form, and texture of snow. “With the sun so low all day, you can really shoot anytime,” says Nykerk. “Check out the light around your subject by doing a 360-degree walkaround: One of those angles is going to be a lot better than the others.” |
Nykerk typically shoots in evaluative metering mode and uses auto white balance when photographing winter scenes. “I shoot in camera RAW, so the auto white balance offers flexibility once I bring an image into the RAW converter,” she says. “I can review it and decide which white balance is best to interpret the scene the way I visualize it.” |
That interpretation often means maintaining the icy blue that’s often present in winter scenes. “Blue triggers an emotional response of cold,” says Nykerk. “If you make the snow look too white, it looks artificial. When I’m working in the RAW converter, I use the White Balance dropper tool and click on an element in the image that should be white. If it loses the ‘winterness’ of the scene, I simply adjust the sliders until I get the correct setting.” |
When metering winter scenics on a gray, overcast day, your meter is generally accurate, according to Nykerk, although exposing snow is always tricky and exposure adjustments may be in order. Especially if there’s bright and glaring sun, “the little meter man in your camera is going to lie to you and cause you to underexpose,” Nykerk explains. “How much depends on the angle of the light and intensity of the glare, but it can be anywhere from one to two stops, especially if you’re using a polarizer. If the sun is out, I automatically reduce the exposure by one-half to one stop. I also don’t go out without my histogram. It’s my best friend.” |
Using that polarizer can be advantageous, especially on bright overcast days — but use it judiciously. “If you turn it all the way, your sky can go very dark blue or black, which reeks overpolarized,” Nykerk says. “You want to turn it just enough so that the sky is improved but doesn’t look unnatural. I’ll either cock my head to look through my polarized sunglasses or I’ll hold the polarizer in front of my eye — if I see a difference, I’ll put it on my camera right away.” |
Winter scenes may present the ideal opportunity to use HDR. “HDR is a wonderful technique you can use to boost shadows, reduce highlights, and bring the dynamic range into control, especially in winter shots where you have those deep shadows and glare from the snow,” says Nykerk. “I don’t like overcooked HDR for my scenics, though, unless I’m doing something purposely funky.” |
Don’t forget to try and capture falling snow, another compelling photographic subject. “If you’re out in a blizzard, you’re going to get streaky snow, whether you want it or not,” says Nykerk. “But if the snowfall is lighter, you’ll need a slower shutter speed to blur the snow — 1/30th or 1/10th of a second.” |
No matter what subjects you’re searching for in the dead of winter, slow down and take in everything around you, Nykerk advises. “People tend to get stuck in the big picture and neglect those details I mentioned earlier,” she says. “But that’s often where the emotion is — in the details. One of the most important things you can do as a photographer is to go out without your camera, force yourself to sit in one place for 20 minutes, and just look. Become part of the place, and things start to happen around you, including light and composition. You’ll see things you never would have seen otherwise — and you can then pick up your camera and capture them.” |
To see more of Sandra Nykerk’s images, go to http://www.sandranykerk.com. |
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