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Waist Deep in Powder Photographing Vintage Cars Covered in Snow

The blue light on the dash mocks me, indication of a cold engine that still won't give up its heat. A gloved hand wipes away at the frost growing across the windshield. Hot coffee in the thermos runs low.

I'm traveling the back-roads of New Hampshire in search of hidden gems under the white blanket provided recently by Mother Nature. Dodging snow plows, soft shoulders and the occasional snow bomb falling off the power lines.

Photographing in the dead of winter has its challenges. Dead batteries drained by the cold. Frost bit fingertips and cheeks, biting wind and waist deep snow waiting to spillover boot tops.

To photograph in winter requires a lot of planning and patience. Checking the weather, waiting for snow, getting to a location, finding a place to park, wading into the snow to compose a shot, trying not to mess up the perfectly pristine landscape with snow prints, properly exposing for white and not gray and of course not getting frost bit or getting the car stuck in the snow - it has happened before.

Photographing in winter requires a whole new range of equipment - high insulated books, glove liners inside gloves, hats, coats, snow pants, face protection plus emergency supplies like a bag of sand, ice scrapers, washer fluid, shovel, blankets, extra socks, charging cables, full tank of gas plus a sandwich and drink.

You never quite know what you will find sticking up out of the snow. The winter landscape of New England quiets the view. The white blanket simplifies the landscape and provides a minimalist setting, perfect for isolating old cars, trucks and tractors.

Tip: MAGICALLY REMOVE FALLING SNOWFLAKES FROM YOUR IMAGES IN THE FIELD

Sometimes, when shooting in falling snow, the snowflakes closer to the camera have a tendency to get in the way and detract from the image. A simple way to eliminate this is to mount your camera on a tripod, decrease the ISO, increase your aperture, and shoot with a delayed shutter — the longer the better. The snowflakes will not have enough time to be captured by the camera as they are falling, thereby giving the illusion that they do not exist.

Created By
Edward Fielding
Appreciate

Credits:

Photos by Edward M. Fielding - www.edwardfielding.com

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