Capturing Winter Colours: Photographing the Sunrise and Sunset in Winter

“But, I don’t want to go outside. It’s too cold!”

I have to admit that even though I love winter, I have definitely had that internal dialogue. Given that I live in a part of the world where having five months of winter is normal, it’s important for my own sanity to embrace the coldest season. Photography has been an important winter activity for me and my favourite times to shoot are the bookends of the day. We often think of winter as being dull and grey, and there are certainly times when that is the case, but ice and snow can do amazing things with the coloured light at sunrise and sunset.

Where is the sun? 

If you have been more of a summertime photographer you may not be aware of just how far south the sun has migrated when winter arrives especially if you live in the mid-latitudes. Knowing exactly where the sun will set can make a big difference to your overall composition. An app like PhotoPills or a website like The Photographer’s Ephemeris can help in planning your next sunrise or sunset photoshoot.

Get Comfortable 

Nothing will stop your winter photo session sooner than being uncomfortable. Dress for the conditions. Chances are you will be standing around for at least an hour so put on more layers than you might typically do for a winter hike. The biggest challenge is keeping your hands warm. Winter photography gloves may be fine when the temperature is hovering around the freezing mark, but will do nothing to keep your hands toasty in sub-freezing temperatures. I usually use heavily insulated gloves that are rated to -30C. Yes, they are rather clumsy to operate the camera with, but I have discovered that taking them off for a few seconds to change settings is better than thinner gloves that won’t keep your hands warm for the duration of your shooting session. I also carry a few chemical hand warmers in my camera bag. I rarely use them, but they are a good backup for your hands or feet. For many of my winter excursions I also wear additional traction on my feet (Yaktrax are my cleat of choice). The increased security on slippery surfaces has allowed me to get shots that I otherwise wouldn’t have attempted.

Planning in Practice

One afternoon in March I was in the mood to do some shooting, but the skies were completely overcast. Rather than giving up on the possibility, I fired up my computer and checked the local satellite image. Sure enough, I was nestled under a thick blanket of clouds. But what I couldn’t see out the window were the clear skies to the west. I knew that as the sun set it would peek out from below this blanket and light up the underside of the cloud layer. I then checked Photographer’s Ephemeris to see where the sun would set. I chose a promising location, hopped in my vehicle for the 45-minute drive, and arrived in time to test out some possible compositions. Planning made all the difference to getting a shot that I was happy with.

Controlling the Light

Shooting at sunrise or sunset can make getting the proper exposure difficult. Try these tips:

1. The Sun at your Back – A snow-covered landscape will force your camera to underexpose the image as it tries to capture the scene at ‘middle grey’. This can lead to dull, grey scenes. If the sun is behind you, use exposure compensation to lighten the scene. Bumping up the exposure by +0.7 to +1.0 EV is usually ample.
2. Shooting into the Sun – Whether the sun is still in view or has dipped below the horizon, the sky will be considerably brighter than the foreground. To balance the exposure between the sky and foreground use a good quality graduated neutral density (GND) filter. It’s like adding sunglasses to the top of the frame that darkens the sky and lightens the foreground. For the locations that I shoot in I typically use a 4-stop hard filter.
3. Bracket your Shots – If you don’t have a GND filter, or in cases where part of your subject reaches into the sky, use exposure bracketing. Since you will have to blend a series of images it is best to use a tripod when bracketing. This will ensure that your shots remain nicely aligned. You can bracket manually by changing the EV between shots or use one of the automated settings in the menu. I usually use the camera’s HDR feature under the Camera 2 menu. My go to is the 3f 2.0EV setting. With one press of the shutter release I get 3 images at different exposure values. I can then use these in post to create a natural-looking HDR image.

Eyeing the Ice

I love ice (unless it is coating the roadways). Its translucent quality allows it to transmit light in interesting ways. There is a magical look to ice that can’t be found with any other subject. Regardless of how large or small the ice feature is, try shooting from a variety of perspectives to see how the light behaves. Just remember that safety comes first. Before venturing out onto a frozen lake, know the ice conditions. I carry a small pair of retractable ice picks. I’ve never needed them, but it’s good to have a bit of insurance.

Focus on Your Foreground

Regardless of the season, the brilliant colours of a sunrise or sunset should only be viewed as a beautiful backdrop. It’s what you put in front of those colours that will make or break your image. With many of my sunset shots the sky itself takes up just a small fraction of the frame. The foreground is much more important, so spend the time to find interesting features to focus on.

To showcase smaller foreground features I will often use focus bracketing/stacking. This allows me to highlight features that might otherwise be overlooked.

Location, Location, Location

I live in an area where winter hits hard, but in writing an article such as this, I recognize that not everyone lives in a winter wonderland. Every location is going to have different opportunities. If you live in an area where you only get the occasional snowfall, do some scouting ahead of time so that you are ready when the snow does come. Even a small dusting of snow can make for a great seasonal shot.

Travelling farther afield in winter certainly comes with its challenges, but there are rewards for those who venture to more wintery destinations. Winter can be a great time to visit more rugged locations like National Parks. For me, there is a great appeal to being in a popular park with very few people around.

Don’t Forget the Details

As a landscape photographer it’s easy to get drawn into the ‘big picture’; to try and capture the entire scene in front of you. Don’t forget to tighten the frame and focus in on some of the interesting details. Get in closer to your subject or use a telephoto lens. This will help eliminate distracting elements in the scene.

Final Words and Images

When I look through my collection of sunrise and sunset photos, most of my favourites are shot in the winter. A blanket of snow ‘cleans up’ the foreground while ice formations play with the light in magical ways. And with dramatic changes in weather the scene may look completely different tomorrow. Just another reason to get out and shoot that next winter sunrise.