I love winter. Well, a specific type of winter, the winter we had this past winter. And while we’re all here now, looking forward to spring, I wanted to look back at the winter that was, because I had a lot of fun this year. So what made this winter better than, say, the past two that we had? Well, first off, we got snow early, back in November 2025, which was awesome. And sure, we did lose all of it over the rest of the month and into December. But we did get some back in December, only to lose it again. But we did end up with a bit of a white Christmas. Then, in January, we ended up with not one, but two winter storms bringing in a ton of snow, and netting me two snow days. Yes, last year we did get one snow day, but that was in February after a dull, grey December and January. And this year, I also made a point of getting out and photographing in the snow as much as I could!
When it comes to a good winter, it has to have deep snow and lots of it, and bright, sunny days that are cold but have brilliant blue skies. And yes, I realise that to get those conditions, we need some dull grey days to dump all that snow. And I’m okay with that. You are then faced with a couple of challenges: these days are especially challenging for any camera meter. Your average camera meter is designed to read off 18% grey, and getting a lot of bright reflections off that brilliant white snow. Thankfully, most modern cameras have excellent meters, and when set properly, can deliver a well-exposed image. And especially if you’re using a medium with plenty of latitude (b&w film, colour negative, or digital RAW files), you can always do a bit of work in post-processing. Playing with sliders in Lightroom or adjusting development with film, and even when scanning or printing. Now the cold presents issues also, you can always limit your time outside, and make sure you dress warmly. And carry extra batteries if your camera requires that and keep those close to your body. You also need to ensure you can easily operate your cameras with gloves on.
On the topic of cameras, the general plan for winter is to use an all-mechanical camera that can operate without a battery, and then use an external meter to compensate for cold, bright light, and wide-ranging conditions. And there is wisdom in that, especially with meters. On these bright days, if I’m using an external meter, I’m going to grab a spot meter and take an average reading between the brightest highlights and darkest shadows, and, in the case of the Reveni Labs spot meter, let the software do the thinking for me. But even then, on the coldest days, many mechanical cameras will start to take issue. I know that last year on a particularly cold day, my Nikkormat FT2 started to complain. I also struggle to work with the FT2 while wearing gloves. My usual choice for winter photography is my more advanced options, I’m talking my Maxxum 7 and 9, Nikon F5 and even my D750. I always make sure before I head out, my batteries are at good levels, and then set the cameras to full program mode and matrix metering. It means I’m spending more time enjoying and composing than messing about with dials and only have to worry about pressing the shutter. Which even with my heaviest gloves are easily pressed.
There is, then, the matter of the medium, and winter allows for a wide range of choices. For colour, I have in the past shot both colour negative and colour slide film in the winter with excellent results, and on bright, sunny days, you can even shoot slower films like Ektachrome, Ektar, Provia, and Velvia. But for me, I prefer working with my D750 for colour work, leaving out the wide- and ultra-wide-angle lenses to capture everything in view and show off its beauty. Even my iPhone is a great choice when the weather is warm enough to keep one hand in the open air to work the buttons. When it comes to film, it’s time for high- and medium-contrast slow films: Ilford Pan F+, Ilford Delta 100, Kodak TMax 100, and Ilford FP4+. I would even go so far as to suggest using a high-contrast developer like FlicFilm MQ-19 or Kodak HC-110, and adding contrast filters to bring out the details. But what can be a lot of fun is shooting near-IR or extended red-sensitive film. I’ve worked with Rollei IR400 and Ilford SFX 200 and threw on an R72 and Red-25 filters and loved the results. Another excellent option is Ilford Ortho+ and a green filter. But if you’re out on those dull grey days, a film like Kodak Ultramax 400, Kodak Tri-X 400, or Ilford HP5+ will be a better choice. Don’t be afraid to use b&w options and under-expose and push in development.
I get it, the cold weather isn’t for everyone and many would prefer to stay inside during the cold winter months of the year. And there’s still plenty you can do with photography. If you have a traditional darkroom you can clean it up and print some of your favourite images from the past year. Or if you don’t print in a darkroom, get some favourite shots and print them digitally or through a lab and build up a portfolio. Make a ‘zine or photo book of your favourite works. And even get a handle on backing up your images. And while, by the time you’re reading this, there’s a strong chance you’re looking forward to spring, you can start to plan what you want to achieve through the warmer, sunnier months. But hopefully, if you got one thing out of this, it’s to try to get out a bit more this coming winter and see what you can create.