My Nemesis

by Dotti

Winter has always been my photography nemesis. For others, it may be another season but I'm a wimp in cold weather {and so is my camera}. Typically in winter, we don't get a lot of snow, thus, I always find my inspiration waning, it seems to disappear as quickly as the daylight. And that right there, my friends, is part of the problem! In addition to the shorter days, the sun can be so elusive during our winters. Since I have a strong dislike for shooting in artificial light, this is a real problem. What’s a gal to do?

I’m glad you asked because this year, I actually thought of some new ideas and today is your lucky day because I’m going to share those ideas with you. Now, I’m not claiming these are original, I’m just saying the light came on for me this year. {Pun intended.}

1. Get a new lens or resurrect one that you’ve neglected for a long time.

Although I have always loved my 50mm f/2.5 compact macro, I found that it left something to be desired in some low light situations. Oh, yes, I have the Nifty Fifty, too {50mm f/1.8} which I got soon after I got my first dSLR and it’s a good little lens. But this year, I decided to get the 50mm f/1.4. Friends … it has opened up a whole new world for me. It has not been off my camera since it arrived from that big box store on the internet … y’all know which one I mean. All of the photos in this post were taken with the 50mm f/1.4, some in very low light.  

       

2. Let the light in your windows.

This winter I realized that even on a grey day, a window with the blinds, shutters or curtains pulled open can create a beautiful sidelight for still life photos. In fact, in some ways, the grey days are better because the light is softer than bright sunlight, which even with window covering can create ugly hot spots. I use my kitchen counter or moveable furniture such as chairs, small tables, even the piano bench to take advantage of window light wherever I can find it.

3. Take an online class.

While I’ve done this before, this year I combined it with my new lens. I did Kim Manley Ort’s ‘The 50mm Project’. Well, that and my new lens got along together like a house afire! It seemed that more and more creative ideas presented themselves to me by working these two things in tandem.

4. Buy some flowers.

One of the things I miss most in winter is color. So, once my Christmas decorations come down, I make certain that I have fresh flowers from the supermarket in my house at all times. This not only lifts my spirits, it ensures that I have something to keep my camera happy if the weather is too wretched to go outside. As one of the readers on my personal blog said, it’s like I have a color of the week each week.

Although everything outside seems to be either grey or brown {not my favorite tones}, Leigh pointed out last week, if we look a bit harder, we might just find something of beauty out there in the frozen tundra. {My tundra is still too frozen to try that but I plan to!}

5. 'If it's red, shoot it.'

This is one of my favorite quotes {and I’ve lost the attribution} because I love red. Well, now, it just so happens that our theme for February is RED. So, if you see some red, shoot it! And then share it on our Flickr page.

And finally, just shoot through it. This winter, I’m in the midst of a 365 project that I began on July 1. So I have to find something to shoot every day. It’s been a lot easier using some of the ideas above. And you might already have a boatload of ideas that you use to keep your photography engaged during the months when you’re most challenged by less-than-ideal weather. If you do, please, please share them with us in the comments section. After all, we’re all one big happy family here at FOL and we’re all able to inspire one another.

PS – Yes, I love tulips.