This is another post for the 5-Mile Radius Category. This image was taken only about 1.5 miles from my home. A trickle of a waterway exits the main lake and disappears into a large marshland. In summer, one can stand in this same spot. You can capture countless wildlife images. Winter photography composition challenges, however, are as different as the landscapes are picturesque.
Winter in northwest Wisconsin is something altogether different. Gloomy days make dull white and gray the color palette of the season. Finding something interesting to photograph is challenging – but not impossible.
Adapting to winter conditions as a photographer
The Scandinavian folks have a saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only a bad choice of clothing.” This idea certainly holds true for venturing outdoors during a Wisconsin winter. It can also serve as a useful metaphor for winter photography composition. The winter photographer must choose a different shooting plan. Zoom in and look for the little surprises the season has to offer. Or the opposite, by using a wide angle lens to capture an ethereal landscape veiled by fog or snow.
In a landscape where straw-colored cattails stood scrambled by the harsh winter wind. The view extended as far as I could see through my mid-range lens. By narrowing my focus, I found this composition that expresses the essence of cattails in winter. Their reflection in water mirroring the color of the sky framed by encroaching ice creates a simple yet effective composition. The muted colors of the cattails and reflected ski complement each other in a soft, satisfying way.
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