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Why it
works
I captured these
whooper swans just
as the sun was
sinking. The light
levels were low, but
the vivid winter sky
and the visible sun
meant that shutter
speeds were fast
enough to freeze the
birds. The intensity of
the sun was muted
by a layer of hazy
cloud near the
horizon, which
meant I could
capture the colour
of the sun without
underexposing the
rest of the image.
I used a tele-zoom
lens and zoomed out
to show the birds in
the environment.
Luckily, there is good
separation between
each of the swans.
The trees frame the
birds and draw the
viewer’s eye into
the image, and there
is an interesting
contrast between
the warm winter sky
and the cool blue
hues of the snow-
covered trees.Low key
Low-key images can work especially well
when combined with backlighting. Firstly, look
for an area of shadow that’s suitable for use
as your background, then try underexposing
by up to three stops. This will drastically
underexpose the image so that only the
rim-lighting is visible.
Keep it simple
Keep things simple. Simplicity is often the
key to a successful image. Try to eliminate
anything distracting from the frame and
concentrate on blurring the foreground and
background as much as possible. This will
separate your subject from its surroundings,
creating a sense of depth.Environment
Capturing your subject in a winter
environment tells a story. The harsh
weather will not only add atmosphere but
also a feeling of isolation and extremity.
When photographing in snowfall, experiment
with shutter speeds as this will drastically
alter the appearance of the snow.