Ski-Trip Photography

I love ski trips. The whole family loves to ski (or snowboard), the scenery is beautiful, and we have a great time at après-ski as well. However, as a scrapbooker, ski-trip photography can be a bit challenging. The ski slopes are not the safest place for an expensive SLR and the bright white requires different exposures than normal outdoor photos. Despite these challenges, I want to get the best photos possible to use in my scrapbook pages. Here are some tips and suggestions for ski-trip photography.

Camera

Skiing is a rough sport. If you fall while skiing with a camera, the camera could get damaged from the force of the fall or from getting wet in the snow. Also, a large camera is hard to carry on the slopes and could get in the way of your skiing (which is the whole purpose of the trip, after all). For these reasons, I use one of those new pocket-size, waterproof, drop-proof cameras that have recently become available. Most of these cameras have a snow setting that will automatically adjust for the bright white of the snow and will not be damaged in a fall. They also fit nicely in a pocket and are simple enough to be handed to other people for group shots. Another possibility is one of the new helmet cameras. These are video cameras which mount on a ski-helmet and can also be used to take still photos.

Always remember when taking photos in the snow or with bright surrounding to put your focus point on the face or the darker point of your object of focus - that will help your camera with exposure so the face isn't dark. It is also helpful to use a flash in snow situations as a lot of point-and-shoot cameras will just take in all the white and make everything else dark to compensate for the glare.

Posed Shots

The best place to take posed shots is at the top of the mountain where there is a great view. Choose your location so that there are not ugly crowds or chair lifts behind the subject. If it is a sunny day, make sure you are not shooting into the sun. A blue sky in the background is ideal but white skies are more common on ski trips. If you would like to get a photo of your group, ask another skier or mountain employee to take one. Many people will be willing to help, perhaps in exchange for taking a photo of their group.

Another great place for posed shots is in front of a favorite trail, either with the trail sign or before your skiers head off. If there is not enough space for them to turn around safely, just have the subject look over their shoulder and smile at the camera. Make sure that there are no strange shadows crossing their faces.

Action Shots

Action shots of skiing and snowboarding can be tricky. If you just take out your camera and shoot you will end up with people's backs and the trail looking flat. However, by looking at the trail and planning ahead, it is possible to get some great action shots.

Choose a trail that your fellow skiers enjoy and can ski well. Ideally choose a trail you have skied before so you can choose your photo location wisely. When choosing where the photographer will stand, think about the shape of the trail to allow good visibility towards your subjects. Also think about the location of the sun so that you are not shooting directly into the sun, and the possible locations of strangers who might block your shot. Let the group know what you are doing and ask them to wait while you ski ahead to your chosen location. Remember that taking the camera out and turning it on can take a lot longer in ski gloves than normal, so make sure you are completely ready before you give the skiers the go-ahead sign. Focus on the skier, and take lots of photos as the skier comes towards you and continues past you. If you are photographing a group, you may want to have the skiers go one at a time so you can get a few shots of each of them.

Ski slopes often look steeper in real life than they do in photos.  If you want to indicate how steep the slope is, stand downhill and shoot up the slope. Make sure you have some trees or other objects in the picture to give perspective.

Après Ski

Après ski, which translates to "after ski," is an important part of any ski trip. Whether your après ski consists of hot tubs, bars, restaurants, or wandering the village, there are many opportunities for good après-ski shots.

Outdoor hot tubs are a wonderful photo location. Often there is mountain scenery behind them or snow falling from the sky. Think about the angle of the photo to include both the people and the location. Be careful not to drop your camera in the hot tub; even a waterproof camera is unlikely to survive the hot water.

Ski villages are often picturesque and well-lit so that even night photos can come out well. Ask your group to pose in a themed location. Consider taking photos of the seasonal events such as ice sculptures or holiday decorations. Interesting angles can add interest to ski village photos. For example, try pointing the camera upwards to capture the snow falling in the village.

I hope I have given you some ideas for photos on your next ski or snowboard trip. Remember that the purpose of the trip is to ski and snowboard, so don't let the activity of taking photos detract from your real purpose. You only need a few great photos to put together a fun ski layout.