Yosemite Valley Chapel in Snow Storm

It’s not often I’ve watched snowfall and by that I mean “watch” snow fall. As a child I’ve waited for snowfall to end in order to be let out to play and as an adult I’ve darted from point A to B in a car while it has started to snow, but in both of these instances my mind was elsewhere preoccupied on other goals and activities. To simply watch snow fall is amazing, and to rediscover it behind a camera is an experience everyone should enjoy.

Yosemite Valley Chapel in Snow Storm

Last year I was very fortunate to time a visit to Yosemite valley to witness the first snowfall of the year. Much to my surprise it was also the storm of the season dropping 11 inches of snow and transforming a golden brown valley into a white winter wonderland overnight. It also made for a very interesting time in a small tent, but that is another story.

While photography is all about light, it is as much about how you see the world. To that end you have to be in the right mindset and position to observe the world before you. My time in Yosemite on this trip was first and foremost to experience nature at its best, second to hone my skills to see it and third to photograph it. To each of these ends here are 3 tips that helped me get the photo featured here today.

1. To experience nature at its best monitor the weather and be there when its most dramatic.
2. To hone ones observational skills look at the world as a child might, where every experience is new and a source of curiosity & exploration.
3. To photograph a snow scene such as this over expose the image 1 to 1 1/2 stops via exposure compensation on your SLR otherwise your camera will meter the snow as 18% gray.

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[tags]Yosemite, Yosemite Valley Chapel, snow, pictures, photography, stock photo, nature[/tags]