Tips for Ski and Snowboard Photography

By Sara Kempner

With ski hills around the world enjoying the winter season, now might be a good time to give a few tips for ski and snowboard photography for those of you that haven’t tried it before.

Whether you want to try taking a few photos of your kids on the bunny hill, hit the park with some friends, or freestyle it in the backcountry, below are a few tips for better ski and snowboard photography.

Photo by Kahli April

1.Gear

-Unless you’re doing a big commercial shoot, you probably only want to bring a couple of lenses with you, I like to go with a 70-200mm and a 15-35mm. This keeps your bag weight lower and if it’s snowing, you don’t want to change lenses a ton anyways.

Bring lots of batteries and keep them in a pocket close to your body to keep them warm.

If it’s really cold out, I like to wear some thin photography gloves under my main gloves. Always close your pack when you’re in the snow! 

2.weather

- Check the hourly forecast including the wind and know what to expect when you’re out there.

3.Settings

-AI Servo mode, I like to shoot at a minimum of 1/1000s, and generally use a burst mode to capture the peak action in a turn, jump etc.

You will probably also want to overexpose your image a bit to ensure the snow doesn’t show up grey in your image. 

Photo by Sara Kempner

4.Communication

-This can begin before you hit the hill. Ask them what color gear they have. Lots of people like to wear black-if they have bright jackets, request they wear them. Once you’re on the mountain, communication is key. Tell them the shot you’re trying to get and how you need them to move on the terrain and where. Walkie talkies are a great tool for this. If you’re photographing a snowboarder, make sure you know which direction they’re facing (regular or goofy).

5.Composition

- Remember to leave room in front of your athlete in the direction that they’re heading so the viewer’s eye has a natural flow when they look at the image.

Photo by Kahli April

Sara Kempner is a freelance photographer based on Vancouver Island, B.C.

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