Snowfall

We had our first significant snowfall on Thursday, all day.
I started to recall exposing for snow scenes since I spent a significant amount of time reading on the topic last winter. In brief, cameras are calibrated to expose for photos assuming every object in the world reflects 18% of the light they receive regardless of TONE. While snow is white - a very, very, very, very light tone - it also reflects 36% of the light hitting it. This plays a trick on the camera: it detects twice the amount of light intensity and changes its exposure to obey the 18% rule; but what you end up with is a -1.0 stop (a halving of light) underexposure and 'grey' appearing snow. To fix this, in any snow covered scene: change your metering to Spot, point the camera at a patch of snow and either increase your EV (exposure compensation) by +1.0 stop or in Manual mode change your shutter speed so that the light meter indicator is about 3 steps towards highlights from the centre. If you don't have Spot metering, still point your camera at the snow and change your exposure as above. All the other tones in the scene will fall into place and snow will appear a nice BRIGHT crisp white!

Here's some first attempts for the season:

 

Escalator to Platform #3

Now with a title and I reshot it on a tripod.

From The Train Station

Can't explain why I brought my camera with me out in the rain on Saturday, but I managed to get one very pleasing composition - aesthetically anyway...highly subjective!

I'm attracted to it so much so that I plan on retaking it. The shot used 1/6th shutter speed at ISO 200, not bad looking still, but lacking texture where there clearly is texture.

Fall Colours (2 of 2)

Haven't taken anything new for what feels like a week now. These were the last and most noticeably intense colours still clinging on.
The third from the top is a vertical perspective of the green, red, and orange trees seen in the second photo.
The fourth is just around the corner from my building. The stark shadows must have been emitting from the church behind me. They add very strong contrasting shape - rectangular versus triangular - and line - where shadow and light meet. One other feature to mention can be seen where the shadows and fence meet. The outline is distinctly point...acute like a knife.

Fall Colours (1 of 2)

Late fall colours taken around Port Credit:

 

  

Besides obviously wanting to capture colour, other things attract my attention to them. I am drawn to the forms in the composition which appear as shapes or implied lines to me.
I took the last photo on an overcast day unsuccessfully and immediately wanted to retake it on the very conditions above. The shape of the tree lends to the shape of the ground - they both slightly rise in the same spot. The lake reflection suitably matches the sky and - you can only see this in the larger version (click!) - a small tree below the horizon to the right is teeming with fall yellows.
The first photo is around a favourite spot (in any light). I foremost wanted to capture the stark shadow, but needed to put more thought into making the photo about more than that shadow. I pointed the camera towards the setting sun in attempt to compose something and saw the lens flare (usually bad) creeping in. This time it didn't overly blow out the exposure of the photo and its placement lent to the diagonal line of the shadow - so I shot it!
Quick things to say about the second: 1) The tree stumps appear as dark silhouettes emerging from the lake behind them 2) the splash of yellow foliage in the centre is a nice, but not detracting focal point 3) the golden light seems to illuminate everything in just the right way to compliment the yellows 4) the line of the path ties the elements of the picture together and makes this rather mundane scene on any other day look special.
Quick things to say about the third: 1) The shape consists of the bushiness of the foliage, the parallel upright tree stumps, and the contrasting diagonal lines of the wooden planks below.