With all of this recent snow, I was inspired to spend a couple of days out and about with my camera. I always try and make the most of situations like this, especially as you never know when they are going to come around again.

Snowy conditions, however, provide their own unique challenges so I thought I would take the opportunity to share a few of my top tips.

1. Adjust your exposure

Bright, snowy conditions can throw off your cameras metering system which means that the camera can easily get confused and underexpose your subject by compensating for the bright snow. To combat this, you may need to switch to shooting in a manual mode. Alternatively, adjust your exposure compensation to brighten up your image.

2. Use a low ISO

The bright conditions provide a great opportunity to use a low ISO e.g. ISO 100. This will increase the quality of your images by reducing the amount of grain.

3. Make the most of fast shutter speeds

There are a whole host of reasons to use fast shutter speeds. Why not use it to freeze the motion of people sledding or capture snowballs flying through the air?

4. Post-process your images in black and white

I'm a big fan of black and white images anyway but the snow provides the perfect opportunity for taking high-contrast images full of interest and detail.

5. Red items will make your photos pop!

In compositional terms, warm colours always draw the eye. In snowy conditions, the relatively monochrome canvas that you are provided with is perfect to make warm colours stand out even more.

6. Keep your camera dry 

I know it's fun to get carried away in the snow but try and keep your camera as dry as possible. Many cameras are weather resistant but the less you can expose your camera to the elements the better. Make sure you have a lens cap and a cloth to wipe away any snow and if you can carry a small camera bag with you then all the better.

7. Don't get carried away!

A final word of caution - don't put yourself in danger! It may seem like a great idea to walk across precarious ice or drive to tucked away locations but please be sensible. It *might* make a great photo but is it worth the risk?!

Do you have any other top tips that you would like to share? I'd love to hear them. Don't forget, I offer all kinds of 1-to-1 photography tuition. To find out more, please take a look here.