Great Ski Holiday Photos: How to Shoot on the Slopes

A ski holiday gives you some of the best photos of the year: blue sky, white slopes, friends in bright jackets and mountains on the horizon. It is also tricky for a camera. Bright snow fools the light meter, the cold drains batteries and gloves make every button a struggle. A few simple habits make a big difference.

Make the snow look white

Phone cameras try to make every scene an average brightness, so bright snow often comes out dull and greyish. Tap on your subject and drag the exposure slider up a little until the snow looks white without losing all its detail. On a sunny day, shoot with the sun to your side or behind you; facing the sun, faces turn into dark silhouettes.

Use the best light

The low sun of the morning and late afternoon brings out the texture of the snow and gives warm, long shadows. Midday light is harsh but gives the deepest blue skies. On grey days, look for colour: bright jackets and helmets stand out against flat white snow.

Keep your phone going

• Keep your phone in an inside pocket, close to your body. Cold drains batteries quickly.
• Bring a small power bank on long days.
• Use gloves with touchscreen fingertips, or a liner glove, so you do not have to take your hands out in the wind.
• Never take your phone out on a chairlift without a strap. If it falls, it stays where it lands.
• When you come indoors, leave the phone in your pocket or a bag for a while so that condensation does not form on the lens.

Film safely

Stop at the side of the piste to take photos, never in the middle or below a crest where people coming down cannot see you. If you film while skiing, do it on quiet runs, keep a safe distance and keep your eyes on the slope, not on the screen. The FIS rules apply to photographers too.

Ideas for great shots

• Your group at a top station with the mountain behind you.
• A friend turning towards the camera, shot from below on a quiet run.
• The view from the chairlift or gondola, with the cables leading into the picture.
• Details: goggles reflecting the slope, tracks in fresh snow, steam rising from a hot drink at lunch.
• A short slow-motion clip of a turn throwing up snow.

Plan your trip

To plan the rest of your Erciyes holiday, start with our Erciyes ski holiday guide, and pack a power bank along with everything on our ski holiday packing list.

• Ski holiday
• Photography
• Tips
• Erciyes