Night time snow photography

[Paul-gte]

Last night I tried taking a few shots of my grandson playing in the snow, it was windy and the snow was coming down but was really fine. The camera is an eos 550 and I couldn't get it to focus or take a decent shot, all I managed was the flash lighting the snow, I did try several settings but gave up in the end, any ideas or is it too confusing for the cameras auto focus and I should have switched to manual ( that didn't occur to me last night.
Cheers Paul

 

[markmullen]

It is likely to have been the lack of light rather than the snow falling which confused it. Options are using a torch to help the camera autofocus, or if you've got one using an external flash to help the AF, even if you don't use it to light the scene.

 

[Phil V]

There's a few issues here.

Firstly the lack of light makes focussing difficult, as Mark said, try a torch on your subject.

Secondly, focussing on your grandson when all the snow is fighting for attention,

Thirdly, lighting the shot with on camera flash will never work, the flash hits the snowflakes, which are closer and white, forcing the ttl to quench and so anything further and darker has no chance.

So getting your grandson into street lighting will improve your chances.

 

[gnirtS]

Pretty much everything is against you trying to capture moving subjects at night with street lights.

What lens are you trying to use?

 

[Paul-gte]

lens was18-55 supplied with camera

Thanks for all the replies

 

[gnirtS]

OK the problem you have ultimately is you're doing something that needs a fast shutter speed (capturing someone playing) when all the conditions mandate a slower one (dark, outdoors, snow and so on).

What mode are you using to shoot?

Ultimately flash wont light up more than a few metres at most, the camera is going to struggle to focus especially with that lens (relatively slow aperture wise).

You can try ramping the ISO up, getting the grandson to not move (at least not to or away from the camera), prefocus where he is or do it manually and use as wide an aperture as possible.

But ultimately you're going to struggle in those conditions unfortunately!