When it snows in Northern Ireland there is no better place to head than the stunning Dromara hills. Slieve Croob is an easy walk with relatively slow incline that offers a stunning view of the nearby Mourne Mountains. Equipped with a team of sledges and the Fujifilm X-T1 with 10-24mm lens attached, there was literally no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than deep in the snow.
Shooting in the snow can be a challenge as the cold winter light reflects off the white ground and this often confuses the camera as it attempts to calculate the correct exposure. In such situations I prefer shooting using spot metering and experimenting with metering on different points along the skyline. It can be amazing the contrast you can create just selecting the right area to focus upon.
Using spot metering allows the capture of dramatic skylines with the white snow reflecting enough light to keep the foreground objects properly exposed. The Fujifilm 10-24mm offers a great focal range, from capturing the panoramic view of the Mournes (top photograph) to candid documentary of the sledges making their way down the Slieve Croob summit, the zoom lens balances well on the X-T1.
As the sun set I attached my Lee Filters Seven5 kit and soft ND graduated filter. As the sun slipped behind the hill the graduated filter brought out the detail of the failing sun.
Links
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujinon 10-24mm lens
Understanding Exposure
The Mournes
Great shots, D. Was trying to put some of my own Slieve Croob photos in context. Very brave of you to climb up there in the snow – it must have been *Baltic*.