How to Shoot Amazing Backlit Images in the Snow Using Just One Strobe

Before you drag it to the curb or bury it in the attic, you might want to consider hauling your Christmas tree outside and capturing some great shots using a single speedlight. If that’s not quite your thing, at least check out how this photographer uses snow, fading daylight, and a strobe to create a stunning series of photographs.

Photographer Irene Rudnyk is a pro when it comes to turning simple setups into something special. Whether it’s the shed at the bottom of her garden or a fake tree in some rather dull conditions, she knows how to make something seemingly mundane appear magical.

Other than this incredibly simple lighting arrangement, there are a few other excellent nuggets to be taken away, such as putting your gear inside a plastic bag to protect it from moisture and what to look for when tidying up the images in post. What’s also refreshing is to see such an experienced photographer turning to other YouTubers for tips on how to put a shoot together. Be sure to check out this video on tips for shooting portraits in the rain from Ilko Alexandroff.

If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment below.

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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3 Comments

Thank you for the feature. It's one of my favorite videos I've done in a while.

The edits really pushed it over to something great. Love the look of it, and I'd want to try something similar myself but there's a serious lack of snow in Florida...

I am traveling to Bali soon and going to try the same setup with rain :)