A simple setup for taking fantastic snowflake photos

There are plenty of ways to take photos of snowflakes. Some are complicated, some are simple, and some are DIY to the max. Photographer Chrissy Kerkhof shared with us a very simple setting she used to take clear and crisp snowflake photos. It takes only one additional piece of gear to the lens and the camera.

The gear

Nikon D5200

Nikkor 70-210mm f/4-5.6

Raynox DCR-250

Settings

The background for snowflakes is a woolen scarf. Chrissy set the camera to f/11, shutter speed 1/160 and ISO 4000, without flash. She handheld the camera, and took several shots to get the one with the perfect focus.

When she took photos, she used Nik for editing. Here is a before-after comparison:

So, if you’re up for some snowflake shooting, this is a pretty simple setting and it definitely works. I used to borrow a Raynox DCR-250, but I must admit that Chrissy’s photo has made me finally make the decision and buy my own.

Winter still lasts, and we still have a couple of weeks left to take photos of snowflakes. So, this is a suggestion for a pretty simple setup that gives remarkable results. Feel free to experiment with the background and camera settings and see what works best for you.

If you’d like to see more of Chrissy’s work, you can check out her Facebook page.