How to shoot ice lanterns

In winter, Harbin, Jilin and other northern cities in China organize skilled craftsmen to carve thousands of tons of ice cubes into wonderful ice lantern works for people to watch.

To shoot ice lanterns well, you need to pay attention to the following points.

1. Be familiar with the subject matter: The ice lantern is made of pieces of "ice bricks" piled up and carved by hand. Under the winter sunshine or colorful lanterns, it is sparkling, crystal clear and full of magical colors. Ice lanterns have a variety of shapes, from pavilions to flower and bird bonsai. When shooting ice lanterns, we should be familiar with the modeling characteristics of the subjects, so that the works can show unique themes and artistic characteristics.

2. Grasp the shooting opportunity: Experienced photographers often seize the opportunity to shoot when the ice lamp is just launched, because the ice lamp at this time is crystal clear and has a good texture. If the exhibition lasts for a long time, the ice lantern will be exposed to the sun, lose its shape and texture, and affect the creative effect. When shooting ice lanterns during the day, we should pay attention to choosing a darker background, which can highlight the main body of the ice lanterns as white as jade. However, if other matching people or scenery lack bright colors, the ice lantern will appear monotonous. When night falls and the lanterns are first put on, it is the best time to shoot ice lanterns. At this time, the sky is blue and gray, setting off colorful ice lanterns, which is more magnificent and charming. Whether it's a snowy night or a bright moon, don't miss the good opportunity given by nature. You should take time to take more photos of ice lanterns full of winter fun and mystery.

3. Pay attention to light when shooting: shoot the ice lamp in the sun and avoid using smooth light. The ice lamp itself has a strong reflective ability. When shooting along the light, the picture will show a stiff white light, which will affect the image integrity of the ice lamp and make people feel uncomfortable. In the morning and evening, you can take photos with strong three-dimensional effect and soft color tone by using side light with small light angle and choosing aperture f5.6-8 and speed 1/8- 1/4 seconds. Ice lamp is a combination of ice and lamp. The lighting of the ice lantern is carefully designed and configured, and the combination of illumination, layout and color is just right. When shooting the ice lantern, don't use the front flash, otherwise it will affect the natural beauty of the ice lantern. Under normal circumstances, you can shoot with a spotlight, or you can shoot with the flash and color film behind the ice lamp according to your own creative intention. Choosing the aperture f5.6-8 and the shutter speed 1/4- 1/2 seconds can highlight the glittering and translucent characteristics of the ice lamp.

4. Scene selection and composition: During the ice lantern exhibition, some works have great scenes and some works are "unique". If you don't choose carefully in the shooting, the creative effect will often be counterproductive. In order to make the picture composition of the ice lantern photos more perfect, we should try our best to consider the reasonable layout of the picture structure, the patchwork, balance and diversity of the subject and companion. Strive to make the picture concise and pleasing to the eye on the premise of highlighting the main body. When taking pictures, focus on the ice lamp, view from the expected angle, and shoot with a large aperture to make the picture feel colorful and dreamy as much as possible. You can also put a small mirror in front of the camera lens to reflect the ice lamp when taking pictures, so that the picture has the effect of reflection.

5. Choose the film to shoot: Choose black-and-white film or color film to shoot the ice lamp, mainly depending on the photographer's creative purpose. Professional photographers shoot ice lamps in order to print pictures, and generally choose light color reversal films. Amateurs can use color negative to take photos at night, which can show the colorful and magnificent feeling of ice lanterns. Black and white volume has a large tolerance, which can adapt to large contrast and can be used at different light source color temperatures.