Composing a Shot: Lessons from the Ice
Some photographs are planned.
Some are pursued.
And some are found in the split second when you decide to tap a shoulder and say, “Stop.”
On January 1, 2018, the wind whipped across the Straits of Mackinac creating the kind of cold that instantly freezes your eye lashes and nose hairs. Thanks to record-breaking low temperatures, much of the lake was frozen, except for a narrow shipping channel cut by the U. S. Coast Guard for passing freighters.
I had just finished a photoshoot in town and was riding home on a snowmobile along M-185 near the Mackinac Island Library. My husband was driving the sled. I was focused on wiggling my fingers inside my gloves to warm them up when something caught my eye — a jagged stretch of blue ice stacked along the shoreline.
I tapped his shoulder.
“Stop.”
What we saw was sculpted by nature — sheets of ice several inches thick, heaved and piled by relentless currents. The wind drove mist across the path of open water beyond the frozen shoreline. And there, faint but resolute in the distance, stood Round Island Lighthouse — its red structure a quiet sentinel guarding the narrow passage.
That lighthouse has weathered more storms than most of us will ever know. When it was in operation, it guided hundreds of Lakers (vessels) through that channel. On this day, it stood against mist and ice as if posed for history.
We stepped onto the frozen shoreline. While Dan shot pics with his iPhone, I quickly pulled my Canon 7D camera from its position tucked inside my coat and crouched low among shards of blue, using them as framing elements. I wanted the viewer to feel as if they were inside the ice field, not observing it from afar.
My camera battery began protesting almost immediately. Extreme cold drains power quickly. I worked fast.
Seventeen frames. That's all I managed before the camera froze — literally.
Later, one of those images (top) would place third in the 2018 Landscapes of Mackinac Contemporary Art Exhibit at the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum. I titled it Mist Over Blue Ice. Purchase a Mist Over Blue Ice photographic print.
That afternoon reinforced a few principles I rely on as a photojournalist:
1. Let Nature Frame Your Subject
The triangular ice shards weren’t clutter — they were structure. Foreground elements create depth and pull the viewer inward. Instead of shooting at the lighthouse, I shot through the ice.
Tip: Look for natural frames — branches, architecture, shadows, ice. They create layers and dimension.
2. Get Low
Crouching among the ice changed the entire narrative of the image. Shooting from standing height would have flattened the scene.
Tip: Change your perspective. Kneel. Lie down. Climb higher. Composition transforms when your viewpoint does.
3. Anchor the Eye
The bold red of the lighthouse contrasted with the cool blues and whites. It gave the eye a place to land.
Tip: Every strong image needs a visual anchor — a color contrast, a shape, or a point of focus that stabilizes the composition.
4. Use Leading Lines
Just like in Mist Over Blue Ice, the stacked ice created diagonal lines that directed the eye toward the focal point. In the above image, the snow bank leads your eye to the sheet of ice, which is the focal point of the composition. Then the sheet of ice serves as another leading line to the horizon where if you look closely, you'll spy a freighter.
Tip: Diagonals create energy. Horizontal lines feel calm. Vertical lines feel strong. Choose intentionally.
5. Work Fast in Extreme Conditions
Cold weather photography demands preparation.
- Keep spare batteries warm inside your coat.
- Limit lens changes.
- Pre-set your exposure when possible.
- Know your composition before you raise the camera.
You may only get a handful of frames.
6. Wait for the Atmosphere
The mist was the soul of the photograph. Without it, the scene would have felt static.
Tip: Weather is a character. Fog, snow, wind, steam — these elements add emotion and scale. Be patient enough to let them work for you.
I hope these photos and tips inspire you to get outside and take beautiful pictures!