Whether you're in North Dakota or New Mexico, winter sunlight offers special photographic advantages. In January, with the winter solstice just past, the sun is much lower in the sky than at other times of the year. Sunlight that is more horizontal causes longer and more visually interesting shadows. Therefore, consider making shadows the focus of some of your images. For instance, tree shadows against clean snow can look like grasping claws.

Of course the tradeoff is that winter days are short, so make sure when you go out to shoot you give yourself enough time.

It's easy to think of winter in terms of black and white, but this can be an intriguing time for color. The winter sky offers a brighter spectrum of blue light, and in general there is crisper color contrast. You could use a brilliant blue sky to set off the deep greens of pine trees or children's brightly colored jackets.

When taking pictures of people in the snow, try moving in close so the white snow doesn't consume most of the picture. Your camera's light meter takes a reading of the average brightness of the scene, and if you fill up the frame with white your subject's face may be reduced to a blob of shadow.

In many parts of the country winter temperatures are at or well below freezing, so take special care of your camera equipment. Cold can drain batteries, so it's a good idea to bring plenty of extras. Keep your spare batteries in an inside pocket, near your skin and under your jacket. Your body's heat will help preserve them. You may end up rotating your batteries over and over if shooting for a long time on a cold day.

Take special care coming in from the cold. Condensation can ruin cameras as well as film. To prevent this, try putting your camera and film canisters in a sealable plastic bag or even in your pocket while you're outside taking pictures. Then, when you come back inside, keep your camera and film inside that pocket or sealed plastic bag until they adjust to the indoor temperature. Wait an hour or so before taking them out, just to be safe.