What do you do when you find an attractive spot that is marred by fencing and other man-made structures that are simply not appealing in a landscape photo? One solution is to crop and frame the photo, focusing on what is essential. Even if it means sacrificing some of the subject, the entire image may be improved.

This is Buttermilk Falls in Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater, New Jersey. It is the result of a dam of Middle Brook. It is in the valley along the First Watchung Ridge and has a certain picturesque appeal.

If I had shown the entire face of the waterfall with virtually all of the fence and concrete dam portions eliminated, the rest of the brook would not be seen from that angle. By focusing on a significant portion of the fall to give a sense of its height and force, I placed it in context and showed other natural features of the area—particularly the trees and the ravine through which the brook flows.
 
The photo shown below is the original image. What do you think?

There are ways to create the effect of snow in your images using software, but nothing beats the real thing. The problem is capturing the falling snow so that it is visible.

First, you want to get the right background. Leafless trees standing in a thick woods will do; shooting against a whitish overcast sky will not be as effective. Dark buildings or bridges as structures provide interest and enough contrast to catch the snow.

Another issue is shutter speed. The faster the shutter, the more it will freeze action. It depends on the kind of look you want. At 1/60th of a second, you get mostly distinct flakes as tiny round objects, although some may be bigger and slightly blurred as they are in motion. I have tried even faster shutter speeds, but if the flakes are too small and you freeze them in motion with no movement, you may not see them. At 1/13th of a second, you can still manage a hand-held shot comfortably and keep the image sharp, but wind-blown snowflakes will streak and blur a bit, making them longer, if not larger. In the two images below, the first was shot at 1/60th and the second at 1/13th. Judge for yourself which you find more effective or pleasing.