Shooting in short winter days
In December the usable light lasts about five hours, and most of it arrives at a low angle. That is a gift for texture and a problem for shutter speeds.
I keep it simple: one body, one fast normal lens, ISO 400 film, and a rule to shoot the lake only when the ice is still grey rather than white.
Metering for the shadows and letting the snow fall where it falls has worked better than any clever exposure trick.