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• Get in as close as the camera will let you -- usually about 2 inches. Hold the camera steady, and shoot from as many angles as possible.

• Aim for snowflakes that are on surfaces with clean lines and that are positioned at an angle so early morning or late afternoon sunlight can bring out details. And, Falk adds, "It also helps to find flakes in the 'twilight zone' areas of the snow -- not in full sun nor quite full shadow -- so the background of the sunlit flake is the cobalt blue shadow that snow has on sunny days."

• Large, soft flakes photograph better than small, bright ones. Falk has found them at diameters up to 5mm. "You need to have a lot of moisture in the air," she says, "and it needs to be bitter cold."

• Nearly windless days are ideal for snowflake hunting, to up the likelihood of finding crystals intact. Colder temperatures help "to keep their little arms from melting off before you can get to them."

Tips by : lorifredrickson