Posted by Brad Jackson on January 7, 2007 at 7:55 PM
I am new to winter photography and I am looking for tips\advice when it comes to camera equipment in the cold. Do I have to worry about the temperature affecting my camera? I am just worried about snow shoeing with my camera. I would be traveling with just a regular camera backpack. Thanks for any tips\advice.
Posted by Ben Woodruff on January 7, 2007 at 8:39 PM
I have a few particular problems with winter and cold weather when photographing in Colorado. Everything tends to work a little bit slower and LCD panels stick once in a while, depending on how cold it is. I have noticed that digital capture seems to have a little less noise overall, which makes sense. One thing to really watch is getting snow inside your mirror box when changing lenses in the snow, even when is isn't actively snowing. The dry, powdery snow we tend to have in Colorado hangs in the air sometimes and finds its way inside the camera.
The only other problem I have had is aluminum tripods can freeze in the open or closed position sometimes. It helps if you try to keep it dry.
The avalanche on Berthoud Pass yesterday is a good reminder of what one of the biggest problems with winter photography is - weather conditions. Snow slides and rapidly changing weather conditions are my biggest concerns with winter photography.
Be sure to put all of your gear in the pack before bringing it into a warm car or indoors - If it's really cold, put the pack in a plastic bag, shut it and let the whole thing slowly warm to room temp to avoid condensation on sensitive camera parts or the inside of lenses.
Learn to work fast for self preservation and in consideration of snowshoeing partners.
Sometimes interlocking ski pole straps works well as a quick bi-pod.
Carry one versatile "desert island" lens to avoid lens changes. I like the Nikon 18-200.
Bring extra batteries and store them inside your coat. When your battery dies because it's too cold, you can rotate through them. Warming it up in your coat again will restore a fair bit of power. That's the lesson I learned while shooting on Mt. Evans last year, anyway. I also kept the camera around my neck but inside my coat while hiking between locations to save whatever battery power I could.
Posted by Brad Jackson on January 10, 2007 at 12:41 AM
Discussion
4 repliesThe only other problem I have had is aluminum tripods can freeze in the open or closed position sometimes. It helps if you try to keep it dry.
The avalanche on Berthoud Pass yesterday is a good reminder of what one of the biggest problems with winter photography is - weather conditions. Snow slides and rapidly changing weather conditions are my biggest concerns with winter photography.
Learn to work fast for self preservation and in consideration of snowshoeing partners.
Sometimes interlocking ski pole straps works well as a quick bi-pod.
Carry one versatile "desert island" lens to avoid lens changes. I like the Nikon 18-200.
Good luck!