Winter is in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means there are some great cold weather photo opportunities out there. Below are a few tips for protecting your equipment and yourself from the elements while shooting in wintery weather.
1) Camera and flash batteries deplete much faster in cold weather, so carry your spare batteries in a pocket where they will stay warm.
2) Keep your camera warm by putting it inside your jacket when you’re not shooting, but be careful if your camera does get cold. Moving it from the cold air outside to the warm air inside your jacket could cause condensation to form inside the camera, damaging it.
3) Use pocket hand warmers as a way to keep your camera from getting too old while you’re shooting. If shooting with an SLR, use a rubber band to attach one warmer to your lens and another to the camera’s hand grip.
4) If you’re shooting in extremely cold conditions and don’t want your hands to be exposed to the air, look into the Cozy Camera Bag. It consists of weatherproof material that wraps around your camera, leaving only the lens exposed, with a sleeve built into the side for your hand—kind of like a glove that your camera happens to fit into.
5) The biggest cold-weather danger to your equipment isn’t actually the cold. It’s the warm air inside your house when you’re done shooting. Never take your camera directly from cold outside conditions to warm inside air. Keep the camera inside its camera bag, and let it warm up gradually. Many photographers keep a zip-lock bag with their gear for this reason. Put your camera in the bag while you’re still outside, and leave plenty of air in it too. When you’re inside, the air in the bag will insulate your camera so condensation won’t form.
6) Perhaps most importantly when shooting in cold conditions: protect yourself! Wear layers and be sure to have hand and head protection. And don’t get so wrapped up in shooting that you forget to pay attention to your surroundings. Slipping and falling on ice with an expensive camera in your hand is a great way to ruin a good day of shooting!
Image by futureshape on Flickr
Good advice that I'm going to do my best to avoid needing. Keep me tropical.
But with family in cold country I probably will need these tips some day so thanks.