I don’t know what the weather is like where you are today, but here in the northeastern US, it’s cold, it’s wet, it’s white, and it’s also a great photographic opportunity.
When we travel to “exotic” winter locations, we can come upon places of great beauty, and challenging photographic conditions. You might be in the Grand Canyon in winter, Antarctica any time of year, Iceland watching the Aurora Borealis, or hiking in the snows of Baxter State Park, Maine.
The challenges are snow and freezing rain, and cold, real cold. I’ve been to Coldfoot, Alaska, a stop along the Dalton Highway featured on the History Channel’s “Ice Road Truckers.” While it’s arid there, so the snow doesn’t pile up, the temperature drops as low as ‑56° F, and this time of year, the high’s no warmer than ‑2° F.
Cold is extreme winter weather photography’s great challenge.
Zoom lenses and autofocus can seize, LCD panels can freeze, shutters can fail, and batteries can loose as much as 75% of their capacity. When you come in from the cold, moisture can get on and in your camera, ruining its electronic and mechanical components.
We’ve all seen great extreme winter weather photographs, so we know these problems can be overcome enough to capture those wonderful winter images.
Today’s cameras and lenses do well mechanically, even in temperatures approaching ‑40° F. They use modern lubricants which don’t harden unless enduring even more severe temperatures. Unless you’re going to encounter temperatures below ‑40° F, lens seizure, and focus or shutter failure, due to mechanical breakdown, shouldn’t occur.
At about ‑30° F, the liquid in LCD panels will begin to freeze, and will probably not work even at slight higher temperatures. There is a chance you will damage the LCD panels in your camera if they freeze.
Below freezing, the batteries running your camera/lens can loose as much as 75% of their capacity, according to how cold they actually get. I’ve been in situations in which I got less than 30 minutes of usable power from fully charged batteries, which would run my camera all day, in the summer.
You can mitigate each of these challenges. To do so, you need to keep your camera/lens as warm as possible. Here are a few suggestions:
• Dress using a multi-layered approach when going outside in extreme winter weather. While this is important for you, it’s also important for your camera. I wear a parka which uses an outer shell and an inner liner. When not using your camera/lens, stow it under the outer shell of your parka. That will get it out of the wind, and keep it warmer.
Note: Do not put your camera/lens under the inner lining of your parka. That might keep it warmer, but it will likely end up getting unwanted moisture inside your camera/lens, from your body’s perspiration, which could damage your camera/lens.
• Use a winterized camera case such as the Cozy Camera Bag. This bag is manufactured from nylon, fleece, neoprene and foam padded core. That alone will help keep the camera warm, but it also contains built-in pockets for heat packs (hand-warmer packs).
• Rotate at least two sets of batteries for your camera/lens every 15–30 minutes, or so, according to how cold it is, and how quickly the cold is sapping the energy from your batteries. Keep the spare set in a pocket. I keep a hand-warmer pack in that pocket in a cloth bag to protect the batteries from it.
The other problem of extreme winter weather photography is moisture, whether from snow, freezing rain, or condensation. Just as the effects of winter cold can be mitigated, we can alleviate the problems of moisture.
• Keeping out snow and other precipitation from damaging your camera/lens while shooting is essential. Precipitation entering your camera/lens can damage it beyond repair. I’ve tested both the Kata E-702 GDC Elements Cover with extension set, and the Think Tank Photo Hydrophobia 70-200 products. Both do an admirable job keeping both heavy rain and snow from your camera/lens. While both work well, I opted for the Kata product, due to its combination of cost and flexibility.
• Outside, moisture from your breath can fog your viewfinder, LCD monitor, or lens. Don’t wipe it off. It will dissipate quickly if you let it.
• The biggest moisture problem during extreme winter weather photography is when your camera/lens and spare lenses come in from the cold outdoors into the warm, humid indoors. The moisture from the warm humid indoor air will condense on and in your cold camera and lenses when brought inside, potentially causing serious electronic and mechanical problems, and possibly even mold in the camera and lenses.
To avoid the problem, put your camera/lens inside an air tight plastic bag you’ve had outside in the cold, while taking your photos, before you come inside. Let your camera warm up slowly on a cool windowsill or unheated porch first, if you can, then bring it inside. Don’t remove the camera/lens from the bag until it’s reached room temperature. The moisture will settle on the outside of the bag rather than on and in the camera. Don’t forget to do the same with your spare lenses and other equipment which can run afoul, if they get wet.
Ned Levi is a long time professional photographer with a passion for wildlife and travel photography. You can view some of Ned’s travel and other photos at NSL Photography or get more travel photography advice at the NSL Photography Blog which is included in Photography Colleges’ “Top 100 Travel Photography Blogs.”
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
