Winter is coming, and unlike normal people, who rush to get new coats, sweaters and winter tires, geeky guys with photo cameras have some extra things to remember.
Winter is, just like all other times of year, is great for photography. Even if it seems that the whole season is a dark eternal night, I think in every country and on every continent there can be winter days when you feel like a small child, being so much overwhelmed by the beauty around, that you just give up all your tasks and to-do lists and go outside to enjoy the cold bright sun over freshly fallen snow.
And you must be prepared for these days, if you want to take a picture or two.
Here are some things you need to keep in mind:
1. Avoid fast temperature changes
Unlike humans, who enjoy coming into a warm house after a winter walk, cameras hate it. The reason for this is condensation – when a very cold object gets into warm environment,
moisture starts to condensate on its surface. Just like a beer bottle you take out from the fridge, you camera will be covered with dew the next moment you take it out of your camera bag in a warm room. And what is worse, it happens not only on the outside, but also inside the camera, which can have very unpleasant consequenses.
So, when you get back home, or into a warm car, do not take your camera out of the bag for 1-2 hours, for it to warm up slowly.
So, remember: It is okay to get a warm camera outside, but it is NOT OKAY to bring a cold camera inside and unpack it at once.
In extreme temperatures, have a zip bag with you, and put your camera inside it, squeezing all the air out, and do not take it out for a couple of hours indoors.
2. Get some protective stuff
I can’t tell how good this stuff is in practice, but there are some nice things on the market which would make your camera and lenses more secure. For some cold regions I think it might be a really handy thing to have:
LensCoat LCBGPBK BodyGuard Pro
Make sure you have checked out different sizes to fit your camera
3. Get extra batteries
Batteries will drain very quickly in cold weather, so, if you are planning a shoot, make sure you have a couple of extra fully-charged batteries with you.
By the way I think the above mentioned protective coat might slightly contribute to keeping your battery warmer. Tell me if you try it 🙂
And, most important – keep yourself warm! Condensate inside a camera is not too good, but still it is so much better than pneumonia!
Simple trick for batteries to make them last more: don’t carry them in your bag with the camera, put them in your most internal pocket (trousers, shirt, something close to the skin) so to keep it warm. Trust me, it works!