Shooting out in the snow can be enjoyable as long as you're prepared.
Now that Christmas has come and gone, winter has definitely set in. And with it comes a whole new set of challenges with outdoor photography, out in the snow and cold. Things like condensation, fogging, exposure compensation for snow, and frostbite are all big concerns when shooting out in freezing temperatures. But there’s a few simple things you can do to make sure that your shooting goes well when you’re out in the elements.
Brrrrr
The number one problem is the cold. It will cause your camera and lenses (anything really) to condense moisture, when coming in from a cold outdoor environment to the warmth of indoors. This condensation inside your camera can be fatal! Many camera repairs can be attributed to the build-up of moisture inside a camera. Even with today’s ultra-modern materials that tout weather-proof bodies, moisture can still form inside your camera because of condensation.
Sweaty Cameras?
To prevent condensation from forming inside your camera, place your camera inside an air-tight plastic bag when you are done shooting outside in the cold. Leave you’re lens on. A one gallon-size, or larger, freezer bag works well. Then pack your camera back into your bag. If you have other sensitive gear you are worried about, you can place them into smaller plastic bags. This trick is also a good practice for laptops and any other critical electronic gear that you might use out in the field in cold weather. I think CF cards, USB, and firewire cords can benefit too. Just remember that everything will start sweating when you go from a cold environment quickly back into a warm environment.
When you return to the warmth of your studio, home, or car, remove the camera from your bag so the moisture doesn’t sweat into your bag or other gear. I also try to have a few thick towels with me that I can use to help dry everything with, when we get back inside. Once the camera has acclimated back to room temperature, you can remove it from the bag. If you can’t wrap all your gear that you are worried about getting damaged (strobe heads, power packs, etc.) due to condensation, you can always minimize the threat by gradually warming the gear, slowly. Just remember that the real bad condensation happens when you quickly introduce the gear to a warm room after being out in the cold for an extended period of time.
Warm and Toasty
The second issue with winter, and I’m sure you’ve figured this out by now, is that the cold will reduce and drain your battery power quickly. This is especially true for camera batteries and battery power packs for strobe gear. Even you’re little digital point & shoot and Speedlights are at risk with AA batteries. Tucking your pocket camera in your coat pocket may be fine, but you still risk the condensation issue I mentioned previously. With a larger SLR the rule of habit has been to kind of keep it nuzzled close to you and halfway zipped into the front of your parka, hopefully saving some battery life. But, you are still risking condensation from your body heat. By warming your camera inside your jacket after a sequence of shots, your camera is more or less constantly in and out of the cold. The near best solution to save your expensive SLR from condensation is to keep the camera batteries warm rather than your camera. Keep an ample supply of freshly charged camera batteries tucked in your coat pocket. Use hand warmers nestled in with your batteries in your camera bag if you are out hiking in the cold. I’ve even heard of people using a hot baked potato for a battery and hand warmer. After the shoot you can have a warm snack to recharge yourself!
The alternative to camera batteries is to use the AC adapter for your camera if you are near an AC power source. Make sure you have some heavily insulated extension cords with adequate length. Another helpful tool may be an anti-fog eyepiece for your SLR. I know that both Canon and Nikon make an anti-fog eyepiece for some models.
You Got Jumper Cables?
With battery packs, well there really isn’t much you can do to keep them warm, short of keeping them in the car or a nearby building and using head extensions. Of course you decrease your output with every extension you add. I’ve heard of elaborate rigs using technology similar to automobile battery warmers, but this really isn’t practical in most shooting situations. The only real solution is to have lots of extra batteries on hand, keep them warm, and change them out as needed. Don’t forget to have enough chargers with you to recharge the batteries as soon as they are depleted. There’s nothing worse than a shoot coming to a grinding halt because you’re waiting for batteries to charge. And always charge the batteries inside where it’s warm. A cold battery doesn’t recharge very well!
Another note about battery packs and strobe packs. I always like to have a heavy-duty trash bag along to cover the pack. If it should start to snow or rain, you will be so happy you have these items in your grip kit. If your working with snow on the ground, definitely protect the pack from contact with the snow. In a pinch, use a floor-mat from the car (make sure it’s dry), or a tarp, or some other good insulting base for the pack to sit on. A rubber drip tray from a sink dish rack works excellent! Not only will this insulate the pack a little from the cold snow, but will prevent dirt and rust from getting into the pack itself.
Dress Appropriately
Most body heat is lost through your head. Always have a knit or wool cap with you, even if you think it’s too warm. The weather can change suddenly, and trudging through the snow a half-mile back to the car to get your hat will more than likely cause you to lose the shot of the century! Well, perhaps not, but why risk it? For gloves, I like to use what I call a wool glitten. They are the hunting gloves with exposed fingers, but also have a mitten that flips on and off like a convertible top. Very handy (pun intended).
Dress in layers. You can always remove a layer if you are too warm. Wear a wicking undershirt and long-johns. It’s pretty much the same principle as getting condensation in your camera. The wicking underwear will keep perspiration away from your skin and keep you from getting chilled. Your footwear should be whatever it takes to keep your feet warm and dry for whatever weather you will be in. In real cold weather, wool socks are best with a silk liner.
Snow Exposure
The reflective meter in your camera will always be fooled reading snow. Use a hand-held incident meter to get a feel for how snow affects your camera’s meter and compensate accordingly. As a general rule of thumb, over-expose a snowy-scene one or two stops in bright sun, and one-half to one and one-half stops in a cloudy snow-covered scene.
If you are shooting during a snowfall, cover your camera and lens with a baseball cap, with the bill over the lens. You can also use an old flannel-shirt, or other button or zip-up top, and place it over the camera and your head, like a dark cloth. This is very helpful in bright sun to help see through the view-finder better, and also to see the image on-screen. Use an ND filter to help protect your glass when its windy and snowing, and to better control your depth-of-field in bright snow. If it’s snowing heavily, bring and umbrella. Use your lens-shade, unless you’re using on-camera flash, and experiment with different shutter speeds to get the desired snowfall effect you are looking for. You can find some more good tips for snow exposure-compensation here.
Give some careful thought and mindful consideration for your cold-weather shoots and you will be warm and successful out in the snow and cold. Consider all the situations you might encounter–do your pre-pro, make a check-list, and be safe, rather than sorry. Take the time to make sure your gear and your body are well protected from anything that old-man winter can throw at you.
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