Shooting In Cold Weather Conditions
By rhonda fast on January 11, 2006 - 11:51am
I read an interesting article today in Photo Life Magazine talking about winter photography and the many opportunities that are around us in this season.
We're very fortuante to have distinct seasons in Canada and snow covered trees or frozen lakes can make awesome shots.
One thing the article mentioned that I had never really thought about previously was how to take care of your camera in extremely cold conditions. I realize it doesn't get THAT cold here in Vancouver but there are many other places across our great country where it does and precautions need to be taken with your equipment.
Cameras vary in their sensitivity to cold but batteries don't that much. Extremely cold temperatures (we're talkin' -20) can zap any batteries life so it's important before trekking out into the cold to have a spare set that you keep warm in your pocket. Some photographers even tape a heat pack directly to the back of their camera to prolong the life of their batteries in the cold. Lithium and nickel metal hydride batteries work best in these conditions.
If you're shooting film this can also cause minor problems if not handled correctly. Film tends to get brittle in cold conditions, so much so that it can actually tear in the camera. You may also get static marks on your film if you rewind it too quickly. Slide films seem to perform better than C-41.
The biggest risk, however, is with your camera. When you're out in the snow a condensations can form when you bring your equipment back into a warm room. Then, if you proceed back out into the cold again that condensed water can freeze and prevent your camera from operating. An interesting little trick to avoid this is to place your camera into a plastic bag, push out most of the air and seal it with a tie before bringing it into a warm location. This way your camera can acclimate to room temperature slowly over a few hours and any condensation will form on the outside of the plastic bag and not on or in your camera.
Thanks to Robert Berdan of Science & Art Multimedia in Calgary for such great tips.
(cross-posted from static photography)
