Cold Weather Shooting (Looking for Advice!)

[daleeman]

In February 2011 some large format film photographers will be gathering at Hocking Hills State Park to capture the winter beauty of this majestic Ohio State Park. Hopefully we will have a nice accumulation of snow, a glorious collection of icy stalactites hanging from the cliffs and ice crusted streams dashing about the rock formations. Our group will be shooting large format, 4x5, 8x10 and a really large 8x17. There may be a sprinkling of 6x6 in there too.

My main concern is safety for our folks who show up, this is a non-organized, no-charge event, just a gathering of photographers who love to get out and shoot and share prints in the evening as we gather after our shoots. So I am collecting any and all best advice on moving about in the snow safely with bulky equipment. Please share your success and hard earned lessons.

It would be most helpful if you would share with us your experiences if you have spent extended times out in the cold doing photography. We are lodging in the area in cabins and hotel rooms so we will not be overnight in the cold.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Lee

[Christopher Sanderson]

You may be interested in this

[JeffColburn]

I've done a lot of 35mm shooting in the snow, and I usually focus more on basic safety than anything special about photography. If I follow basic safety rules, and don't try anything stupid, things have always worked out fine.

Some key things I do are:

• Wear warm clothes (mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves)
• Wear hiking boots, and traction devices if needed (like Moose Tracks)
• Walk like a Penguin. Short little steps help keep traction.
• Keep spare batteries warm in an inside coat pocket (for digital backs in your case)
• Let your equipment adjust to the outside temperature. This can take up to an hour. To reduce condensation on equipment, put everything in a zip top plastic bag until the equipment cools down.
• Check the weather before you start the day, and keep up to date with a weather radio.
• Have someone in charge of doing a head count. Do it several times during the shoot to be sure someone hasn't wandered off or been hurt. Be sure to do it at the end of the shoot too.
• Be sure your cell phone has a full charge.
• Let someone, not in your group, know what area you'll be at, and about when you should return. Then be sure to let that person know when you've returned.

Have Fun,
Jeff

[Lonnie Utah]

• Keep spare batteries warm in an inside coat pocket (for digital backs in your case)
• Be sure your cell phone has a full charge.

On both of those items, Keep in a pocket with a hand warmer.  This will extend the live even farther. 

[Ifocus4u]

Lots of excellent advice here.....   thanks..

[larryg]

you might get clampons (they attach to your boots and give traction in slippery areas (i.e. ice)
I got some that have a rubber band type system that you stretch over your shoes.  These things really help on rocks and slippery surfaces.

You can get hand warmers (in sealed packs that when opened warm up) for your hands feet etc.   I would certainly suggest foot warmers (you just slip into the boot and they will insulate your feet and keep them warm for some time)

Maybe a plastic sheet or dry cloth to put on ground (especially with snow) to lay your packs or equipment on without laying them on the ground.

a micro fiber cloth for the lenses (fog, moisture etc.) and a larger one for the camera/lenses

[wolfnowl]

Lee:  Search the archives of these forums and you'll find all kinds of information on cold weather shooting.  At least I assume the old archives have been transferred over.

Mike.

[daleeman]

Wow, great things showing up here. I encourage all to keep putting in more advice and experience. We all may have an opportunity, hopefully many over the coming months to get out and shoot so I believe this kind of exchange will help others too.

Any issues with static electricity and ways to overcome that?

In large format there does not seem to be to many issues of static, but 6x6 and 35mm film is an issue. I know when I worked in an AV house years ago when we did things with optical slide film before PowerPoint and video projectors we used a lot of static guard in places, even misted water in some places to help cut down, but we never figured out how to keep it from happening on film wound through a camera.

Lee

[daleeman]

I've done a lot of 35mm shooting in the snow, and I usually focus more on basic safety than anything special about photography. If I follow basic safety rules, and don't try anything stupid, things have always worked out fine.

Some key things I do are:

• Wear warm clothes (mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves)
• Wear hiking boots, and traction devices if needed (like Moose Tracks)
• Walk like a Penguin. Short little steps help keep traction.
• Keep spare batteries warm in an inside coat pocket (for digital backs in your case)
• Let your equipment adjust to the outside temperature. This can take up to an hour. To reduce condensation on equipment, put everything in a zip top plastic bag until the equipment cools down.
• Check the weather before you start the day, and keep up to date with a weather radio.
• Have someone in charge of doing a head count. Do it several times during the shoot to be sure someone hasn't wandered off or been hurt. Be sure to do it at the end of the shoot too.
• Be sure your cell phone has a full charge.
• Let someone, not in your group, know what area you'll be at, and about when you should return. Then be sure to let that person know when you've returned.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Jeff,

Really apreciate the following:
    * Check the weather before you start the day, and keep up to date with a weather radio.
    * Have someone in charge of doing a head count. Do it several times during the shoot to be sure someone hasn't wandered off or been hurt. Be sure to do it at the end of the shoot too.
    * Be sure your cell phone has a full charge.
    * Let someone, not in your group, know what area you'll be at, and about when you should return. Then be sure to let that person know when you've returned.

We do need to do this. Hate to see someone left behind and we have to go search for them. Others outside of where we are going should know too.

I think we should report to the ranger station early and let them know how many of us there are in the park. Maybe a roster of names too. This would probably mean we all "check out too" when we leave. I do not know how receptive of this they would be.

Lee