Gearing up for Winter Photography

It is over 60 degrees outside, on Christmas Eve. SO what better way to deal with this totally incongruous weather than by talking about preparation for shooting in the the cold and snow that will inevitably come any day now, please! 




Not Much Like December

Winter Gear

 
So, with great optimism, here goes a brief list of winter photography necessities.  Now that the wrapping paper has been cleared away, I can lay it all out on the dinning room table,  My first blog post back in 2007 was about winter photography in New England, but hopefully, after eight years of shivering experience, I can add a little more to the discussion. 


 


Self Protection
 I can start with the obvious. It is very hard to devote the time and care required to photograph the beautiful snow if you are miserably cold, and your hands and feet are numb. I am a strong believer in over dressing for the cold. It is much easier to shed a layer or open a jacket if the temperature rises, but it is much harder to find warmth when you are in the elements. I usually go out with at least 3-4 layers of clothing including a warm jacket, sweat shirt, and my favorite, a fleece shirt. For leg warmth I have a lovely pair of fleece lined jeans. A warm hat with ample ear coverage is critical along with a scarf or neck warmer to arrange around my face and neck. 


Gloves
 

Aquatech Gloves

Gloves are an especially important topic given the need for bothwarmth and flexibility. As I have "matured" my hands have become more sensitive to the cold and I have assembled an array of glove choices to match varying level of cold. I discussed my glove collection last year, ranging from thin glove liners to my super, "military grade", half-fingered mittens. The key is to find a way to stay warm while still being able to manipulate the camera controls. And of course hand warmer packs can work wonders in the coldest conditions.

Heat 3 Smart Goves

Overshoe Boots

Boots
Warm, waterproof boots are also a necessity and I always carry an extra pair of socks in my car emergency kit. For deeper snow I have my knee length Overshoe Boots and pair of snow shoes.

 






Camera Protection 

 Keeping my power dependent digital cameras running in the deep cold is a major challenge. The primary issue is battery power. Camera batteries loose power quickly in the extreme cold. The first thing is to carry at least one fully charged back-up battery, keeping it warm in a pocket close to your body. When a battery dies in the cold it can often be revived after some time in a warm pocket. It can also help to keep the camera warm in a bag enclosed with a pocket warmer. 

Although, in the winter, we seldom have to protect the camera from the rain, frozen precipitation can be a problem and when the snow is coming down I protect the camera with a towel draped over the body. A lens cloth is also helpful to clear condensation from the lens. 






Condensation  
When moving from the cold to the warm moist indoor air, condensation can quickly form on the surface of the camera and lens. More damaging, the moisture can penetrate the interior mechanisms and electronics. As impatient as I may be to see my new winter images I always allow the camera to warm in a closed plastic bag and since the condensation appears quickly, I try to remember to bag the camera before I go inside. The problem can also strike the lens in your camera bag, so it is a good idea to seal the bag in its own plastic container.

 

Tripods 
 Check your tripod manual and you will discover that tripods are generally not approved for the extreme cold. I've never had a problem with either my Manfroto or Gitzo sticks, but I still lubricate the poles with a granite lubricant which should stand up to the low temperatures. Just be careful how you move the tripod when the leg are deep in crusted snow. It is possible to snap off a leg when it is encased in ice.


 

Transportation 
 In the winter my car is my life raft offering refuge from the snow and numbing cold, but since I am usually bouncing in and out of the vehicle I try to avoid the temptation to keep the temperature cranked way up. I want to limit the difference in temperatures to which my gear is exposed. The car can be comfortable and sheltered from the wind, but it needn't be a sauna. 

Washington Sunrise

 
Since I take my car to some rather remote locations it should go without saying that it needs to be prepared for the elements. I check the antifreeze, make sure there is adequate tread on the tires and I try to keep at least a half tank of gas on-board at all times. Other emergency gear includes a shovel, sand and a emergency blanket. Obviously the cell phone needs to have a good charge, and I carry back-up battery, but it's important not to depend on being able to call for help, since the signal can be poor in many of my favorite spots. 

 




More Reading

• Winter Photography in New England
  
  
• Winter Gloves, Getting a Grip on the Cold 
  
•  Heat 3 Smart Glove, Optimal Cold Weather Photography Glove ??
• Winter on the Top of New England, Dealing with Winter on the Summit of Mt Washington

Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

Simple Gear to Improve Your Photography

Pemaquid Light

 Sue and I are getting ready to head off to Camden Maine for a few days at the beginning of next week.  Hopefully we will catch some nice color, but as a result, this week’s blog will be a short equipment recommendation.  It great to talk about the latest cameras or big lens’, but some of the most important gear are not the most expensive, but things that fit, almost invisibly, into your everyday process.  For me one of those simple but essential pieces of equipment, which I use on every shot, is my L Bracket.


Gearing up at the Maine Media Workshop

Marshall Point Light

Back several years ago I took a wonderful workshop at the Maine Media Workshops with Vermont landscape photographer David Middleton.  Early fall was a perfect time to explore the Maine coast with a small group of enthusiastic photographers.  I had been attracted to David’s workshop after reading his book on photography in Vermont.  It was a helpful guide but what really interested me was David’s no sense approach to photography.   Over the course of a week we had a wonderful and exhausting time shooting the coastal icons including Marshal Point Light, Rockport Harbor, Stonington, and   Pemaquid Light.  I had a great time and caught some wonderful shots, but the most long-lasting part of the workshop came at the end.  It was just a wrinkled piece of paper.




Throughout the week David gently critiqued, both our
photographic technique, and our equipment.  He kept coming up with recommendations about how I could up-grade my kit.  Among other things, he suggested a new, sturdier tripod and ball

David Middleton hard at work

head, a set of variable neutral density filters and an L-Bracket.  It was a substantial list and I told David that I would need a note for my wife justifying the purchase of this essential equipment.  And he came through.  On a crumpled piece of paper he scribbled the list of gear along with his assurance that the acquisition of these items would make me a more proficient and satisfied photographer and therefore a much more pleasant spouse.  Surprisingly Susan went for it and didn’t crumble as I gleefully went on a  B&H shopping spree.  Off all the equipment that David recommended the L-Bracket probably had the most significant impact on my day-to-day photography.

 

The L-Bracket
Simply stated an L-bracket looks like a roll cage added to the outside of your camera.  It allows the camera to be quickly attached to a tripod in either the horizontal or vertical position and makes switching from one orientation to the other a very simple and fluid procedure.

 

Walpole Town Hall Color, Landscape

Portrait Orientation

The L-bracket has a number of important advantages over a fixed attachment to a tripod.  After taking shots in the horizontal (or landscape) position, I often want to grab the same scene in the vertical (portrait) mode.  With the camera fixed to the plate, I have to flip the body over to the side of the tripod.  The result is that the framing changes as the camera moves

Miss Aligned
& Unbalanced

down and to the side of its original position making recomposing necessary.  Additionally, with the camera hanging off to the side, the tripod becomes less stable and more subject to accident and vibration.  With the L-bracket, the camera stays centered stably over the tripod legs and the framing of the image is not altered.  The difference is especially noticeable when photographing subjects which are close to the camera.  You will be surprised what a difference this makes in capturing the exact composition that you want. 

 

L-Bracket Aligned & Stable

The L-bracket also provides some protection to the camera. This is an unintended benefit and the bracket doesn't cover the entire body, but this "roll-cage" has saved me a few times from drop-related damage.  Besides it  looks cool.

 

Engulfed, Portrait

L-brackets are available for a range of cameras.  They are generally custom designed for each body to allow access to all the important
buttons and connectors.  Arc-Swiss is the most common connector and you must have a head which takes this system, but older tripods can usually be adapted for this connector.  L-brackets are widely available.  Mine came from Kirk photo, but really Right Stuff is also a reliable source.  Depending on the camera they range in price from $125-nearly $200.  It may seem like a lot of money for a piece of metal, but it is well worth the expense.   This is something you will use on every shot, so don't skimp on the quality. I typically order my L-Bracket at the same time that I order a new camera. 

Bracket Custom Cut for Connectors

If you don't have one already I would strongly suggest that you consider getting an L-Bracket for your camera.  You will find it makes a simple but persistent improvement in your work.

Really Right Stuff has a nice video which demonstrates the use and benefits of L-brackets.

 Jeff Newcomer
partridgebroo0kreflections.com

Pilgrimage to Photography's Commercial Mecca

Ever since my son moved to New York City last summer, I had two major concerns. The first was that Jeremy might get swallowed up by the big impersonal metropolis. The second was figuring out when I could use the excuse of his new home to make my first trip the commercial Mecca for all photographers.

Jeremy is doing great in the city. He appears to be thriving on the

Jeremy Mixing at the Penrose

excitement and opportunities.  New York City is terribly expensive, but It turns out an experienced bartender has no problems getting work in the city that never sleeps, or stops drinking. I have no idea what his long term future holds, but for now he is young, happy and making more money than my daughter who is a social policy analyst in Washington, DC.  Stop by to say hi to Jer at the Penrose on 1590 Second Ave.

Given that our family is now spread across the Eastern seaboard,
we decided that for Thanksgiving this year we would split the


Jeremy & Abigail

difference and gather at Susan’s sister’s house in New Jersey. Joannie and Allen were spared any damage from Hurricane Sandy and they, at least, gave the appearance of being excited to learn that we had decide to descend upon them for the holiday. We had a lovely time.  In addition to a traditional holiday dinner, we went to see “Lincoln” on Friday and a Broadway Show Saturday and of course we never stopped feeding our children.

Sunday morning the kids slept in and I finally had my opportunity go to the Mecca. I have been ordering photographic equipment and electronics from B & H Photo for decades, but this was my first chance to visit their superstore at 9th Ave. at 34th St. All the stories are true. The Store is massive. It is the world’s largest retailer of imaging products, occupying 70,000 square feet of retail space

Over-Head Trolly: B&H Photo Image

holding over 170,000 products. The store is a marvel of commercial efficiency and is worth visiting just to see the over-head trolley system that transports your purchases to the front checkout area.   Needless to say I was overwhelmed. Susan found a bench and gave me about 2 hours to explore while she did crossword puzzles. Seriously? Just two Hours? I needed a plan and decided to focus on the photography section on the second floor. 

Only Part of the Photography Section

After the initial shock, I had to devise a plan of attack on the impossible. B&H has a dizzying number of opportunities to (waste) consume money, but the practical part of my brain knew that everything in the store could be bought online, probably cheaper and without New York City's nearly 9% sales tax. The true advantage of being at B&H is the opportunity to see, touch, and yes, drool over, everything.  Also the remarkably attentive and knowledgeable sales staff are amazing.  During my limited time, I focused on camera bags and flash brackets, both of which needed to be seen, manipulated and hefted to judge what might work best

Stroboframe

for me. I could use a bigger main bag and a medium sized back pack, somewhere between my compact Kata and my behemoth Tamrac Expedition Bag.   Photographers can never have too many bags and it was great fun being able to examine a plethora of options.
 In the end, I didn't pull the trigger on a bag but I did come away with a better feel for what might work in the future. I did get the simple flash bracket that I have been looking for. The problem has always been to find a bracket that would accommodate my Arca Swiss L Bracket, but one of the great sales people took the time to find a reasonably priced Arca Swiss Receiver that works nicely with the Stroboframe Bracket.   I never could have figured that out on line.

Remarkably, even with the addition of a 3TB external Hard Drive, I came away from my first immersion in photographic excess for only a little more that $200.  Susan was shocked and thrilled, but she knows that, with Jeremy living in the city, I will be back.

I am one of the first to insist that photography is about the vision and not the equipment, but we must acknowledge that, at our core, we all love GEAR. So, when you get to New York, you must drop by the Mecca.  Just remember that B & H is owned by Hasidic Jews and is closed from 1 PM Friday through Saturday and on all Jewish holidays.  Plan accordingly and try to allow more than two hours to play.

Check Out

B&H Photo