City Escapes Nature Photography: City Escapes Nature Photography Newsletter

CITY ESCAPES

Nature Photography, LLC

Newsletter

January, 2011

Protecting Your Gear in the Cold Weather

Winter weather is upon us once again, and with it, a wide range of intriguing things to photograph. Whether you are a seasoned professional making images of a stunning landscape, or a proud parent capturing your son’s amazing tackle during his high school football game, the season just might find you outside in the chill, camera in hand. The cold and possibly wet weather brings special challenges for photographers. Here are some tips to keep you – and your gear – in top condition.

· A major challenge for outdoor photography in cold weather is keeping your hands warm. Even if you have a simple point-and-shoot camera, unless you are quite practiced, pushing the shutter button and controlling other functions while wearing gloves can be difficult. Not wearing gloves, however, can lead to numb fingers, which are equally difficult to work with. My solution: a cross between fingerless gloves and mittens. These ingenious little gloves have a flap that folds back over the back of the hand, revealing gloved fingers that cover half of each finger, leaving the ends free to manipulate the camera. The flap velcros in place to keep it out of the way. When I want extra warmth, I simply fold the flap over my fingers to create a mitten. These gloves are a great solution for mild to moderately cold conditions, and are relatively inexpensive: I got my pair at an outdoor recreation store for about $12. Otherwise, any glove liner or other relatively thin glove will add warmth without compromising too much maneuverability. Just be certain to practice using your camera while wearing the gloves prior to the outdoor event.

· Keep yourself warm. This may sound silly and obvious, but if you are shivering, holding your camera still to get a clear shot is that much more difficult.

· You are all ready for the big shot, when bleeoop! Your camera dies. What happened?!? It could be the battery. Cold weather drains batteries faster than warm weather. Carrying an extra battery under your jacket, where it will stay nice and warm, is always a good idea during an outdoor shoot. If you will only be using your camera every now and then, such as when your daughter comes up to bat in her softball game, keep your camera under your jacket to prolong its battery life. The same goes for extra memory cards.

· Unless your camera is water-proof, protecting it from wet weather is a must. Even if it is water-resistant (not water-proof), precautions should be taken. As long as you are not actually shooting underwater, there are some simple ways to achieve this. You could go the expensive route and buy a waterproof casing, which is available in both hard and soft versions. Or you could go the much cheaper route and use items that you likely already have around the house. The simplest is an umbrella. As long as the rain or snow (sleet, hail, whatever) is coming more or less straight down, an umbrella should do a fine job of protecting your gear. If the wind has decided to play as well, though, you will have water coming in at an angle to deal with. Not to worry: there are simple solutions for this. Zip-lock bags make great raingear for your camera. Find one that your camera will comfortably fit in, keeping in mind that too big is better than too small. Cut out a hole in the bag just big enough for the end of your lens. If you have an SLR-type camera, rubber band the bag in place around the lens, leaving only the very end of the lens exposed, seal the bag, and voila, your camera is protected from the rain. If you have a point-and-shoot, keeping the bag in precisely the right place will be a bit more challenging, but it can be done by taping or rubber banding the bag around the body of the camera. (If your point-and-shoot camera has a lens that extends out from the body, treat it as an SLR-type camera and protect the length of the lens.) Make any adjustments to your camera settings before sealing it away, as these will be difficult (though not impossible) to make after the camera is in the bag. Be sure the seal is actually solid, as well. As an extra precaution, position the seal on the bottom of your camera. That way, even if the seal is not quite tight, the water will drip off the bag, rather than into it.

· If the weather is cold enough to cause condensation when you go inside, protect your camera from this, as well. While still in the cold weather, seal your dry camera in a Zip-lock bag. Once you bring it inside, allow the camera to warm up to room temperature prior to removing it from the bag. This will keep moisture in the air from condensing on your camera – including on the inside, which is the last place in your camera you want to find moisture.

Keeping Still While Shooting – A Reader’s Question Answered

Recently a reader revealed to us that she has a natural shake in her hands, and she requested tips on how to keep a camera still enough to prevent blur. This is a constant challenge for photographers, as most people have a natural shake. Look back at your family photos; how many of them are blurry, and not because your subject moved? If you are like most of us, you have quite a few. Fear not, for there are some simple techniques that can help you improve your ability to hold the camera still and prevent blur.

· The most common solution among photographers is to use a tripod. These do not have to be expensive, or even large; there are some table-top versions that work great with smaller cameras. There are even some versions with bendable legs that allow you to secure your camera in places without flat surfaces, such as on the backs of chairs or on round rocks. Before you shell out any money for a tripod, however, be sure that your camera can be attached to one. The camera should have a spot on the bottom where a tripod can be screwed in. (Though these are the best solutions, keep in mind that even with a tripod, you are not guaranteed a clear shot, especially if you are in a windy area. To get the clearest shot, protect your camera from the wind, especially for shots using slow shutter speeds.)

· Other flat surfaces can be used, as well: tabletops, counters, etc. can provide great stability for cameras. It can be difficult to frame the shot as you want it, however, as anyone who has ever used this technique knows.

No tripod or flat surface? No problem. There are other techniques that can greatly improve the clarity of your hand-held photos.

· If your camera has adjustable controls, ensure that your shutter speed is at least 1/60 of a second. Any slower than this will likely result in camera shake when hand-held. The faster the shutter speed, the less likely there will be blur.

· Most people flare their elbows out to the side when taking a picture. This increases the instability, and therefore the shake, of your hands. Instead, hold your elbows in to the sides of your body. This may feel awkward at first, but with practice will become more natural.

· If you can, lean against something solid, such as a tree or a wall. Ensure that you are comfortable; if you are not, your body will be making many minute corrections to keep you balanced, resulting in movement and, you guessed it, blur.

· Try sitting on the ground with your feet flat and your knees up. Rest your elbows on your knees as you take the picture, keeping your entire body in tight.

· Before you take the picture, take a deep breath. Exhale, then push the shutter release. The act of breathing, believe it or not, can cause enough movement to blur a photo. Don’t hold your breath; relax and shoot in between breaths. This is another technique that may take some practice to master, but it is worth the effort – it truly works to minimize “diaphragm blur.”

With practice, these techniques will help reduce blur caused by the photographer’s natural shake. Now if we could only get our subjects to stay perfectly still for us…

January’s Fun Fact

Stuck in a blizzard and not happy about it? Consider this: the largest snowflake on record was 15 inches across and 8 inches thick! It fell in Montana in January, 1887.