Cold Weather Area Residents: Winter Photography Plans?

[hipsterdufus]

So, this is my first winter after coming back to photography seriously. I want to continue taking pictures, but I'm not really sure what my photography plans should be this winter. I live in Michigan, which has terrible snow and really mild/bland lighting during the winter due to almost every day being overcast. Does anyone else live in this type of environment? If so, how do you photograph it? Are there any concerns about mechanical cameras in this type of weather? Should my Bessa R2 be okay? Or, should I just focus on scanning and editing and give up on creating new pictures during the winter?

Sorry for all of the questions; I'm just looking for general ideas on what other photographers do in this type of climate.

 

[Mablo]

I just wait patiently for the days when there is some light around and try to take advantage of it. Winter light can be really nice sometimes. I do quite a lot of low light photography too. Some people I know do a lot of portraits and such you can do inside with artificial lighting.

I used to shoot a lot with a Nikon FM2 during the colder months. Now I have a F100 but I'm not expecting any problems (I will carry a second set of batteries though). My rangefinders (Canon P) are made of solid metal and can sometimes become so cold I cannot keep the camera body against my cheek. I think your Bessa will be just fine. I carry my camera in a bag to adapt to the temperature and let it warm up slowly in the bag for a couple of hours when I'm back inside.

 

[rbiemer]

I spend my winters in the Adirondack mountains here in NY state and what I carry does change a little since I tend to carry a camera under my coat and that makes using longer lenses a bit of a hassle.
I don't like letting the camera cool down to outside temps because: the vf will fog up very quickly when I'm trying to focus.
And, dealing with condensation on/in the camera after an outing is not something I want to do.
I use Bessa R and R2a primarily. What I will suggest is to have extra batteries in a pocket (so they stay warm). Sometimes the cells seem like they are flat but that has been most often a symptom of the cold.
And, watch your footing; it is all too easy to slip on the snow/ice and easier if you're not paying attention--I had to get my Bessa R's rf realigned after a fall.
I also wear two gloves on each hand: a thin pair under heavier ones. When it's really cold, I can take off the heavier pair and still manipulate the camera controls with the thinner pair.
I tend to use stronger filters for BW in the winter--red or orange rather than yellow as the contrast is sometimes quite low.
The flip side of that is that when the sun is out, it can be very bright indeed, so I have ND filters as well.
This has not happened--yet!--with my Bessas, but it is possible that when the humidity is very low, you can induce static electric sparks by winding/rewinding too quickly which can leave light streaks on the film. And, I guess, if it's cold enough the film can become brittle and potentially break. So I wind on and rewind pretty gently.
Dress warm and enjoy!
Rob

 

[hipsterdufus]

Wow, this is some great advice from everyone. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this knowledge, as I'd love to be able to capture some of the beauty of Michigan during this time of year. I particularly like the idea about two sets of gloves and using red/orange filters to increase contrast on overcast days. Looking forward to trying some of these ideas out.

 

[jsrockit]

I shoot all digital in the snow and I haven't had any issues with my cameras. I either keep them inside my coat and now will keep them in a bag like others suggest. To me, winter light can be really great... and also really suck. However, just like light transforms a mundane scene into magic, snow can too.

 

[t.s.k.]

Do a web search for convertible mitten.
I love them for moderately cold conditions (>20* F)
You're on your own in subzero (F) weather. 🙂

Also do take some care with condensation.
I made the mistake of warming up in a greenhouse (I really didn't have much of a choice) on one of those subzero days.

 

[l.mar]

Nothing like a brisk winter walk through the woods to inspire creativity (wool socks help, too).

(Rolleicord III and Fortepan in D-76).

 

[Kin Lau]

My Bessa R works fine in the cold, probably better than most of my old SLRs, less moving parts, no mirror to get stuck in the up position, no instant aperture to stop down (a slow aperture is often a problem in old lenses).

It's very important to remember to hold your breath when the camera is at your eye, so that you don't fog the eyepiece.

Other than that, I find winter to be perfect for B&W since it's usually so monochrome already.