Frosted Leaf or Standing out from the Crowd
Special Care is Necessary When Using Your Digital Camera in the Cold!
It’s that time of the year for many of us around the world, when the dreamy warm days of autumn slip into the bone-chilling, teeth-chattering days of winter.
But wintertime can be the best time for getting fabulous shots like the frosted leaf showing here. While there are gray days, there will also be days of brilliant blue skies, bright golden sunshine, and sparkling snow blankets, dazzled in twinkling diamonds. How can anyone resist shooting photographs under those conditions? I certainly can’t.
But along with wintry conditions comes cold, and digital cameras (and their batteries) don’t like extreme temperatures of either variety, hot or cold. So, you must take precautions when using your digital camera outdoors in the winter.
Read on . . .
1) Wear layers, including a zippered hoodie jacket or sweater. When you are scouting for a picture, put your camera inside your inner jacket or sweater, and zipper it up. Otherwise, the cold will begin to affect your camera, its battery, and result in the dreaded “digital lag.”
2) Watch for condensation forming on your camera’s lens. When you go back inside, wrap your camera in paper or a towel to keep condensation from forming on the lens, while your camera comes to room temperature.
3) If condensation does form on your lens, clear it away BEFORE going back outside, or risk having it freeze, and possibly cracking an expensive lens.
4) Carry an extra manufacturer’s battery or lithium batteries in a warm spot on your body. That way you will have fresh power if your camera’s batteries to grow weak.
5) If you are worried about your lens fogging, keep your camera in a plastic bag until you are ready to shoot.
6) If moisture is an issue, remove your camera’s battery and memory card, and then insert the camera into a plastic zippered bag, along with a few of those little silica packets you find stuffed into new purses or briefcases. Zipper the bag shut, and allow the packets to absorb the moisture.
7) Above all else, don’t let winter weather keep you from taking breath-taking photos. Just keep the above tips in mind, and you should have trouble-free shooting.
Wishing you safe and happy travels,
Sheree Zielke
Tags: cold weather camera tips, how to take care of your digital camera in cold weather, shooting photographs in the cold, using a digital camera in cold weather, using your camera in winter