Many photographers that I know are fair weather photographers, that is, they only shoot if the weather is nice. Unfortunately, they also miss a lot of great photographic opportunities.
Macro Photography in the Rain
This shot of Dutchman’s Breaches was taken this past weekend, in the rain. It was one of only six I was able to get that day because of the rain. I was unprepared. I did not have my umbrella with me, nor my rain suit, and I had no way to protect my equipment from the water, but the rain should not have stopped me. A good quality rain suit will keep you dry, but what about your camera. If you own a small camera, it might fit in an inside pocket of the rain suit, or simply on the lanyard in the rain suit. Many people use heavy freezer bags to protect their equipment, or you can purchase purpose built waterproof bags for your camera. A small case for your camera will help keep it dry as well. I also keep a large plastic garbage bag in the pocket of my equipment bag. This gives me something to lie on to keep me out of the dirt in nice weather, but it also lets me keep my equipment bag dry in the rain.
When you are shooting in the rain, protect your lens. Once you have the rest of the camera wrapped up, you will need the end of the lens exposed to the elements in order to get your shots. Using a 1A Skylight filter on your lens will help protect the expensive front element of your lens from water spots. The 1A requires no additional exposure compensation and absorbs some UV rays to help cut haze a little.
An outside store display on a rainy day
If you are shooting in cold weather, keep spare batteries in an inside pocket of your coat to keep them warm. Cold batteries do not work as well as warm ones. When you are done shooting, place your camera in a plastic bag, removing as much of the air as possible before going in to a warm location. This will keep the warm, moist air from forming condensation on your camera; it will form on the bag instead. Leave the camera in the bag until it has come back to room temperature.
Nature photography in the cold
When the weather turns foul, there are a lot of opportunities for great photos that can easily be missed. Just remember to protect yourself and your equipment from the elements.
The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the vice-president of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.
I live near the beach in Gulfport, MS. I make many photos there, on the barrier islands, and in the backwaters. For protection from rain, salt spray, and blowing sand, I have used heavy freezer bags but find them to be clumsy. A better solution for me is the more pliable clear plastic bagthe protects my Sunday paper. This bag is large enough and long enough to accommodate my tele-zoom lens and camera (Konic-Minolta 7D). I use masking tape to seal the bag to lens hood and, with one end of the bag cut open, have access to controls as necessary. I like your idea of using skylight filters to afford further protection for the lens- In my case, blowing sand and salt spray warrant this additional precaution- Thank you!