Category: Techniques

Extreme Cold Weather Photography – Why

Posted on by MC2 · Leave a comment

This is the first post in a series on how to “do” nature photography in extreme cold weather. Or actually any really cold, windy, snowy, icy, etc. winter weather. This first post is about the “why”, as in why go out in what most would consider lousy winter weather to hike and take photographs. In other posts I cover how to dress and what gear I use under these conditions.

  • Why go out in sub-zero temperatures with windchill factors of -30 and below?
  • Why go out during or right after a heavy, wet snowfall?
  • Why go out during or after an ice storm?
  • Why leave the warmth and comfort of your home and possibly put your safety at risk?

To be honest, for myself part of the allure is I get a certain satisfaction from doing things which most people think are nuts. I am just wired to be contrary that way and yeah, I’m one of “those” people who is all bright and cheery when the weather is making everyone else crabby. But I do enjoy being outside in miserable weather, on my terms and when I am properly prepared for it which is an important caveat.

More to the point of this post however is that going out to experience and photograph nature in these conditions, you get to see things in person that you would otherwise miss. The photograph at the top of this post is one example. It shows Lake Michigan on a day when the temperatures were below zero degrees F, and 30 mph winds were blowing out over the lake. The cold and very dry air passing over water which was 40 degrees warmer caused steam to rise from the lake. Even though there was a strong wind blowing out onto the lake, strong convection currents just above the water were actually driving the waves and steam into the wind! It was an awesome experience just to stand there on the beach, watching the incredible dynamics at play. I also got a whole series of photographs which most people will never take, and that makes me feel some sense of satisfaction as a photographer. There are however plenty of photographers who go out in these conditions for these purposes, so my images are hardly unique. But there is a sense of accomplishment, which is a big factor that drives me to seek out these opportunities.

Here are some more photographs that illustrate why I find photography in nasty winter weather so rewarding.

This is an image taken close to where I live on the south side of Chicago. It had been a cold winter and a lot of ice had built up along the shore of Lake Michigan. On this day there were 50 mph winds coming off the lake, driving waves into the shoreline. The pounding of the waves busted up the outer parts of the ice shelf, creating a frozen icy slushy which was repeatedly slammed into the remaining solid ice. It was awesome to sit out there, safely back from the shoreline I assure you, and watch the power and spectacle of it all. It also helped me to realize just how dangerous these breaking waves can be, even to people standing well back from the water. Look closely at the center of the photo, where an incoming wave has just impacted the ice shelf. See all of those chunks of ice flying about? Well those pieces of solid ice were about as big as a cannon ball, and they were being tossed around like leaves. Some of these ice balls can end up being tossed more than 100 feet onto land. An unlucky person walking by could easily be killed by such a projectile. Just a reminder that nature is not to be taken lightly.
Another example showing Lake Michigan in sub-zero temperatures, this time during the sunrise. The dense ice shelf which had built up along the shore made the scene look like something from the Arctic. Steam is rising off the lake and the foreground is still backlit by the glow of the rising sun in the east. On the horizon you can see the effect of the warmer air rising from the lake, being held down by the colder and denser air above. Silhouetted against this backdrop is the figure of a fellow photographer who had also gotten up early to go to the lakefront to watch the sunrise in stupid-cold weather.
Another sunrise scene from the same day as the previous photograph. This time the sun has fully risen above the horizon while wisps of steam continue to float up from the lake waters. On the horizon to the right you can see steam from the US Steel Gary Works mill. I purposefully exposed this image to keep the sun from blowing out, which darkens the rest of the scene in a way that I felt captured the essence of the moment.
Here is a scene from a very different wintery day, one which was not bitterly cold. This time I went out early on the day after a heavy, wind driven wet snow storm. If you were more than a mile from the lake the snow on the ground was in no way impressive, just a couple inches. But right up against the lake the scenery was completely different. Every branch of every tree, bush and shrub was coated with an icy snowy mixture which was probably mostly melted away by late afternoon. But I managed to make it out to the Cowles Bog trail in the Indiana Dunes before anyone else that day. So other than the deer and coyote tracks, mine were the first footprints of the day along the trail going all the way out to the beach. Along the way this particular trail traverses several increasingly steep sand dune ridges. When I got to the last ridge before the lake this is what I saw in every direction. It was an incredibly beautiful scene and the heavy snow muffled all sound so it was almost completely silent. There was no wind by this time and everything was so still and peaceful. The hike, up and down the steep sand dunes, wearing heavy winter gear and carrying about 15lbs of camera gear was quite intense. But the experience was so totally worth it. As it happens, this turned out to be one of the very few times I have ever been out on these trails and not seen another person the whole time. In short, it was utterly awesome. And the experience beat the living snot out of staying home in a warm bed all morning.
Yes there are surfers on Lake Michigan. And apparently winter has the best wave action for surfing, at least that is what I am told. That in and of itself is interesting, but what made this photograph really rewarding was the fact that it was -5 degrees F with 30mph sustained winds coming off the lake! I had gone out to the West Beach area of the Indiana Dunes on this day not really knowing what to expect on such a cold and windy day. But one thing I never would have expected would be to find someone out surfing in that weather! No matter how hardcore and crazy you think you are, there is always someone else who takes the crazy to a whole new level. All I can say is those dry suits must really work. I watched this guy for about 15 minutes while he floated in the water waiting for and eventually catching a wave that he could ride all the way into the beach. Moral of the story… you just never know what you are going to see, but you are guaranteed to see nothing if you don’t go out. So go out!
Another scene on the same outing as the previous image of the surfer. Just a little ways down the beach sits the second of two big steel mills which reside next to and within the Indiana Dunes park. The steam rising from heavy industry like this in the bitter cold and dry air is simply amazing. I find it fascinating how the beauty and the incredible biodiversity of the Indiana Dunes ecosystems can coexist alongside these massive steel mills.
Winter conditions certainly produce unique and fascinating landscapes for photography. But I am still drawn to the small details as I walk the trails. This image was taken after a 40 degree overnight temperature drop. The previous day had been almost 50 degrees, then a cold front moved in and the next day was in the teens. This produces a sort of flash freeze effect which can produce some very interesting ice formations where the water is shallow and still, as is the case in the lagoons and panne’s of the Dunes in Miller Woods. Here the quick freezing of the ice created air pockets that produced lovely abstract patterns atop fallen reed stalks.
Click on this image to view it full size and examine it carefully. You will see that this area of ice is filled with frozen bubbles, some stacked one atop another in vertical columns going almost all the way to the bottom of this shallow lagoon. Some of these frozen bubbles appear to be faceted like diamonds. I later learned that this is actually a rare phenomena because the formation of these stacked bubbles requires some very specific conditions. These are not air bubbles, they are bubbles of methane gas, which is released by decaying organic material that rests on the bottom of the lagoon. If the water freezes quickly enough, from the top down, it can encapsulate the rising methane gas in bubbles. If the rate of methane rising from the bottom of the lagoon and the freezing of the water from above are just right, multiple bubbles can be frozen directly atop one another in a vertical line. You can also get bubbles trapped within larger bubbles.
Another closeup photograph, this time of elongated ice crystals which formed on the frozen surface of a pond right after the arrival of a cold front which dropped the temperatures from just above freezing down to -8 degrees F in just a few hours. The long straight crystals formed in the direction of the prevailing wind. It is not common to find such large and well defined crystals of ice.
My final photograph of this post shows that you are never alone on the trail, no matter how cold. On this day I was again the first person to set footprints into the fresh snow on the trail. But nearly the whole way out, from the trail head for over a mile to a lagoon just before the beach, I was following in the very fresh footsteps of a coyote. It had largely followed the trail, only veering away for a short distance on a couple occasions. The tracks were fresh enough that I was hopeful I would eventually be able to spot him. Sure enough, when I got to the edge of a frozen lagoon there he was. He immediately saw me, whereupon he sat down on the ice for a bit to watch me and occasionally scratch himself while I took his photograph. Eventually he got bored with me, wandered off and I never saw him again. Now for the record, I never go out onto ice in these conditions. I know a little about how to read the ice, but not enough to take any risks. Even if the ice is in an area where the water is only 6 inches deep, if you break through and fall into the water you are suddenly soaking wet, in windy sub-zero temperatures, over a mile from the trail head where you left your car and at least a half mile hike cross country to the nearest human habitation. Hypothermia is no joke, it can set in fast and it is deadly. It is just not worth the risk to go out on the ice, no matter how solid it appears to be.

Extreme Cold Weather Photography – Clothing

Posted on by MC2 · Leave a comment

I enjoy being outdoors in all sorts of weather conditions. I particularly like going out when the temperatures drop below 0ºF. Unique ice formations, steam rising from bodies of water and many other phenomena only appear in extreme cold. Here along the southern edge of Lake Michigan it is not uncommon to experience these temperatures a couple of times in a typical winter.

In this post I go over what clothing I have found to work well in these conditions. I also go over why I enjoy going out in this weather and what gear I use.

However, going out in these weather conditions is not to be taken lightly, particularly when you will be hiking through areas where you are unlikely to see more than one or two other people. If you are not properly prepared you can easily find yourself in a life threatening situation. I have spent years learning how to safely go outside for extended periods of time when temperatures are below 0ºF with wind chill factors of -30ºF, and how to do photography under these conditions. In this series of posts I will share how I do this in a manner which is both enjoyable and safe.

In this post I will use my most recent sub-zero excursion to illustrate how I dress to stay warm while out on the trail, taking photographs, for several hours.

One of the most important pieces of advice I can give is that you need to familiarize yourself with hypothermia. The second most important piece of advice I can give is to take your time learning how to be outdoors in extreme cold. It takes practice and some degree of trial and error to figure out what works best for your body given the conditions in your area. I began by going out for short walks in my neighborhood, where warm and dry conditions were always close at hand. It was not uncommon to discover that my warmest clothes were not nearly warm enough. As I learned from these experiences I slowly built up a well thought out and tested set of cold weather gear and practices, which in turn allowed me to stay out for longer periods of time under harsher conditions.

With that said, here is what I wore on my most recent photo hike to the Indiana Dunes on a day when the temperatures were -8ºF, with winds in the 20mph to 30mph range. I spent three hours on a 3.5 mile trail which passed through a variety of wetlands, dunes and ultimately took me to a beach at the very southern tip of Lake Michigan. Note, when I provide brand names it is for the purpose of allowing comparison to other brands and products. These are simply the items which I have found work for me, your mileage may vary.

From bottom to top…

Feet

  • Heavy weight Merino wool thermal socks.
  • Columbia Bugaboot III.

The main considerations here are proper thermal insulation and waterproofness, while retaining enough space to be able to comfortably wiggle the toes. I used to try layering socks with the expectation that this would lead to better insulation. However what usually happened was that the fit inside my boots was tight, and this restricted both air flow and blood circulation which led to more problems with my toes getting cold than when I stuck with one layer of socks and a roomier fit. I did purchase my boots a full 1.5 sizes larger than my normal shoe size, but ultimately width was the limiting factor. Buying even larger boots simply created too much empty space in front of the toes and interfered with my natural gait too much.

I find that the tread pattern and depth is mostly irrelevant. What is much more important is fit and the degree of waterproofness. Any moisture that works its way into the boot is going to lead to problems.

Legs

  • Wool medium weight 250 base layer. I have found that LLBean sells effective and good quality base layers.
  • Toomett fleece lined water repellent outdoor pants.

The pants are made with a wind resistant outer shell that is reasonably water repellent. By reasonably I mean I cannot kneel in a puddle of water for 5 minutes with out having some water soak through. But in sub-zero temperatures you are more concerned with wind resistance. It is simply too cold to encounter water in its liquid form, assuming that you do not foolishly walk out on to and subsequently break through ice. When it comes to cold weather pants I go for a loose, baggy fit. When hiking up and down sand dunes, and constantly squatting down to take photographs of interesting ice formations, you need room to move comfortably. You also want to trap a layer of warm air inside your outer layers and form fitting clothing does not provide this. Being out in extreme cold is not about fashion and looking good, function beats form, period. Rule of thumb, if it looks good on you it is probably inadequate for going outside.

Torso

  • Wool medium weight 250 base layer. Again, I find that LLBean products work well for me.
  • Regular T-Shirt.
  • Heavy weight Chamois shirt.
  • A full on heavy winter coat. I have a $300 parka from The North Face that has been worth every penny.

Your torso is the most important area to keep warm. This is where all of your important internal organs reside and the body regulates itself to keep them at the proper temperature. If your core body temperature starts to go down, the body will start to shut off circulation to what it considers less important parts such as hands and feet. So if your core is not warm, no combination of awesome footwear and gloves will keep your toes and fingers from going numb. Another important consideration, particularly when out hiking where you can generate significant body heat, is to avoid cotton as the layer closest to your skin. Cotton will soak up and hold sweat, holding against your body and eventually leading to heat loss. Wool does a much better job of wicking moisture away, and has the advantage of drying more quickly than cotton. Wool also retains its insulating properties when wet, unlike cotton.

Similar to my choice of pants, I go for a roomy winter coat. Even with three layers underneath, it is important to allow for airflow and freedom of movement. When dressed for extreme cold you should look like an over inflated blob. Again, if it looks good on you it is probably not practical for outdoor use. As a photographer I pay particular attention to the number and size of pockets. I like to be able to carry accessories like a pocket camera, extra batteries, candy bars, tissues, gloves and neck gaiters, etc. I also separate items into different pockets as much as possible. When I go to pull out that extra layer of gloves I don’t want to inadvertently pull out my car keys and lose them in the snow without realizing it. For this reason things like keys, money and cards all go into a separate pocket which will securely zip shut. I also use the same pocket every time I go out, that way when I am searching for something I know there is no need to even unzip that pocket to look, because the only things there are keys money and cards.

Hands

  • Alepo Cashmir lined leather gloves (~$25).
  • Heat Company Heat 3 Shell (~$170).

The hands are one of the most difficult body parts to keep warm. Particularly when you have to keep removing your gloves to operate a camera. It took me quite a while to come up with an effective solution, but what I finally settled on really works well. So well that on my most recent 3 hour excursion in sub-zero temps, my hands and fingers were comfortably warm the entire time. The key is a two part system. The Alepo brand gloves are surprisingly warm without being bulky and allowing for good manual dexterity. The combination of leather and Cashmir is very wind proof and retains heat well. The gloves are nimble enough that I can easily work all of the buttons and dials on my Nikon mirrorless camera while wearing them. Note that I do not operate the camera via the touchscreen. I have configured the programable buttons on the body of the camera in a way that allows me access to all of the settings I commonly use.

The Alepo gloves on their own are not enough when the temperatures drop in to the 20’s and below. Most of the time I simply wear an oversize pair of ordinary fingerless winter gloves over them for additional warmth, taking them off for those short periods when I am working the camera while still wearing the Alepo gloves. When the temperatures drop into the single digits and below I break out the Heat Company Heat 3 shells. Basically these are really outstanding insulating shells designed to fit over a pair of regular gloves. They are incredibly warm and were designed specifically for photographers so they have some nice features. One of the features I appreciate most is an elastic loop which fits over your wrist and attaches to the glove. Thus, when you pull the shell off to work the camera, you can just let it hang from your wrist. But features aside, I have simply never had cold fingers while wearing the gloves for hours at a time in sub-zero temperatures, the insulation is that good. They are not cheap, and I do not need to use them often. But when I do need them, they are worth the cost.

Head & Neck

  • Fleece Neck Gaiter.
  • Balaclava.
  • FRR fur lined leather bomber hat.

The Balaclava allows you to cover your entire head and face except for the eyes to ward off frost bite. The neck gaiter provides extra insulation on the neck while keeping cold air from working its way inside your jacket as you move. The bomber hat is one of those ones with the ear flaps that you can pull down to cover not just your ears, but your cheeks all the way down to the chin. I am not a big fan of fur in general, and I tried unsuccessfully to find a hat that would work in extreme cold for years before turning to this particular style. But when you plan to spend hours at a time in sub-zero temperatures and high (30mpg and up) winds, the combination of leather and fur beats anything else I could find. Simply put, my head, ears and cheeks have never gotten cold while wearing this hat.