Outdoor Photography How To

Earlier this year I co-led a photo tour in the Palouse region of Washington state. I’d never been there before, but reputation alone indicated an awesome photographic destination offering vistas of rolling hills and farmland, plus all the textures, colors, and plays of light and shadow you could wish for.

Is that your shutter snapping or your teeth chattering? If cold weather is bad for your body, it’s even worse for your camera body. Moisture of any kind is a camera killer. And freezing temperatures contribute to everything from internal condensation to diminished battery performance. Herewith, then, are my seven favorite cold weather tips and accessories. 

Tyler Stableford had always been passionate about storytelling, dating back to his college days. It began with the written word but soon metamorphosed into still photography. Before long, Stableford was working as an editor on two outdoor adventure publications, first Climbing Magazine, followed by Rock and Ice Magazine, where he was also able to pursue photography combined with his passion for adventure sports, which had had a hold on him since his teen years.

Petar Sabol Sharpeye is an award-winning Croatian photographer with a wide-ranging portfolio. One of his specialties is macro photography, and he’s created some unique images using a Meyer-Optik Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 “Soap Bubble” lens.

Shutterbug reader Joshua Moore is a volunteer photographer for the National Park Service and travels to many parks. On his way to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky, Moore often visits Rogersville, Tennessee.

Drones are becoming increasingly popular among photographers because they enable us to capture images from a perspective not typically possible otherwise. We say “typically” because Polish photographer Kacper Kowalski is what you might call a “human drone” who shoots amazing images while paragliding.

Anyone who had the good fortune of traveling to New Zealand knows that it’s a spectacular place to photograph, with dramatic mountains, a stunning coastline, and beautiful landscapes in between. Locals Jo Scott and Jake Scott-Gardner spent last winter capturing some astonishing images of the night sky, as you can see below.