Ditto!It's the cold rather than the dark that inhibits me. Normally, winter means ratcheting up the ISO and shooting anyhow. Personally, I find it hard to be depressed with a camera in my hand.
Its not quite the shorter daylight hours that reduces my being 'out there'.. its when the winter temperatures drop well below zero, and 'warm enough' gloves still make setting up somewhat 'difficult.. and breathing out while under the dark-cloth provides a 'layer' of frost on the rear surface of the ground glass.. making it a little more difficult to either 'focus' or getting the "just-right'" amount of either swings or tilts before inserting the loaded film holder 'in place' properly.
Ken
Check out Clyde Butcher who shoots Florida landscape in BW. He uses the clouds as mountains.Ditto!
All seasons offer opportunities for great photography. Live near NYC and also in hills and mountains near by. Love the changing seasons. NYC winters rather mild, but house in sticks usually 10 degrees F colder, with lots of snow. Daughter in Florida. I’ve found photography difficult. Pool table flat landscape, humid, step outside condensation immediately covers camera and lens. Offers a real challenge.
Last winter in Scandinavia was more of that drab gray.It's good so many of you are able to be productive this time of year. I've lived through hard winters in both Sweden and Finland and I really enjoyed shooting them! Frozen seas and lakes, powder snow and brilliant lights on buildings and trees. Over here my challenge is steel-grey clouds and a quite mild winter temperature with frequent light rain. Very rare to have snow or even a good frost. I long for those brilliant red and orange leaves I see in Northern America. Here the dominant colour is a sort of brown-green which even Velvia can't rescue, lots of mud, lots of damp.
I agree that I stuggle with high summer light too. It gets nice in the mornings and afternoons however. "Portra perfect" light, heh.I absolutely DETEST the summer light. It’s simply unexciting. That is why I’m very active during autumn and winter.
And there is TMZ, a wonderful film.
I was photographing in the hills around Kamloops a couple of weekends ago. Of course it decided to become unseasonably cold when I'm there... -7C but felt like -15 with the wind chill factor. I still managed to knock off a couple of large format images through frozen fingers and chattering teeth!
This reminds me, I should probably track down some of those reusable instant hot-pads to toss in the camera bag for this winter.
Usually don't get reminded of them till I'm out in the wind trying to warm my fingers up enough to adjust a dial.
Last winter in Scandinavia was more of that drab gray.
I agree, a set up which may not hold sadly this year. Specially really nice indoor social activities which made me sort of ignore winter.gråkallt!
I've always thought cause Sweden and Finland experience such horrid winters the culture is sort of set up for cosy indoor experiences.
Check out photographer gloves. There are different styles. One has the tips of your thumb and forefinger peel back so you can operate the controls.This is my first year shooting film in the winter since the early 80's (and most of that was in the Caribbean), so I've loaded up the 35mm with Kentmere 400 and the 6x6 with XP2 400 and we will see what we get. The XP2 especially should give me lots of latitude on exposure.
I have a little P&S Minolta with some APS Nexia 200 in it which I'll try and have some fun with. I think I've got four more rolls of that APS film. I'll certainly be using the digital - Olympus EM1 MkII.
I use my cycling gloves which give some warmth but enough feel to make any of my cameras usable. We're on lockdown here so I can't go far anyway.
I can buy somewhat similar gloves from the garden department of my local Dollar store for very little money.Check out photographer gloves. There are different styles. One has the tips of your thumb and forefinger peel back so you can operate the controls.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/photo-gloves/ci/26450/N/3845464596
I hate the winter. Here it doesn't get too cold, it never snows, but it can rain for weeks (yep, Rome is really sunny during the summer and spring, but we do get lots of rain too).
This year I've decided to focus on developing old films that I always have lying about and experiment in my home studio with light painting.
Piazza Navona and the Pantheon with wet pavement reflecting the light would be great subjects day or night. Color or black & white. Via Apia on a rainy day without people would be a good subject.
It has been more than 40 years since I was in Rome (in spring time), but back then the people and the surroundings were fascinating. I can't help but hope that hasn't changed.I hate the winter. Here it doesn't get too cold, it never snows, but it can rain for weeks (yep, Rome is really sunny during the summer and spring, but we do get lots of rain too).
This year I've decided to focus on developing old films that I always have lying about and experiment in my home studio with light painting.
Storms moving in and clearing are the best times to get out there. Dramatic clouds and great light occur often then.I love overcast skies, clouds, rain, fog and snow. Nothing is worse than sunshine. I grew up in a place with 9-month winters. My mom hated it. I loved it. I now live in California and I struggle with its weather as it's the most boring thing in the world. It's like always being indoors, with a ceiling perpetually painted flat-blue... 100% blue skies with no clouds... it's hard to compose as they get into every shot! I only have sunrises and sunsets available for photography, that's just maybe 90 minutes of decent light. NYC weather is vastly superior in that regard.
I think variety is good and I am always a bit spoiled in that I complain about the weather not being in the opposite season. I live now in Scandinavia but moved from Mediterranean Spain, the latter sunny as California. The weather changes with dark winters and now frequent periods of cloud cover (1h of sun in 3 weeks las December) here make one appreciate diveristy in weather. A quasi permanent cloud cover is as boring as quasi permanent sunny day weather.I love overcast skies, clouds, rain, fog and snow. Nothing is worse than sunshine. I grew up in a place with 9-month winters. My mom hated it. I loved it. I now live in California and I struggle with its weather as it's the most boring thing in the world. It's like always being indoors, with a ceiling perpetually painted flat-blue... 100% blue skies with no clouds... it's hard to compose as they get into every shot! I only have sunrises and sunsets available for photography, that's just maybe 90 minutes of decent light. NYC weather is vastly superior in that regard.
The Mediterranean does have something interesting and for some reason I get quite inspired nowadays when I visit. Lovely portrait, slide film in open shade? I like the rendition in open shade and softer lightIt has been more than 40 years since I was in Rome (in spring time), but back then the people and the surroundings were fascinating. I can't help but hope that hasn't changed.
An example of something that can be done with poor conditions, and weird light (although certainly not Rome):
View attachment 263239
Check out photographer gloves. There are different styles. One has the tips of your thumb and forefinger peel back so you can operate the controls.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/photo-gloves/ci/26450/N/3845464596
It's a common thing that happens to people who live in beautiful and famous places. I do not have a single photo of the Statue of Liberty despite living in NYC for a few years. I felt the same way, and now I regret. I should have gotten on a ferry with all the tourists and made dozens of pictures!
I am trying to fix that mistake and work on my attitude, and I am determined to have a 100 photos of the Golden Gate Bridge (where I live) despite of it being one of the most photographed bridges in the world.
It has been more than 40 years since I was in Rome (in spring time), but back then the people and the surroundings were fascinating. I can't help but hope that hasn't changed.
An example of something that can be done with poor conditions, and weird light (although certainly not Rome):
View attachment 263239
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