winter, and where do we shoot?

asp.artist · Dec 5, 2008

Its windy and rainy in Philadelphia. My ideas about what to photograph are changing. Rather than long hikes, I'm thinking quick street shots with a smaller camera, and running into a lot of coffee shops. Subway stations could be appealing. I was wondering what everyone else does with the seasonal changes.
Anne

Ian Grant · Dec 5, 2008

Over the years I've always found the winter great for getting a different feel to the areas I'm shooting landscapes in, so I go out between the rain showers or in the snow & even fog, and of course on the good winter days too..

So no I don't change my approach to suit the seasons, now I live next to the Aegean Winters a great time as it's cool, rarely cold and not that much rain, in fact better light than in the Summer.

Ian

thebanana · Dec 5, 2008

Parka, Boots, Mitts, toque (you'll have to look it up ) and maybe a small bottle of brandy. When it gets too cold, say around -20c and lower, there's always the brandy.

Around here winter is the perfect season for black and white shooting

Shmoo · Dec 5, 2008

Seasons change? Novel idea...

DWThomas · Dec 5, 2008

Having the luxury of being retired, I find it surprising how often one can get outside between bursts of bad weather. I tend to do little "projects" as opposed to continuous x many per day/week/month anyway.

Lens testing in December 2006

And film testing in February last year (on the Perkiomen Trail about 35 miles NW of Philly):
http://www.pbase.com/dw_thomas/sqroll14
http://www.pbase.com/dw_thomas/sqroll15

Actually, the first few shots on roll #14 were taken at the lower end of my backyard where I did almost fall on my butt negotiating the snow and ice to get down to the creek area. The trail was easier to navigate.

Just be a bit careful about dress -- especially footwear.

DaveT

MurrayMinchin · Dec 5, 2008

I go no matter what the weather with my hardy Wista 4x5. It can rain/drizzle where I live for weeks at a time so waiting for good weather isn't an option, besides, shouldn't a rain forest be photographed in the rain? When it gets really gnarly in the winter at -20c with 70 km/hr northerly outflow winds, you can always find a quiet spot out of the wind in the forest or the lee corner of a pocket beach. I love wild weather!

Murray

Pete H · Dec 5, 2008

Evening & night shots with the lights reflecting in the wet road/tram lines etc. Bad weather can be a great time to shoot, if you can keep the camera dry.

It was pouring when I took this.

Mike Kennedy · Dec 5, 2008

No better season to shoot B&W.I shoot tri-x when it's overcast/stormy and Ilford FP4+ when the sun shines.Keep the kit simple.I use one camera and lens,a few rolls of film and carry rechargeable hand warmers (from Lee Valley).
In an urban setting I plan my jaunts between coffee shops.

Paul Cocklin · Dec 5, 2008

Being originally from Philadelphia, I remember that that every time it would snow I would head out towards Valley Forge to do some 'winter cabin' shots. Snow covered cannons were great too. There's an old covered bridge at the NW side of the park, where rt. 23 exits. It's a left turn at the traffic light denoting the end of the actual park, then about a mile down that road (I believe it's 452?) Short walk to get set up with the snow-filling creek flowing under the bridge...

optique · Dec 5, 2008

In Houston, we have maybe two winter months where the non-evergreen trees have totally shed their leaves. I am looking forward to shooting through the tree branches up at buildings, etc. This worked well in Austin where I took photos at the State House through an old oak.

Vaughn · Dec 5, 2008

Winter is usually when I do most of my photographing under the Redwoods -- the views open up a bit with the berry leaves gone and leaves of other shrubs and small trees (maples, alders) are gone, also. Between storms there is often nice still air for those lone exposures. Plus I try to get to Yosemite for a few days in the winter. It has been awhile since I could take off for the SW for a week or so of photographing in the desert.

Vaughn

ron110n · Dec 5, 2008

Good idea! Since I'm from Southern California where you can surf with proper clothing and ski in the winter; I'll be at big bear and Lake Arrowhead this January!!!
Don't forget your ND filters and Polarizers.

Mike Kennedy · Dec 5, 2008

Winter .

Revisiting your summer locations can give a nice twist.

DWThomas · Dec 5, 2008

Paul Cocklin said:
It's a left turn at the traffic light denoting the end of the actual park, then about a mile down that road (I believe it's 452?) Short walk to get set up with the snow-filling creek flowing under the bridge...

Route 252, on the western edge of the park at Yellow Springs Road. The park has lots of candidates to point a lens at (from the "Argust 8th" activities).

DaveT

Ian Grant · Dec 5, 2008

A good challenge of your techniques is to be able to take, print and frame a diptych, one image made in the Summer on a sunny day, the other on a snowy, foggy Winter day.

Ian

Vaughn · Dec 5, 2008

ron110n said:
Good idea! Since I'm from Southern California where you can surf with proper clothing and ski in the winter...

I was just down there for Thanksgiving (San Clemente)...we spent most of the time in the ocean...I love body-surfing! The water was warm -- lower 60'sF.

Vaughn

f/stopblues · Dec 5, 2008

It's not so much the weather that gets me, but the fact that by the time I leave work during the week it is nearly, or sometimes completely dark. It's so frustrating! I covet my weekends during this season.

Paul Cocklin · Dec 5, 2008

DWThomas said:
Route 252, on the western edge of the park at Yellow Springs Road. The park has lots of candidates to point a lens at (from the "Argust 8th" activities).

DaveT

That's the one! I thought it might be 252 but it's been a few years since I've been back there. That park holds a lot of fond memories for me.

Stephanie Brim · Dec 7, 2008

I'm going to do a few still lifes, I may explore the subject of longing, and I'm possibly going to start a series of portraits of friends and family.

We'll see.

All I know is that I'll be finding as many things to shoot inside as possible. I'm not much fond of the cold.

chriscrawfordphoto · Dec 7, 2008

I photograph basically the same stuff as in summer, but I actually prefer winter and shoot a lot more. My Hasselblad has had almost 60 rolls of film through it since Fall began, while I shot about 20 rolls all summer. I like the overcast light, the fog, the snow. The harsh summer sun that shines through most of the spring and summer here in Indiana is ugly for me. I've been known to stand out in the cold for hours working, not realizing just HOW cold I am till I try to talk to someone and realize I am so frozen that I can't talk tight (mouth frozen!). I wear an old Soviet army coat and fur hat, which feels very warm, but after 5 hours in knee deep snow even that won't keep you warm!

Paul Jenkin · Dec 7, 2008

asp.artist said:
Its windy and rainy in Philadelphia. My ideas about what to photograph are changing. Rather than long hikes, I'm thinking quick street shots with a smaller camera, and running into a lot of coffee shops. Subway stations could be appealing. I was wondering what everyone else does with the seasonal changes.
Anne

Hi Anne.

It's a question many of us this side of the pond dwell upon, too, at this time of year. Don't know if you've ever been to the UK but we can have four seasons in a day - twice - if there's a heavy system blowing across from the west. Northerly and easterly air-flows tend to be more predictable - i.e. get your thermals on 'cos it's gonna be cold and probably snowy!

Apart from a few specific expeditions to places I've needed to / wanted to visit, it's easy to become a 'fair-weather' photographer. However, this year I've set myself a project to shoot a calendar of the area in which I live (East Anglia - which is a term for Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex).

By definition, it needs to be outdoors, as a shopping mall looks mostly the same any time of year - except, perhaps, Christmas. It's also a generally very flat area, so lots of big skies and cloud formations.

My biggest 'pet hate' is rain. Not because I don't like getting wet but because I don't like my kit getting wet. So, I'll be examining some waterproofing systems and buying some extra bags of silica gel to store with the camera after it's been allowed to dry for a couple of days in a warm room.

Thanks for this thread, it's sort of galvanised my resolve to get out and amongst it - come what may, weather-wise.

Paul.

chriscrawfordphoto · Dec 7, 2008

Paul,

I don't know if they sell these in the UK, but here in the USA there's a company called Optech/USA that makes a product called Rainsleeve. It is a plastic bag with elastic on one end. You put the elastic hole around the lens, near the front of it (I put it on the lens hood so the whole lens is covered) and the rest of the bag goes back over your camera and keeps it dry in the rain. They're cheap, $7 for a two pack. I think that's about 4 pounds?

Mike Kennedy · Dec 7, 2008

Canadian Rainsleeve: Take a freezer bag and cut a small opening in one end.Place camera in bag.Poke lens through hole and secure with elastic band.
Cost:0

Claire Senft · Dec 10, 2008

I have a motto that has worked for me, at least in my opinion, "The worse the weather, the more interesting the photo". Human nature being what it is I am also of the opinion that such photos will be rarer.

eclarke · Dec 11, 2008

MurrayMinchin said:
I go no matter what the weather with my hardy Wista 4x5. It can rain/drizzle where I live for weeks at a time so waiting for good weather isn't an option, besides, shouldn't a rain forest be photographed in the rain? When it gets really gnarly in the winter at -20c with 70 km/hr northerly outflow winds, you can always find a quiet spot out of the wind in the forest or the lee corner of a pocket beach. I love wild weather!

Murray

Noiw that it is winter here in Wisconsin I have been enjoing one of my favorite photo accessories, Kahtoola Micro Spikes which Murray turned the APUG community onto last year. You can go anywhere any time uinder any conditions wearing these on your feet. Thanks, Murray!!..Evan Clarke

http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.html

winter, and where do we shoot?

asp.artist

Ian Grant

thebanana

Shmoo

DWThomas

MurrayMinchin

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Pete H

Mike Kennedy

Paul Cocklin

optique

Vaughn

ron110n

Mike Kennedy

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DWThomas

Ian Grant

Vaughn

f/stopblues

Paul Cocklin

Stephanie Brim

chriscrawfordphoto

Paul Jenkin

chriscrawfordphoto

Mike Kennedy

Claire Senft

eclarke

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winter, and where do we shoot?

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