Excel Images UK provides information about Photography, Digital Photography, Photography Equipments and Digital Cameras

Like moths to the flame, we photographers can not resist brushing off the old camera when it snows, particularly if you live in an area where you are fortunate if you get 1 or 2 days to play with a year. If your thinking about doing your first real shoot out there in frosty conditions then here are a few starter tips to keep in mind :

BATTERIES:-Cold zaps batteries, period. Confirm you have as many batteries charged up as you can before going out. If you're like me and have a battery pack you can plug into your camera that holds more batteries, then this is the time to use it. It'll forestall your power from being drained too swiftly, otherwise you will have to change them more frequently and this may be a diversion from your shots. Lithium batteries have a tendency to be most fitted to cold environments.

CONDENSATION :-This is a genuine problem for cameras and lenses. When your camera is acclimatised to the cosy heat of your living space and then dragged out into the cold to capture the virgin snow or whatever, small droplets of condensation can form within and round the camera / lens. It is the same process that you see on your windows in wintertime. It'll apply also when coming in from the cold, or any other intense change of temperature or humidity. Water ( vapor ) and electronics are 2 parts that traditionally don't have a tendency to mix well.

It could also be another risk if condensation within your camera then freezes again, as this can lead on to breaks in your gear leading it to break. So as to decrease it's affect you are going to need to delicately warm up or cool down the camera before using it / placing it away. A method to do this is to put your camera into a bag with some of the cool / warm air for it to adapt to. This way if any condensation does form, it'll form on the bag and not the camera. An alternative way is to keep it in your padded bag for some time before bringing it out into the open, or if you are in a vehicle, to switch the heat settings slowly to bring it to the specified temperature.

You can put it under your coat if you'd like to heat it up a bit when bringing it back within, but often once the camera is acclimatised you best leave it out in the open. Your body can work against you in alternative ways as you may be much hotter than the encircling environment. Your breath will contain vapor when exhaling. You could need to stop breathing to avoid fogging up your lens when you go to modify a filter or something. Even your face and eyes can mist up the view-finder, but this barely causes an internal problem. It is smart to keep a cleaning material convenient if you spot any moisture building up on your lens / filters.

FIGHTING THE COLD:-This is more about looking after yourself than your camera, as incessant actions may cause more strains when you are in the damp and cold. Ensure you bring some gloves, regardless of whether it is simply on a string for in-between shots. If it is truly cold then try wearing a thin pair of gloves under some fingerless ones, this way you will not have to take them off. Also be aware that in intense conditions any metal areas on your camera can stick to your face or fingers. A technique to get round that's putting some masking tape anywhere you may make contact, or to wear a something that protects your face like a balaclava. Ensure you wear shoes with a good grip as it is simple to forget the ground can be icy when lining up that perfect shot! Review the shots, keep your best ones and remove the rest. The above are merely a few of the systems to form an outstanding night time image. There are plenty more methods on night time digital photography to be found in books and on photography sites on the web and taking a night time digital photography course.