Shooting in the Cold by Guest Blogger Richard Hydren

This is a guest entry by Richard Hydren. While Judith is enjoying the warmth of  Hawaii for several weeks she asked me to offer a few thoughts on winter shooting.

Going out into the cold of winter to do anything requires planning. If the objective of the adventure is taking pictures, the planning gets more complicated. In addition to all the things you have to do to keep yourself from freezing, we need to consider the problems your electronic equipment faces.

Condensation and battery life top the list of major concerns. I contacted 2 friends for their thoughts on the subject. First is Mike Hedderman, who runs the video and still photography crews at Raytheon. His team is charged with the responsibility of documenting every project that company is involved in.

Mike’s replay: “The guys said, as I'm sure you're aware, that they keep their cameras under large parkas but this sometimes causes condensation which they rid the lens of it by using a pump ball to blow ambient air onto the lens. If we do need to keep it under our parka we usually keep a plastic bag around it. When the camera is brought out into the cold it slows the adjustment period which reduces the condensation and what condensation does occur is usually attracted to the plastic bag and not the camera. We also occasionally use a cooler with the heat packs. This keeps the equipment warm and allows them to not have to walk around with pounds of equipment on their shoulder all while wrapped in a plastic bag.”

While this is great advice for the photography equipment, many us of now like to work tethered to our computers. Even in the cold! So the second expert on the subject I contacted was David Dion, owner of The Brick Computer Company in Ipswich, Mass.

David’s response: “I do not think cameras and their lenses suffer the same consequences as a laptop. The issue with laptops are slow response from LCD, potential hard drive start up issue, and condensation prematurely aging components. Cameras are much more sealed and those seals are very water proof. I think, as you mentioned, the performance of the lens and motors may be the issue with cameras and condensation build up on the lens is just an annoyance until the lens temp comes up.”

My experience with shooting in cold air comes from years of photographing ski racers. Because I would be standing out in the cold for a 2-3 hour first run, followed by a 2-3 hour second run,  the problem of condensation is all over by the time the first racer is flying down the slope. But keeping the battery going was another story.

Of course, keeping your hands warm all that time is project requiring planning and my stand by are those “tea-bag” hand warmers. These come in various sizes now. Small toe warmers with adhesive backs can fit into the tight corners, the large body warmers, also with the adhesive backing, can blanket larger areas. These products work when fresh air circulates inside the sack of herbs, which produces heat until the process uses up the active material which is when they get hard. So a breathable blanket material surrounding both the camera and the hand warmers should be used to trap the heat in.

A couple of toe warmers stuck to the inside of a sock can then be wrapped around the camera’s battery area and held in place with rubber bands. If you worry for the electric motors in your lens and keeping them running as quickly as advertised, wrap a sock with a hand or body warmer around your auto focus lens between races.

To use the computer in cold air, place it on top of a towel or some other breathable cloth with a number of body warmers under. If you have access to regular power, bring a small heating pad with you. I’ve also shot at night during snow storms with the computer tethered inside a running vehicle with the heater running at max. It’s all about thoughtful planning.

Now here is a great secret to add to your bag of money-saving tricks. When the shoot is over, place the “tea-bag” warmers into a zip-lock baggie, squeeze the air out and seal it. Recently a ski buddy was bragging that he was re-using his hand warmers from the previous day. Not to be out done, I handed him my hot hand warmer from inside my mitten and explained that it was from the previous weekend!

The usefulness of the $2.00 product is about 8 to 24 hours depending on size, but that time frame can be interrupted, extending the life over several photo sessions.

I hope you have found this helpful, please feel free to add your comments, thoughts and photos on the subject.

Richard Hydren,

Hydren Advertising and Design

Photography: hydren.com

Web Design and Development: websofwonder.com

Let's Connect!

Over the last couple of months I’ve made some exciting changes with my online presence. With the help of the Web professionals at Webs of Wonder, I have revamped my Web site, blog, and newsletter and also started a Facebook fan page. I’ve realized that if I want the world – or at least potential customers, business partners like art galleries and interior designers, fellow photographers and the public -- to know about my work than I need to advertise my accomplishments. In today’s environment, that means utilizing every effective means of electronic communications like a well-optimized Web site and social media vehicles such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

As part of my blogging schedule, I hope to reach professionals, including photographers, gallery owners and designers. We all have mutual interests and can support each other. Here are a few tips I have learned and which I will be sharing with you in several blog posts:

Let’s Exchange Links

Professionals page of my Web site

I have a Professionals section on my Web site, which I am using to list the Web sites of some of my favorite photographers, galleries, art associations, professional art organizations and other like-minded individuals and groups. If your site is not listed and is appropriate for this niche, I would be happy to exchange Web site addresses with you. I’ll link to your site and I would be very grateful if you would link to mine. By doing this, search engines like Google think your site (and mine) must be important if another site went to the trouble of linking to it. So this helps with search engine ranking and visibility. It’s like a popularity contest but with lots more depth.

As artists and photographers, we are focused on the creative process rather than promoting our work. We spend years studying, improving our techniques and developing a portfolio. But then we wonder why no one is buying our art. Is it any wonder that the term “starving artist” applies to so many in my profession? So let’s take advantage of the ways we can all help promote each other. Email me if you have any questions or want to exchange links. 

Speaking of Building Links and Roots with Your Brand
Thought you would enjoy a photograph of the largest banyan tree in the US, which is on Maui in Lahaina. With its vast intertwined roots, it shades almost an acre.

January 2011, Maui

 

Spirit of the Wok: How to Seize the Moment and Develop a Personal Project: Chapter I

I am in Hawaii on Maui for two months and decided I needed a challenge.  Like "Julie & Julia", I would learn to cook not French but Chinese-Asian food.  Ingredients are so fresh and plentiful here.  After a week of just stocking the pantry, armed with two cookbooks, and after three successful but complex meals, I'm hooked.   I will begin this first chapter of my new weekly blog, JudithMPhotography with some photography of food as a fun personal project.   Since I needed to pack light, I only brought one light-stand, one shoot through umbrella and two Nikon 900 flash as well as Ray ring flash attachment so I am limited, adding to the challenge. The condo has green walls!!   Lou Manna's guide to "Digital Food Photography" will led the way as well as reviewing the work of Theresa Raffetto.  Both of these terrific photographers were instructors at the School of Visual Arts, NYC.  I met both of these inspirational photographers while completing my masters program in digital photography.

Hopefully, this will encourage you to find a personal project that gets you excited! Follow along, even if you are not a foodie; but who isn't.  My husband is delighted in my new found passion, since he is the beneficiary of the cooking.

Some of the required implements for Chinese cooking are photographed here:

Two types of Rice

Bamboo Steamer and ladle

Wok

Wooden spoon, wok ladle, vermicelli and bamboo steamer

I think I did more shopping here than I ever have; once or twice daily.  Finally, I was able to find the bamboo steamer basket and wok ladle after searching daily.  In a Walmart.  Who would ever think!  The bamboo steamer is placed in a wok with water so that the steam is absorbed by the bamboo and the condensation does not drip back down on the vegetables, buns or dumplings.
Spices are an adventure.  Still black vinegar is illusive to me. I learned that I needed sticky rice, not long grained rice that Northerners prefer, for authentic Chinese rice.  So I have purchased short and medium grain rice and will let you know what is best. Fried Rice is best when made from left over rice.

My next challenge will be to cook a Peking Duck in the Sichuan style of tea smoked duck (smoked with tea, Cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and star anise).  Served with spring onions and tucked into steamed buns (man tou).   Will report on this next time.  Meanwhile, find your personal challenge and share it with me.

Spirit of the Wok: Chapter 2

Sake and Ginger

Sliced Ginger and Spring Onions

Tea Smoked Peking Duck (recipe from "Authentic Recipes from China" by Kenneth Law, et al) was excellent but took over 3 hours to make. First there was a sauce to make (hoisin sauce, sansho pepper, sesame and other oils), then Sichuan Pepper and Salt dip and of course, steamed buns or Man Tou.  The Duck had to be cleaned, spring onions and ginger placed inside the cavity, salted and spiced with ground Sichuan peppercorns or sansho pepper (not sure what spice this is for sure so I used Sichuan Chili pepper which looked close enough).   Sake was then poured over the duck in a deep pot and then steamed for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Next came the smoking in a dry wok for 10 minutes.  Dried loose tea leaves, bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon are placed in a wok.  When the tea leaves and spices start smoking,  the duck is added to the wok over a rack and then the wok is tightly closed.  I had no lid for my wok, so I used a pizza plan weighed down by other pots..  The aroma was wondrous.

Then the duck was roasted for one hour while I finished making the buns (Man Tou) -to be steamed in the bamboo steamer the very last minute.  Of course I had no rolling pin at the condo we  leased, so I used a well cleaned full plastic soda bottle.  Needed to improvise, but it worked just great.
Finally the duck was deep fried in a large wok over high heat for 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side).

It was Crispy but moist, served sliced in the steamed buns - split open - with the sauce drizzled over the duck and then dunked in the Sichuan Pepper and Salt dip.  Spectacular!!