Tips for shooting in extreme weather conditions

Typically, photography is harder at extreme temperatures. Snow, frost and ice all make for spectacular winter scenes, but most cameras are designed to operate only above 0°C/32°F. Similarly, extremely hot environments can cause cameras to overheat, while sandy locations increase the risk of non-sealed equipment getting damaged.

Many Canon cameras have weather-sealing and can function in surprisingly severe conditions, but you must also consider the human element. Photographing in extreme environments can be as tough on you as it is on your gear.

Obviously then, you'll need to be careful when shooting in extreme temperatures, making sure you check weather forecasts before you set out and packing the appropriate clothing and outdoor photography gear. However, it also pays to have a few practical photography tips at hand to help things go as smoothly as possible. Here are our top tips for shooting in very cold and hot conditions.

Shivering hands can cause camera shake and lead to blurry shots. Make sure you pack a thick pair of waterproof gloves and hand warmers to heat your hands back up after you've been out in the cold for a while.

While gloves are important for shooting photography in cold weather, they can make it harder to press camera buttons. A Canon lens with an assignable control ring, such as the RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM, RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM or RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM, will often be easier to operate while wearing gloves. Canon cameras with a joystick controller, such as the Canon EOS R10, could also be helpful if gloves make it difficult to use the touchscreen to move your AF point.

If you're an avid winter photographer, sports photographer and Canon Ambassador Richard Walch recommends investing in climbing gloves, which enable you to expose your fingertips to shoot, but protect your hands between shots.

Canon EOS R System cameras, such as the EOS R6, EOS R6 Mark II and EOS R7 have weather-sealing, and won't have an issue shooting in the rain, but check before you go out in a downpour. If any droplets do make it onto the lens, wipe them off with a clean microfibre cloth or lens wipe. You can also buy protective filters for your lenses, which are very useful in extreme conditions. It's advisable to avoid changing lenses in heavy rain or snowstorms, as you could risk damaging your equipment.

If you're using your camera outside and you haven't turned the focus ring manually or used the autofocus for a while, your lens focus and zoom rings may 'freeze'. To prevent this, ensure your camera is wrapped up and in a good quality bag when you are not using it, or cover it up if shooting in snowfall. Alternatively, you can turn the focus and zoom ring using the AF motor, or do it manually.

Your batteries will drain faster than normal in cold weather, so either keep your camera and batteries in your bag, to protect them from the conditions, or in an internal pocket where your body heat will keep them warm. Also, remember to pack twice as many batteries as usual.

Bringing your camera in from the cold to a warm environment will cause condensation which can damage your equipment. "When you go for lunch, either you or the backpack will stay outside," advises Richard. "If you go from cold to warm and try to check your images, it's game over. Your camera will fog up, your lens will fog up and you risk damaging your camera. You need to keep your camera in one temperature zone." Place your kitbag somewhere slightly cooler, like a porch, to allow your gear to come up to temperature gradually.

If you have to move directly from one environment to another, you could try wrapping a plastic bag around your gear for a few minutes, so that the temperature change is not as dramatic.

Capturing a steady shot won't be easy if you are shaking from the cold. A lightweight and portable tripod will help stabilise your camera so you can shoot with confidence. Just remember not to touch the tripod with your bare hands if you're in sub-zero conditions, as you may 'burn' your skin. Stamp on any snow-covered ground to create an even, compact surface before setting up.

You can also use the Canon Camera Connect app on your smartphone to release the shutter remotely and wirelessly, which means you won't need to touch the camera at all. You can adjust focus via the app and also use it to geotag your images, so you'll never forget where you were when you captured that stand-out shot.

Staying out of direct sunlight will also prevent your gear overheating, especially when shooting video. Cameras can't function when they get too hot, so you won't be able to continue when yours overheats, and might miss shots while you wait for it to cool down.

If you're shooting in sandy environments, such as the beach or a desert, you need to protect your gear from grains of sand. The solution is to invest in a camera with weather sealing, such as the Canon EOS R7, which is moisture - and dust - resistant. The EOS R7 also benefits from shutter protection, which helps to prevent dust from entering the sensor. Lenses are also vulnerable. Pair your weather-sealed camera with a similarly protected lens such as the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM, which features rubber seals that will prevent sand damaging internal optics.

Even if it isn't scorching hot, your gear could still be affected by humidity, which can lead to moisture infiltrating and damaging your equipment. Again, moisture-resistant weather-sealed gear will prevent this, but there are other steps you can take. Use a waterproof kitbag, and place some silica gel sachets inside to collect any moisture that gets in. Make sure you keep your kitbag in a dry environment – perhaps a room with a dehumidifier if possible.

If you are dealing with extreme heat, you could store an ice pack in your kitbag to help keep things cool. Ensure this is wrapped appropriately, though, to stop moisture damaging your gear as the ice pack thaws.

The colour of your gear plays a part too. Some Canon lenses, such as the RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM, have a white coating to keep the inside of the lens cool in hot temperatures. The Canon EOS R50 is also available in white, which should help it stay cooler for longer than a black camera in sunlight. Additionally, L-series RF lenses such as the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM have a heat shield coating which prevents the lens barrel from overheating under the intense sun.

Bright sunlight can easily lead to overexposed shots. Be careful when shooting that you don't blow out highlights – when this happens, data is lost and unrecoverable, meaning you won't be able to fix the overexposure in post-production.

Use your camera's histogram or zebra pattern feature to monitor highlight peaking on the screen or via the EVF, underexposing your shot if necessary. As long as you don't blow out highlights, you should be able to recover a shot that's slightly too bright by reducing highlights and whites in editing software, such as Canon's Digital Photo Professional.

For more tips and techniques on photographing in challenging conditions, take a look at our article on shooting in extreme landscapes*.



Written by Peter Wolinski



* Available in selected languages only.