If You Can Take It …

“Just how much weather can your gear take?” Being known for being out in the worst wx shooting (cause it can make for some of the best shots) I get asked this a lot. My answer is pretty simple, if I can take the weather my Nikons can take the weather. Here’s an example from a couple of months back, a shot of rams I’ve long wanted which meant I stood out in the “blizzard” (the snow is blowing almost horizontally). As you can see, the snow is piling up on me and the gear (keep in mind, this is not recommended!). What I don’t do in this scenario is first, blow off the snow! My warm breath will instantly turn the snow into moisture and that can cause issues. Second, I don’t wipe my gear with my hand, nothing. They don’t move from where you see them so they keep that part of the gear dry and don’t warm up some other part with snow on it. Lastly, I have an exit strategy. I leave the truck with a dry spot for myself and my gear to come back in to take care of myself and my gear. I have multiple white towels and I use them to “snap” the snow off the gear, NOT wiping it. Wiping will force moisture into crevices it shouldn’t go. Once the gear is dry which includes the felt on the inside of the shade, it is placed back in the photopack. This how I’ve operated in adverse wx forever and I’ve never had my gear go down. Just keep in mind when it comes to wx, if you can take it …