# what do you shoot in the winter if you don't like going out in the cold.



## dannylightning (Nov 16, 2014)

I am one of those people who does not enjoy going out in the cold so ill probably be staying inside. 

I don't see many interesting things to shoot around the house.  Ill try and get some people over to photography but most the people I know probably wont care about getting nice photos taken.

Those of you that hate the cold and want to stay in,  what do you guys usually shoot in the winter.


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## bribrius (Nov 16, 2014)

lots and lots of photos of my kids. you could get into still life too, learn product photography (which I could probably use some of myself). Get more involved in lighting setups. On the winter shooting subject, I agree it sucks going out in the cold. ON the other hand, I commented on this before as in some ways it is some of the best photography (imo) because once the foliage falls it is less obstructions in your way. Where I couldn't get that certain shot before now all the leaves are gone and now I can as they aren't IN THE WAY.  It makes the same photo taken before a totally different photo offering a new perspective. Good time for bw too. Just hard to get yourself motivated to be "out there".  The cold does suck. I am probably just typing this preparing myself to talk myself into it more than you. lol.


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## tirediron (Nov 16, 2014)

Set up a profile on MM and get a studio; endless supply of free (albeit with a high flake factor) of people who WANT to stand in front of a camera.  Most dance and fitness studios will rent you space when the facility isn't in use.


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## dannylightning (Nov 16, 2014)

I don't have much interest in product photography,   unless they want to pay me for it but I wold imagine it would be hard to land a gig like that.     I don't have any kids,  

I know it would be a good time to be out for wildlife shots due to what you have said but I just cant see my self going out when its 30o or less which has already started here,   I am sure there will be a few not so cold days and I hope those happen to be on my days off since I work nights and sleep all day during the week.


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## dannylightning (Nov 16, 2014)

What is MM ?


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## tirediron (Nov 16, 2014)

Sorry, Model Mayhem


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## dannylightning (Nov 16, 2014)

Thats pretty cool,     unfortunately all I have for backdrops are some bed sheets to hang up and not any money to spend at the moment or that would seem like a great idea.


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## Rick50 (Nov 16, 2014)

I convince the neighbor kids to come over, then I chain them up and force them to sit still while I take photographs.


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## dannylightning (Nov 16, 2014)

LOL   and what do their parents think about that.


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## pjaye (Nov 16, 2014)

The parents love it, free child care!


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## pjaye (Nov 16, 2014)

I'm one of those odd people who LOVE the cold, so I'll be outside doing photography. I went out after last years ice store and was laying under the branches covered in ice, in snow and ice taking pictures. Got some of my best shots. And no obstructions for wild life. I was doing the happy dance this morning because it FINALLY snowed here.


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## Rick50 (Nov 16, 2014)

dannylightning said:


> LOL   and what do their parents think about that.


They love it if you can get them to smile but that's the hard part. I cannot seem to get people to smile through duct tape.


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## tecboy (Nov 16, 2014)

Shooting under the rain especially at night.


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## vintagesnaps (Nov 16, 2014)

I don't that much necessarily in the winter, unless I'm going to a hockey game (which because of some phys. rehab. has me hobbling and somewhat limited but wasn't shooting that regularly anyway, just for fun). If it snows and looks scenic for a change instead of freezing rain and mud etc. I might get out to take some photos, maybe take a drive, I can do a lot from the car without actual tromping around in it. lol

I so some alternate processes and have a black box full of prints to fix so that'll be a good wintertime project. Maybe an online course? or if there's anything online related to whatever type photography interests you.  

I've been a photographer for years, there have been times I haven't done much with it because of other things going on; sometimes a break I think can actually refresh you to come back to it with some excitement or enthusiasm.


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## runnah (Nov 16, 2014)

I don't have a choice. Just bundle up and go out.


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## tecboy (Nov 16, 2014)

Let's all go skinny dipping in the frozen lake!


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## Rick50 (Nov 16, 2014)

tecboy said:


> Let's all go skinny dipping in the frozen lake!


People do this kind of crazy stuff. When I was a kid Dad had a Finnish Sauna in the basement, so we would get all steamed up and run outside and make butt prints in the snow. Of course you didn't hang around too long before it was back into the heat. Opens up the pores.


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## jsecordphoto (Nov 16, 2014)

I hate the cold, but there are some amazing opportunities for landscape and wildlife photography during the winter. I struggle through it and sometimes it pays off. Having a nice hot cup of coffee at home, processing photos that came out amazing from a cold sunrise makes it worth it.


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## Scatterbrained (Nov 16, 2014)

Still life.  Or just drive down to Fl.


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## BillM (Nov 16, 2014)

Just sit in the car and roll down the window, that's what we did yesterday. He didn't seem to mind that I was nice and warm


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## D-B-J (Nov 16, 2014)

I actually just ordered a bundle of "studio" supplies. Vellum (black and white), black acrylic, krylon clear acrylic, glycerin, etc. I plan to learn how to NAIL product shots this winter. Other than that, still life. Landscapes. All of it. My shooting doesn't really change that much in the winter... I just go out a bit less..


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## KmH (Nov 16, 2014)

dannylightning said:


> what do you shoot in the winter if you don't like going out in the cold


Incense smoke.







And then color with image editing software.

Droid





The Rose





9th Dimension





Bun In The Oven





The Arbor





Warp Speed Transition





Scheherazade





Last Tango In Paris


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## MSnowy (Nov 16, 2014)

I draw the line at -1*F for outside shooting. So I'm outside all year shooting.


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## KmH (Nov 16, 2014)

The air temperature with wind chill was -15 when I made a series of exposures (Nikon D90, AF 50 mm f/1.8D) for this sunset image.
I was dressed like a Himalaya mountain climber and was out for about 2 hours that day.


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## Gary A. (Nov 16, 2014)

To shoot and avoid the cold, I just don't drive to the mountains.


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## MSnowy (Nov 16, 2014)

Air temp 5*f windchill -17*f


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## dannylightning (Nov 16, 2014)

The smoke photos are are a good idea,     setting in the car is not a bad idea but  there are not many places around here that I know of where I could just set in the car and get good shots.    most of the places known for having allot of birds around here are state parks and you got to go walk the trails to find them, the last 3 times I went out it was getting colder and I barley saw any birds. I have never seen them near the parking lots. 

There is a hawk that comes in my yard but so far this year, today is the first time I saw it,   it swooped down to get something in my yard and than it was gone.   it used to hangout in my yard or the neighbors yards but it has not lately,   the crows always fight with it.

I am one of those people who bundle up like crazy and still cant get warm in the winter,  last year when it was super cold I wore so much stuff and still froze my butt off..


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## jsecordphoto (Nov 16, 2014)

Last winter there were a few days where it was so cold (around -15 I believe) that there was sea smoke out along the coast. I decided to stay in my nice warm bed instead of going out. A bunch of my photographer friends went out, and the photos they got have me kicking myself to this day.


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## Nevermore1 (Nov 16, 2014)

Since the cold causes my knees to act up I'm planning on spending a lot of time indoors.  I have also been trying to come up with ideas.  I've done the incense smoke but will probably mess around with it some more and try to figure out how to do water drops.  My kids haven't been particularly cooperative for sitting still lately but if I can tie'em down for a bit then I'll play with my flash (and finally try to learn how to use it).


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## Buckster (Nov 16, 2014)

I'm not very fond of cold weather either, though I spent a good part of my career years working up utility poles all year round, even when sub-zero temperatures carried by winds without anything to slow them down as they whipped across the lakes and hit me in the face were pretty much torture.  What can I say?  I did it for the money.  lol

It taught me how to really dress in effective layers though.  I couldn't climb and work up utility poles if I was a walking pillow, no matter how cold it got.  So, though I have little interest in going out in winter, when I do, I know how to dress for it and stay warm.

I've lived and worked all over the country, including many years in warm, wonderful, tropical climates, and what do I do?  I'm retired to Northern Michigan.  This was the scene here this morning:






It keeps us busy so that the roof won't cave in:






99% of my shooting is done in my studio anyway, so not much changes year-round for me.

Sometimes I brave our "Winter Wonderland" though, and get out locally to have a look around, and get a little reward of some sort:































You never know when you'll be taking some shots of water splashing up on the breakwall at the pierhead in a storm, notice what looks like a couple of seals, remember that there are no seals in Lake Michigan, look closer through the blinding snowstorm, and see a couple guys out on Lake Michigan (Little Traverse Bay, to be exact) surfing in a snow storm in sub-zero temperatures:






It was actually 13 degrees out, but then you have to calculate in the wind chill factor.  It was WAY-STUPID cold, is what it was.  Yes, many of us Northern Michigan people ARE insane.  

But mostly, I stick to portraits, products, water and milk drops, and other assorted *indoor* shooting.


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## rexbobcat (Nov 17, 2014)

I put corn out in my backyard and shoot deer out my backdoor.


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## RichieT (Nov 17, 2014)

Rick50 said:


> dannylightning said:
> 
> 
> > LOL   and what do their parents think about that.
> ...


Simple. Cut a slit in the duct tape first!!!


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## sm4him (Nov 17, 2014)

(NOTE: I haven't read most of the replies, so my response may be redundant.)

I hate the cold. I really, really hate it. If I could, I just wouldn't leave my home between December and March.

But, I am also addicted to bird photography, and some of the best, most unusual birds, can often be found during the cold weather, so I have been known to bundle up and go out looking for them. It's funny, because NOTHING else will motivate me to go out in the cold.

So what else to shoot? I like to play around with macro stuff; if you don't have any, get a set of extension tubes and play around.
Sometimes, I'll go to the dollar store and just pick five or six items I think could make some cool macro shots and go home and experiment with them.  That's how I ended up with THIS a couple of years ago:







Or play around with water drops. Smoke photography. Oil and water.

Do a "10 within 10" project--find 10 things within 10 feet of you and try to find an interesting angle to photograph them.


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## Dagwood56 (Nov 17, 2014)

I can't deal with cold weather anymore, so in the winter I shoot classic still life. If you don't have anything thing at home that will work together to make a suitable theme\scene, check out a local thrift store. You can pick up lots of neat old glassware and stuff very cheaply that you can use to create nice scenes. I'm presently working on an automotive still, but am having trouble finding an affordable and crucial item for my scene....an old metal motor oil can. I checked numerous flea markets and antique shops this past summer and was quite surprised that nobody had any. I did find some online, but they are out of my price range right now.


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## limr (Nov 17, 2014)

Meh. I like still life photography anyway, and I also like the cold, so I just don't have this problem in the winter.

I am more likely to have this problem in the summer, though. What do I do in the summer when I can't go out because being in the hot, humid weather is like being in hell for me?

As I said, I like still-life anyway so I shoot some of that. Or I am more likely to break out the Polaroid or pinhole and work on emulsion lifts or transfers, or developing the shot I took on paper in the pinhole. I find something that I haven't tried before and practice it to get better.


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## bc_steve (Nov 17, 2014)

But it's so pretty in the winter.  And you can sleep in a bit and still catch the sunrise.

Also, I've got you guys beat:


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## ronlane (Nov 17, 2014)

Rick50 said:


> I convince the neighbor kids to come over, then I chain them up and force them to sit still while I take photographs.





dannylightning said:


> LOL   and what do their parents think about that.



You clone and spot heal out the chains and no-one has any idea. The parents won't believe them because, they get photos of the kids (with no chains) and as mentioned, they get a break for a while. lol


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## 407370 (Nov 17, 2014)

Buy a cheap macro lens for your phone camera and take pictures of your lunch. I actually did this when the temp outside got above 50C in the summer.


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## dannylightning (Nov 17, 2014)

Definitely some good Ideas here,      I may get my self a mini quad copter again, one about the size of the palm of your hand or smaller,  you can get those for 30-50 bucks.,     I can fly it around in the dark and use long exposure and make cool shapes with the LED lights.       I have done this before and it looked cool but I was doing it in a room with stuff all over and the lights from the quad light up the room enough that you can see all the stuff which did not look nice,   now that I have that big black back drop I think could make that work.  

Ill go out in the cold but it all depends on how cold,   even when I put on all my winter gear I get cold and I am talking 4 or 5 layers on my upper body, a winter coat and a pair of snow pants.    I can deal with 30F and above as long as the winds is not blowing too bad. right now its about 22o F and well I don't think that will work well for me looks like a really cold winter again. 

I dont like the summer either,   I had a heat stroke or something and ever since I get sick if I am in the heat to long.   every year I seem to deal with the heat better and the last 2 summers the heat did not bother me that much.  I got all kind of issues lol.


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## imagemaker46 (Nov 17, 2014)

I hate shooting in the cold or the rain.  The cold being anything below -20 is killer on the hands, especially shooting with only one glove on.  I don't have an option though, if I have clients that want me to shoot outside, regardless of conditions, I do it  it's part of the job.  It's the glamour side of photography that people don't see, or like to deal with.

Believe me, I'd rather sit inside a  warm studio and shoot portraits all winter, not my field though.


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## Torus34 (Nov 18, 2014)

Portraits.  Doesn't matter who, or whether young or old.  With but a little shuffling of stuff around, almost any pad has a spot that's good for portraits.  Additional lighting's no problem in this digital age.  Simple window light can provide good modeling of features.

But don't settle for simple pictures.  Try to think of a portrait as 'more than just a likeness'.  How would you dress, pose and light someone so that folks who hadn't met the subject would still come away from the portrait feeling that they know something about him/her?  While it's not an easy thing to do the reward, when you get it right, is worth the effort.  Regards.  Jim


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## pgriz (Nov 18, 2014)

Cold weather is a good time to practice lighting.  You may not get lots of great shots to display, but it's part of practicing to the point that the knowledge becomes instinctual.


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## bribrius (Nov 18, 2014)

pgriz said:


> Cold weather is a good time to practice lighting.  You may not get lots of great shots to display, but* it's part of practicing to the point that the knowledge becomes instinctual*.


quoted for truth..


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## dennybeall (Nov 18, 2014)

You could always update your home inventory and take photos of everything in the house in case of a fire or something.
Cars work well for winter also. Just don't roll the window down until you're ready to shoot.
How about seeing how many reflections you can get in one picture?
Always fun to see if you can come up with something that will stump everyone in a WHAT IS THIS? photo contest.
Get some old photos from your collection or the family photo album and mix the heads or change the settings with Photoshop, the kids will laugh sometimes.
Ok, Ok I'll shut up now..................


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## dannylightning (Nov 18, 2014)

I think I will try to focus on portrates, I just hope I can get some friends to come over and work with me on this.    I know my parents will but they are hard to work with,  they do not want to do anything but stand there for the most part but either way it will be good practice if that ends up being all I can get or I can take pics of my self.   for now I do need to just focus on the lighting that I will be using since I am new to this..

*one thing that will keep you much warmer in the winter, **A good base layer shirt.. *

well it was about 11o and the windchill was something like -10o this morning when I got out of work.  I had on this Condor base II  long sleeve baselayer shirt on,  holy crap its warm. plus I was wearing a sweater and my winter coat..      by the time I walked to my car my face and hands felt like there were frozen,  my ears felt like they were gonna call off but my upper body was toasty warm.    the day before it was 22o and I was not wearing the baselayer shirt and I was pretty chilly all the way to work and on the way home.

It takes a good 15 min before my car gets warmed up enough for the heat to do anything when its this cold ( 1.4 liter engine ) and I was quite toasty warm on the way home with no heat in my car this morning because I was wearing that baselayer shirt.

I got that condor base II shirt and a underarmour baselayer 2.0 shirt last winter.   I forgot how warm those shirts were till I wore one yesterday.        the underarmour baselayer 2.0 was like 50 or 60 bucks and I think the condor base II was round 20 bucks on amazon.  one seems to be just as warm as the other,  the condor is not made as well but its very warm.   

I have wore some of the regular underarmour shits but those do not keep me warm at all but their baselayer version does.


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## TamiAz (Nov 18, 2014)

Anything food related.. However, I'm in Arizona and it's never too cold to go outside.


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## bc_steve (Nov 18, 2014)

And tuck your base layer shirt into your pants.  It helps!


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## TheFantasticG (Nov 19, 2014)

There's not much I can do in the winter months... My favorite subjects tend not to be around when it's cold outside... Subscribed.


Sent from my iPhone using Telekenisisisisis


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## Solarflare (Nov 24, 2014)

I just get enough clothing so I wont freeze.

As long as there is no wind, thats actually pretty easy.


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## JimMcClain (Nov 24, 2014)

I think I have to get outside more often in the colder months. With severe emphysema, it's very difficult to breathe in cold weather, so moving around as little as I normally do to get my pictures is even more taxing. Maybe if I go outside more often I can "acclimate" and a picture session might not be so strenuous.

Last night I ordered a field coat from Cabela's. I have some thin gloves that have a grippy latex type stuff on the fingers. Then there's hats with fold-down ear muffs. I might also check out some flannel lined pants.

This will be my first winter (and we get real winters here in the Sierra-Nevadas) as an avid photographer. Well, I made pictures year-round back in the 80s, but at that time I lived in the SF Bay Area. I abandoned photography as an art for many years and am just this year getting back into it. It's a challenge.

Jim


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## LCLimages (Nov 24, 2014)

I hate the cold.  Let me repeat.... HATE IT.  Anything under 50 F is too damn cold for me.  I can't get warm doesn't matter how many clothes I put on.  My torso might be warm but my face and hands freeze.  I like the whole winter snow queen creative portrait idea, but haven't found a model willing to do it and I'm such a pansy.  I need to force myself to go outside more, because I tend to ignore being uncomfortable when I'm behind the camera, and we can get some pretty winter landscapes around here.

My business is built on portraits, so my studio room gets a workout more in the winter.  It's a love/hate thing for me.  I have some cute backdrops and set ups for the kids I get in, but my first love is outdoors natural light portraiture.  So it makes for a long winter, waiting for spring when I can get back outside.

Shot this 7 years ago when we had a major ice storm that knocked out power, downed trees, etc.  This was a bush on the side of my house at the time.  It was one of those rare days I forced myself outside.


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## dannylightning (Nov 24, 2014)

I dont find 50o to be all that bad.   when it drops below 40o is when I start to hate it.   when it gets down in the 30's is when it starts to really suck lol.   if I am gonna be out in that I need one of those face masks that makes you look like hanibal lecter,  warm boots and a good pair of gloves haha.

I am trying to get a studio together.   my buddy is gonna let me set it up in the basement of the bar he runs,  there was a second bar in the basement at one time that is not being used now but the heat does not work well down there so i am not sure how that is going to work out.


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## LCLimages (Nov 24, 2014)

dannylightning said:


> I dont find 50o to be all that bad.   when it drops below 40o is when I start to hate it.   when it gets down in the 30's is when it starts to really suck lol.   if I am gonna be out in that I need one of those face masks that makes you look like hanibal lecter,  warm boots and a good pair of gloves haha.
> 
> I am trying to get a studio together.   my buddy is gonna let me set it up in the basement of the bar he runs,  there was a second bar in the basement at one time that is not being used now but the heat does not work well down there so i am not sure how that is going to work out.



I'll be Hannibal Lecter right along with you.  I hate hate haaaaaaaaaaate it.  I definitely need one of those ski masks, like 3 pairs of socks... so on 

It's drafty in my studio room, so it's chilly in winter and hot in the summer.  So I run a small space heater in there before clients show up in the winter, and run a fan if needed in the summer.


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## dannylightning (Nov 24, 2014)

The room I would be using there is pretty large,  I am not sure a space heater would cut it unless I set it up on a stool or something and hoped the head would reach my model. That is If I can find any models lol.   I plan to shoot for free for a while to build up my portfolio and If I am lucky make a business out of it some day.    only time will tell I guess.

I cant afford to rent a place all the time yet so Ill have to try and make this work.


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## RichieT (Nov 24, 2014)

JimMcClain said:


> I think I have to get outside more often in the colder months. With severe emphysema, it's very difficult to breathe in cold weather, so moving around as little as I normally do to get my pictures is even more taxing. Maybe if I go outside more often I can "acclimate" and a picture session might not be so strenuous.
> 
> Last night I ordered a field coat from Cabela's. I have some thin gloves that have a grippy latex type stuff on the fingers. Then there's hats with fold-down ear muffs. I might also check out some flannel lined pants.
> 
> ...


I swear by either thermax or a thermax/wool blend baselayer in winter. I used to work outside all winter, plus I spend a lot of time in the woods, camping with the Scouts and other outdoor activities and found the thermax base to be a life saver. Also wool socks and a thin thermax liner underneath. The thermax wicks the moisture off your skin which is a big cause of people feeling cold. People tend to overdress and sweat under their clothes which sucks the heat out of you. You need thin gloves to work the camera, but bring a heavier pair or mittens to keep your hands warm when you're not shooting. If it's really cold I have a pair of mittens that have a thin glove liner. You flip the mitten part back to expose your fingers in the glove. It also has a pocket for hand warmers if you need them.


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## minicoop1985 (Nov 24, 2014)

What do I shoot? Boring old product shots, studio crap, etc.


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## qleak (Nov 24, 2014)

dannylightning said:


> I dont find 50o to be all that bad.   when it drops below 40o is when I start to hate it.   when it gets down in the 30's is when it starts to really suck lol.



Around where I live the 30's are pretty nice in the winter. Probably the worst day this year had a high of about -15F, strong winds to along with several feet of snow and drifting. 

I had to walk 1/4 mile to take care of my landlords animals. They were in Cancun and I had a big drift in my driveway. I took my d7100 with 18-105mm VR II. It was cold enough that the autofocus on the lens wouldn't work after a while thankfully the manual focus still worked


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## Llamapants (Nov 24, 2014)

I work downtown Calgary and there is usually some interesting things to take pictures of in the walkways. Right now Christmas decorations are starting to pop up so I am taking pictures of those.


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## JimMcClain (Nov 24, 2014)

All this talk about keeping our bodies warm... what about our camera bodies and lenses? How do we keep them from harm? Condensation collecting on the inside of a camera or lens could be disastrous.


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## qleak (Nov 24, 2014)

JimMcClain said:


> All this talk about keeping our bodies warm... what about our camera bodies and lenses? How do we keep them from harm? Condensation collecting on the inside of a camera or lens could be disastrous.



Water vapor gets stuck to cold objects and is repelled from warm objects ( same principle as your defrost setting in your car: it works better if it's warm).

So going out into the cold is not a huge problem in terms of condensation (there's not much water vapor in your camera ). However coming in from the cold can be problematic.

Usually it's best to put your camera in a camera bag before going into a warm environment and let it warm up in the bag. This restricts the amount of moisture in the ambient environment that can be drawn to it. A dry safe would also work, but unless you keep it at your door I'd still bag it first.


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## JacaRanda (Nov 24, 2014)

What's Winter? 

I really want to get some frost shots on a golf course.


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## limr (Nov 24, 2014)

Took this last winter. I think it was about 14F that day. With a breeze off the river.



Tree and bench resized by limrodrigues, on Flickr

I like that a lot of people don't like the cold. That means no crowds when I want to go shooting


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## petrochemist (Nov 25, 2014)

I shoot from the car quite often, the viewpoints are a lot more limited, but in winter I don't have the time during daylight to trek off anyway.

There are of course quite a collection of indoor topics I have listed to try/redo too. These include standard still life & macro shots, and a collection of more unusual subjects such as: smoke (from a candle or jostick) water splashes, diffusion in liquids (eg. milk or paint in water), refractography...

If I'm not in the mood for any of that theres always a few thousand shots on the PC awaiting processing


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## Umberrella (Nov 28, 2014)

Go over your archive. You'll find great shots from back then, that you could improve immensely with your editting skills of today. Or get inspired for a new portfolio site maybe. I love to do some product photography that's challenging with lights. 
Or simply find super warm clothes and go out anyway.


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## sleist (Nov 28, 2014)

I shoot people I don't like.
Then I take their picture.

Is that cold?


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## EIngerson (Nov 28, 2014)

Model Mayhem has a large pool to choose from, but like tirediron said. Flaky models make up the majority of their population.

Don't worry about a back drop if you do a shoot at your house. Make up themes that fit the scene you're shooting. Be creative and have fun.


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