Foul Weather Photography

[Andy]

Over on the Foliage Forum, the second annual "reunion" went on today. When scheduled, and leading up to it, there was a fair amount of enthusiasm and it sounded like it would be widely attended.

As Mother Nature made her plans more firm, the enthusiasm waned. Last I read, the group had winnowed itself down to 4 or 5 participants.

In the meantime, a fair amount of conversation, hand-wringing, etc. went back and forth. It reminded me of my last "rainout" outing -- a fall foliage "workshop" in Michigan's U.P. in October, 2004. My buddy and I drove up Thursday afternoon to a beautiful, sunny day. We went to an area new to me, with plans to photograph a waterfall and a light house early the next morning. We woke to a full scale rainout. I have shots showing the water droplets on my lens as distortion on the falls. Saturday at Tahquamenon Falls, we had similar conditions. In spite of this, I was able to capture what I felt were some"keepers."

All of this has gotten me thinking: We all like to talk about our cameras, lenses, tripods, gps units, etc. But what kind of foul weather gear do you carry?

In my "trip" checklist, I have a whole section devoted to this:

- A rain Poncho (works well because it will cover so much more than just you, including the camera, tripod setup, etc.

- a wide-brimmed, waterproof hat

- rain pants

- garbage bags (large and kitchen)

- I have a rain hood designed for my zoom lens and camera body -- expensive, but good insurance

- towels!

- warm hat and gloves (I carry a pair of the fingerless type)

- waterproof, warm footwear

[Andy]

Do you have any photos to share of you wearing the "poncho" and hat?

As a matter of fact I do. You can see me in full "regalia" HERE

I "thought" about towels AFTER the first time I got me and everything soaked. There are several different covers that you can buy to cover lens/camera. Some are VERY pricey. I found one (cannot remember the brand, but next time I dig it out -- soon -- I'll try to remember to sent it to you) that was very reasonably price and worked very well.

[lirwin13]

Never mind foul weather! I find that even in good weather, a change of clothes is a necessity. I learned the hard way... even with boots, walking through a field can make for an unpleasant day if your pants, socks, etc. are soaked!

[GIC]

My My Andy,

That is an interesting way to show off your new camera Mono Pod. I like the grip. I bet the black mask cuts down on glare thru the viewfinder.

Al did have a really cool sleeve. It was more practical than my Zip Lock bag.

GIC

[Andy]

Laura: Good thought. I think I'll add that to my list. I can remember some hot, humid days, when a change of shirts was probably a good idea too! So, added to my list:

spare socks
shoes
spare shirt

[Andy]

GIC: I also find that this particular monopod helps me fend off CT's bears

I have a sleeve that covers my camera body and my 18-200 lens. It has a cutout for looking through the view finder (clear plastic material) and is made from relatively heavy duty nylon. It folds up nice and is always in my vest pocket (or could easily tuck in the bag somewhere). I am sure Al would be glad to share with us what his brand is. I would too, but I always seem to be at work when this comes up. . I'll try to remember to look this weekend.

I found mine while kicking around in a camera store in the community where my son goes to school. We don't have anything, so I always (to my wife's chagrin) make a side trip when in town for him. I don't think I paid more than about $40.

I did a little "quick and dirty" research:

There are several brands, ranging from $35 - in the $100's.

Do a Google search for Kata, Storm Jacket (looks like a particularly good one to me), AquaTech, or Tenba ( think mine might be a Tenba. I have some knowledge of the folks that own Tenba and I am biased in their favor--I think they do things right, at reasonable prices).

Well worth the price, when you consider that water could fry the expensive electronics in either body or lens.

The poncho is also a wonderful investment (and cheap). It, too, folds up small, and can be used as a ground cloth or other things when not needed for rain protection. What I like about it over a traditional raincoat is that there is plenty of room for gear under it and you can even use it to "tent" your tripod and camera setup and keep on shooting.

[ixl]

One thing I discovered over the last three days is that if the color is good, you can get good photos regardless of the weather. Of course you can't get the *same* shots in dark and wet weather as you can when it is nice, but there are opportunities at all times.

I even took a shot today in dense fog and a driving rainstorm.