Winter is coming...

[Drew Wiley]

Yes. Film can pop (bend) or shift with temp shock. I have 8x10 adhesive holders immune to that. But allowing film to reach equilibrium with ambient temp before the shot is always important. Condensation on film can also be a risk for the same reason. Dry cold presents another category of risk: static. My holders and darkslides are coated with spray antistaticum. And sometimes I've grounded metal cameras using a short length of speaker wire having an alligator clip on one end and a big nail as a ground rod at the other end. Helpful in high desert in the winter.

[Vaughn]

At a view camera workshop back in 1985, a couple of the participants were in the computer industry. A quick pull-out of the darkslide creates quite a large static charge...I guess they got bored at work and actually tested their holders. I pull mine slowly ever since -- especially when cleaning out the holders.

[Drew Wiley]

Tech supply companies are where you get antistatic spray. It's routinely used for circuit assembly work stations. So I guess your friends weren't bored enough, or they would have thought of that in advance. It works.

[Bruce M. Herman]

My solution for dealing with frozen condensation on the ground glass was to scrape it with an old credit card.

[Drew Wiley]

One more reason to have a real groundglass and not an acrylic or acetate substitute. It's far worse when condensation gets between the GG and a Fresnel. I hate those things!

[Greg]

In the late 1970s and 1980s used to backpack an 8x10 outfit hiking usually up frozen over streams or rivers. Had my fair share of "falling through the ice" on numerous occasions. One time far away from the car and was close to getting frost bite on the hike back. Fortunately wore wool socks and wool pants. Reflections off the inside of the bellows from bright snow always a problem causing increased density near the edges of the film.

Then maybe 10 years ago, started shooting shooting 120 film with a Pentax 67 outfit. Negatives printed conventionally with an enlarger and sink full of trays. So much easier to carrying in and out. Plus many times photographed out there in the middle of a full blown blizzard.

Then started to print Platinum/Palladium exclusively from (very calibrated) digital negatives. Still shoot LF and ULF film from spring through fall. In the winter if I really, really want to shoot film, still do it with the Pentax 67 and a few lenses and just scan the negatives.

Most of the time now during the winter months, just use a Nikon D4 with 14mm-24mm, 24mm-70mm, and 80mm-200mm optics. I compose the images as though I was shooting them with my whole plate view camera. Make whole plate sized digital negatives and again print Platinum/Palladium. Biggest plus is that I now have an amazing amount of precise control over the micro-contrast of the snow, especially on a cloudy day or in the middle of a snow storm. Plus what ever the weather conditions, can still shoot images.

I turn 70 this year, and the thought of backpacking my 8x10 up a frozen gorge as I did way back when is left to having fond memories of doing the same. If I am photographing by the side of the road, don't hesitate to use my 11x14, but come the snow... soon find it pretty much impossible to park on the side of a plowed road.

[Drew Wiley]

I really prefer the rich textural quality that full 8X10 gives to snow shots, along with the precise plane of focus control, versus anything smaller. But the P67 system is certainly handy for conditions too sloppy or windy for view "kites". I've also been experimenting with a 6X9 "Texas Leica". It's compact enough to fit in the same pack as the 8X10.

[rbiemer]

Thank you all for the suggestions and advice.

Around here, it's usually humid enough that I've never seen static marks on my small format film. I have, twice, broken 35mm film while advancing because of the cold. I'm pretty sure I won't have that particular concern with 4x5! But the idea of the film popping and to give it time to acclimate is something I hadn't thought about.
This winter will also clearly demonstrate to me how urgently my shutter needs re-lubing.
The biggest difference, for me this winter, will be that I will need to be fairly intentional about making photos with my 4x5. Pretty much the point of LF anyway but in years past, because of the bigger pockets in my winter coat, I would always have a camera with me--typically a Zorki or Canon rangefinder and a collapsible 50mm. My phone has largely taken over that role, even before I started with 4x5, I had been trying to be more intentional about how and what I shot.

Note taking in the cold will be another challenge!

Thanks!
Rob

[DavidFisk]

Coffee

[Willie]

When getting ready for an exposure be sure to exercise the shutter with a few actuations before pulling the dark slide to make the exposure. Actually a good idea even in warmer weather.