Antarctic temperatures and mechanical LF parts: who wins?

**PhotographicBlack** · 14-Aug-2006, 03:46

...um... Yea, so I've belonged to this art community for 4 years now and they are awesome. I had my first show there and everything, sold good number of prints too. One of the women there writes EXCELLENT grants. Well, I was researching my favorite continent, Antarctica, the other day and noticed they had grants to go to Antarctica and do artsy fartsy things, and it came to me: I'd love to photograph the antarctic night!

I know, I know, some of you guys are probably thinking: "he doesn't even know if it's possible to go out and take pictures in 100 degrees below zero and stand around for 4 hours, but he wants to do it anyway!"

What does anyone know about extreme temperatures and LF photography?

-R

**Ole Tjugen** · 14-Aug-2006, 04:10

Big knobs on everything, so it can be handled with mitts on. Avoid metal parts, and avoid touching any metal.

Remove all lubrication from everything including shutter and tripod. Oil will get very sluggish and shutter will fail to operate if there is any trace of oil left.

Forget about focusing on the ground glass: Put your head under a dark cloth, and the GG will be covered in frost.

I would suggest the Antarctic spring instead of the night - just as cold, but at least there's some light.

And read up on Frank Hurley:
"MEN WANTED: FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS. SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON"

**Scott Knowles** · 14-Aug-2006, 06:08

Something like this?

**Ted Harris** · 14-Aug-2006, 06:38

What Ole said and .... make sure you have tried your gear with heavy mittens before you attempt to use it in the cold. More importantly, test your self and make sure that spending time in really extreme weather conditions is for you and that you are prepared for the conditions.

**cyrus** · 14-Aug-2006, 07:58

A friend who wanted to talke a medium format camera up on Mt Demavand near Tehran in the middle of winter (heavy cold snow) tested his camera by simply placing it in the freezer overnight. Next day, he tried it out. Shutter was a bit sluggish. He solved the problem by warming up the camera shutter before using it, using an improvised field hairdryer.

**jnantz** · 14-Aug-2006, 08:34

this sounds like a fun trip

instead of modern lf equipment, maybe something like a box camera. there is no focusing involved, simple lens, and they can take 4x5 film. i have one and use it from time to time ...

good luck!

**paulr** · 14-Aug-2006, 08:55

Originally Posted by Ted Harris

What Ole said and .... make sure you have tried your gear with heavy mittens before you attempt to use it in the cold. More importantly, test your self and make sure that spending time in really extreme weather conditions is for you and that you are prepared for the conditions.

well, you're not going to be able to do anything with heavy mittens on. the way climbers deal with this is to have heavy mittens on a string (usually a long cord that goes up one sleeve and down the other, to the other mitten) so you can take them off and let them dangle. then you have much lighter liner gloves underneath. you can have on nothing but the liners for several minutes, and handle metal parts to your heart's content at 40 below zero. This is assuming the rest of you is warm. When you're done fussing with equipment, you put the big boxing gloves back on.

your biggest concerns will be all the surprises with condensation and static. some of these have been mentioned. you'll also probably need to give the camera and film time to cool off in its case whenever you take it out, and then time to warm up in its case whenever you bring it in. sudden changes in temperature are the enemy. both will lead to massive condensation, frost, and all kinds of related problems--including rusted shutters and dripping wet film.

and you may need to practice removing/replacing the darkslide reeeeeeeeeallly slowly. the static charges that build up in that superdry air can be unreal.

i think you'll do best by planning for temps between 40 degrees and minus 40. if it gets to minus 100, you're probably not going to be photographing. luckily, the temperature in the sun can be warm when you're surrounded by snow and glacial ice.

**Ron Marshall** · 14-Aug-2006, 10:25

If you don't have experience with low temperatures you should do some reading.

I was winter camping in northern Canada when the screen temperature was minus 50. That was fine, we were dressed for it. But one of the days there was a stiff wind and that was brutally cold. The worst part was bathroom breaks.

You can keep the lens and lightmeter inside your coat, but should put it in a plastic bag.

Should be quite an adventure. Make sure you get very good health insurance.

**Struan Gray** · 14-Aug-2006, 11:11

All the Antarctic hands I have talked to say the wind is far more disruptive of delicate instruments than the cold. You can make a shutter work at liquid helium temperatures without too much effort, but using an LF camera in a steady 100 mph wind is a whole world of pain.

It can be done. Gerry Johansson, a Swedish photographer best known for Friedlander-like urban scenes, spent time as artist in residence with an 8x10 at the Swedish bases in Queen Maud's Land. You can see some of the images at www.xpo.se, or on his website, www.gerryjohansson.com (go to exhibitions and choose the 2003 one at Moderna Museet).

**PhotographicBlack** · 14-Aug-2006, 11:39

Originally Posted by Ole Tjugen

And read up on Frank Hurley:
"MEN WANTED: FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS. SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON"

LOL, Yea, I saw the documentary. BUT, they all came back alive, so it's all cool, maybe a bit too cool, but cool none the less.

If your wondering, I love the night. In fact I work a grave yard shift and when I'm off, I photograph in the city. The antarctic just seems like a wonderful place to photograph and the grant I was reading about said that if I'm simply here to add to the stock pile of things they'd already seen, you can forget about it. I thought I might give them the Randall touch: the night. Hey, they might eat it all up because I'm a younger guy willing to risk it all for a great photograph!

-R