All,
We're starting to sense the onset of snow in the Cascades, and as a refugee from Texas I am a newbie to snow photography, at least with the 4x5.
My questions are mainly concerning travel, set-up, and other tips to get me out there. Any of your advice will be welcome...
Snowshoe vs. XC-Ski ?
Setting up a tripod in a snowbank when the legs will punch through?
Exposure issues?
Focusing in a hood that frosts up?
Any other tips?
- Jack
Dear Jack,
The only tip I have from personal experience is to bring along a small tarp to place between your equipment bag and the snow. I've accidentally flipped snow into mine.
Neal Wydra
Snowshoes.
Tarp.
Fashion a snow base with 3 cheap plastic trash can lids, or other frisbees, or what have you for the tripod legs.
Don't breathe. HA! (a little anti-fog spray for the ground glass.)
Snowshoes. The drawback to skis is stopping to shoot: either working skis (ugh) or taking off the skis and postholing.
I use this for my tripod in deep snow: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation
Exposure has been covered in other threads here and on other sites.
Keeping the ground glass from frosting up. Cat Crap (product made for ski goggles) and hold your breath.
All of the above and pay attention to the temperature. I usually carry some of the instant disposable had wrmers as well. I also almost always use my Reis tripod instead of my Linhofso that my fingers don't stick to the metal. Finally a pair of gloves or mittens that have the fingertips cut out.
You will find many threads on shooting in extreme cold although none tht I recall are specifically aimed at snow.
Here's some California advice, possibly irrelevant in Colorado:
1. Carbon fiber tripods are another way to go to avoid freezing yourself to the metal.
2. Though Frisbees or ski pole baskets etc. are very handy, in a pinch I have put the tripod legs directly into the (relatively dense) snow successfully.
3. Personally I generate a lot of heat fussing with LF equipment, or snowshoeing, for that matter. Except for hands/face/ears, heat is a bigger problem for me than cold. Of course your mileage will vary, but bear in mind the possibility you may not need as much clothing as you would initially guess, and layers may be preferable to one bulky jacket.
3. Snowshoes I think are preferable to skis, esp. a design in which you can walk backwards; that is the one feature I recommend holding out for. They also can be removed and used instead of two frisbees under the tripod, though you may still need one frisbee for the third leg.
4. Bring the darkest sunglasses you can find, it is way blinding out there.
5. Figure out how to meter for snow, which most definitely is NOT 50% grey...
Cross country skiis allow greater speed when going downhill but falls can be painful. I have whacked myself in the head with my own tripod more than once. I have also stepped off the skis and gone in up to my hips. I mainly use snowshoes these days but watch skiers glide by with envy.
I manage to just place the tripod legs into the snow, bringing them in closer to the center may help as they "tunnel" their way and spread out. Carbon fiber is nice to have but with gloves, standard aluminum has worked fine for me for over twenty years. A piece of ensolite foam padding is really useful for laying things out on the snow and weighs almost nothing. It is also nice to sit on when having lunch. Drink lots of fluids, it's hard work travelling in snow with a heavy 4x5 pack.
I now mostly use my Mamiya 7II in snow and when hiking steep terrain, anathema perhaps in a large format forum, but the negs are pretty good. If you can get by without tilts or shifts, it is quite a bit lighter. Maybe this year I'll go out with the 4x5!
Jack, consider coming to the Portland Photographers Forum meeting this Wednesday 9/20 at the Wilson High School teachers lounge at 7PM. You'll meet some like minded folks and probably learn something. I do every time I go.
Eric
Snow shoes vs XC skis? Depends on the snow conditions & how (and fast) far you want to travel. Without hard snow most XC skis won't support the wieght of me and my gear---better to go for the wide free heel skis like an "off piste" or even DH skis---theres a lot of pretty country accessible from lift areas.
I bought a set of off-piste $70 Swiss Army surplus skis off a surplus store on the internet last year (climbing skis & everything!)---got way-laid by a hernia operation in autumn so I'll test them out this winter (if I can stay in one piece!)
Since my 8x10 kit wieghs less than the average Swiss mortar I'm hoping it will work out for me.
You can fit ski pole baskets to the spikes on your tripod as others have suggested.
You can also simplify your llife and use a handheld like a Speed Graphic or Linhof. or Gowland aerial.
Have fun!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
As I get older I have taken to calling winter, 'darkroom season'. If I can't walk through it I stay home. Yeah, I'm a wimp.
Fogging under the dark cloth is a problem. I've attached a 4x5 piece of acrylic to my camera back with velcro dots (tip courtesy of R. Ritter). I can see through it well enough, and it collects the fog. When I'm ready to fine tune the focus, I just pull it off. It also serves as an excellent protection for the ground glass. I also hold my breath a lot, and have considered using a snorkel.
With a tripod in the snow, stamping around where the legs are going will help. I currently use wood tripods with feet - surveyor style - and can push them down nice and solid by stepping on them. Too bad they're so heavy.
There can be a lot of flare caused by light bouncing up off the snow - a lens hood helps.
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