Dressing according to the weather when shooting outdoors may seem like an obvious thing to do, but it is easy to under-estimate how cold and/or wet it can be outside when packing for the shoot in the warmth of the house. Having appropriate clothes can definitely make a difference between an enjoyable and miserable shooting experience, but even in terms of photography itself, having an extra reserve of comfort often gives me that extra bit of patience that is necessary for waiting for the perfect shot or for trying another vantage point or focal length or exposure time.
Being able to try different types of shots or just being patient enough to wait for the perfect conditions is particularly important for night photography. The photo of the the Temple Bar at night (see above) is one of my personal favourites from my sabbatical in Ireland back in 2010. I took this long exposure shot on a very cold January night. Despite being very substantially bundled up, I waited for the lonely motionless woman to be separated from the passing crowd for such a long time, all the while experimenting with different exposure times to get the motion blur “just right”, so by the the time of this shot my fingers were in excruciating pain, and I was just about to call it a day (the knowledge that only a few steps separated me from the warmth of the pub and the comfort of a pint of Guinness was only adding to the test of my will).
Likewise, during the rowing photo shoot a few weeks ago, by the end of the rainy day, only one layer or dry clothes separated me from being quite happy with the all the action shots and probably leaving early (and likely, sick) without the best photos.
I find that the most important cold-weather clothes are:
- Shoes. I find that a good pair of hiking boots
works best for most situations.
- Gloves. Recently, I bought a pair of HEAD Digital Sport Running Gloves
, which I find excellent for photography, because they have silicone bumps on the palm side that are not too thick, but just substantial enough to really improve the grip. These gloves also work on the touchscreen of my iPhone. One note for size selection: the material is somewhat stretchable, so it’s good to err on the smaller side.
- Hat. A toque
works great for me.
- Base layer. I like a merino wool top
, because it can be worn as a turtleneck without the top layer is needed. The bottoms
are also a must for me in cold weather.
- Mid layer. I like mid layers
without pockets, because I almost always wear a shell on top.
- Jacket. I like a wind-proof shell
with pockets and a hood.
- Pants. Most often, I wear jeans or ski pants
.
Note: The links above are affiliate links – they point directly to Amazon.