Snowy Owl Last Flight Bubo scandiacus (Harfang des neiges) Quebec @ minus 38 Celcius Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKII, 300mm F2.8 ISO 400, F5.6 1/850s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO ORDER A PRINT OR LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Since moving to Canada and discovering snow, I’ve been hooked on winter. I remember playing outside after school and weekends until my mother would have to drag me inside. I was an avid Boy Scout and used to love camping in the winter when there weren’t any mosquitoes or black flies. I remember it being so cold during one trip that I awoke to it snowing inside my tent; the moisture from my breath was freezing and falling gently onto my face; just like snow. Oh, the joy of putting frozen boots onto your feet in the morning and having to walk across the crunchy snow to pump-up the frozen Coleman stove to get some coffee, or hot chocolate.
As an adult, one of my favorite winter activities is finding, studying and photographing owls. From the open farm field where Snowy Owls rein supreme and Great Gray Owls line the forests edge, to the Boreal forest where Boreal and Saw-Whet owls spend their days motionless perched in Spruce and pine trees, I’ll be out there on the coldest of days.

Northern Hawk Owl The Grab Surnia ulula, (Chouette épervière) Northern Ontario ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com Canon EOS 1DMKII, 100-400mm @250mm ISO 400, F5.6 1/2000s Manual mode.

Unlike the old days, little precaution is required for your newer generation digital camera bodies. Today’s pro camera bodies easily handle the cold weather and recent advances in battery technology easily allow a full day of photography on one charged battery. Consumer and prosumer cameras will also work well, but you should have an extra battery, or two, tucked away in an inside pocket keeping warm. Moving between extreme cold and warm temperatures when going indoors, or out, does cause some condensation; just leave your camera in it’s bag for a couple of hours while it comes to room temperature. Although I won’t remove a lens until my camera warms to room temperature, I don’t fuss much with my professional, sealed cameras; they’ve been from warm to cold and back again thousands of times.

American Bald Eagle Strike, Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Pygargue à tête blanche) Homer, AK ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com Canon EOS 1D MKII, 100-400mm @210mm ISO 400, F8 1/250s Manual mode. It's much colder that it appears in this image, that's frozen salt water ice in the background.

Dress for success

Wintertime can be a fun and rewarding time to travel out into the field, but dressing properly is crucial to your health and comfort. As I mentioned in my recent Blog entry: It’s Raining Again – Foul Weather Nature Photography: Part I Rain, dress in layers and be sure to allow for the worst – Even if you won’t be traveling far from your car, you should dress as though you have to survive a night out alone – be prepared in the event that you wander off the beaten path and lock your keys in your car or get lost. Just imagine driving around in sub-zero weather and getting out for a quick shot of something and slipping on ice and breaking something while hardly dressed, with no coat, hat or boots.

The keys to keeping warm and dry in cold weather are synthetic fibers that wick moisture away from your body and staying far away from cotton. Start with heavy synthetic socks and long underwear as a base layer. I wear Matterhorn Convertible Pant - Men's Regular Length by Mountain Hardwear (legs zip-off, with lots of pockets) and Marmot Cargo Pant - Men's (snowboarder pants have cargo pockets and tend to be narrower than ski pants at the boot). A good fleece sweater (Marmot Radiator Fleece Jacket - Men's ) with a Canada Goose Expedition Parka usually keep me toasty warm on top. Because photographing birds in arctic conditions involves lots of time standing or laying down motionless, keeping your feet warm is essential. Many manufacturers rate their winter boots and it’s important to understand that the rating is based on a moderate amount of activity. A boot rated to minus thirty will hardly keep your toes warm if they aren’t moving at that temperature. After years of being out there in the cold, I find Sorel Men's Intrepid Explorer -100 Winter Boot makes sturdy, well-priced and very warm winter boots (they are also the footwear of choice for most arctic explorers and the Canadian Military). Keeping a grip while carrying around your expensive and heavy camera gear is crucial in icy conditions; I always have a pair of Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System - In Your Choice of Sizes to keep me and my gear safe (Yaktrax Pro Traction Cleats for Snow and Ice work well too). Keeping your fingers warm against frozen camera bodies is another challenge; I wear a thin pair of Fox gloves, into which I slip one, or two, Grabber Warmers 7+ Hour Hand Warmer (40 Pair Box) 40 pr . I wear Black Diamond Mercury Mitten - Men's (buy a size larger than normal) over the Fox gloves, and can press the shutter button with the mitts on. If I need to change a memory card or an adjustment to a small switch or button, then I remove the Mitt, keeping the gloves on at all times. If you remember that most heat loss occurs from the head and wear a good hat and your hood can help keep you out of the wind, then you'll be warm, comfortable and ready for the arctic!

As for your camera gear, you should pack rain protection in case you are blessed with wet snow, or rain. I am thrilled with my Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 70-200 Flash and my Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 300-600 V2.0.

Not quite ready for Vail Photographer Christopher Dodds out in the Canadian cold. That's me: I LOVE my Goose!