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Technique3 min read

LESSON 60

Shooting in bad weather

Rain, snow and fog: keep gear dry.

IN THIS LESSON

  1. What waterproof means
  2. Reading an IP rating
  3. In practice: protecting the camera
  4. In practice: condensation and cold
  5. In practice: why go out at all

What waterproof means

Waterproofing makes an object resist water so it stays largely unaffected under stated conditions. Water-resistant and waterproof usually refer to liquid water, possibly under pressure, while damp proof refers to humidity. Camera makers use phrases like weather-sealed, which have no single meaning. A clearer measure, where a maker gives one, is the IP code, defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission in standard IEC 60529. The source says the code exists to give users more detail than vague marketing terms such as waterproof. Many cameras and lenses carry no IP rating at all, so read the maker's own wording carefully.

Reading an IP rating

An IP code has two digits. The first rates protection against solid objects such as dust; the second rates protection against water. The digit 0 means no protection, and an X means the item was not rated for that part. The source gives an example: a phone rated IP67 is dust resistant and can be immersed in one metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Water ratings above IPX6 are not cumulative, so a device rated IPX7 for immersion is not necessarily protected against water jets; both would be written IPX5/IPX7. Tests use fresh water, so salt water is not covered by the rating.

In practice: protecting the camera

This section is working practice. Even a sealed body is only as sealed as the lens on it, and many lenses are not. Use a rain cover or a plastic bag with a hole for the lens, a lens hood to keep drops off the front glass, and a microfibre cloth in a dry pocket. Change lenses and cards out of the rain, inside a bag or a car. Salt spray and sand are worse than rain; wipe the camera with a damp cloth afterward and dry it. In cold, batteries drain fast, so keep spares warm inside your jacket.

In practice: condensation and cold

Also practice. The biggest danger is often not the rain but the change of temperature. A cold camera carried into a warm room fogs inside and out. Put it in a sealed bag before you go indoors and let it warm slowly for an hour before opening the bag. In very cold weather, avoid breathing on the viewfinder or screen, which can freeze. Never put a wet camera on a radiator; let it dry at room temperature with the battery and card doors open.

In practice: why go out at all

Also practice. Bad weather is when ordinary places look extraordinary. Rain gives reflections in streets and saturated colour on leaves. Fog simplifies a scene, removes backgrounds and turns trees and people into layers of grey, which suits negative space and black and white; see lessons 30 and 71. Snow brightens everything, so add one to two stops of exposure compensation or the meter will make it grey, as lesson 59 explains. Storms bring dramatic skies and light breaking through. Check forecasts, avoid lightning and flooded areas, and put your own safety before any picture.

Try it today

  1. 01Look up whether your camera and lens have any stated sealing or IP rating.
  2. 02Pack a rain cover or a clear bag, a cloth and a spare battery.
  3. 03Go out in light rain or fog for thirty minutes and shoot reflections or layers.
  4. 04Before going indoors, seal the camera in a bag and let it warm slowly.
  5. 05In snow, compare a frame at 0 and at plus one and a half stops.