Photography In Winter

Specifically, winter in Western Australia. Collected wisdom of half a century wondering if there was washing on the line at home... Winter in Western Australia didn't get a mention in the migrant information of the 1960's. All the promo shots and encyclopedia entries showed blazing sun on beaches and people frolicking. They frolicked with surfboards and beach balls and we all fell for the pitch; Western Australia, Land Of Sunshine And Frolic. If I had been more observant when I arrived in October, I would have noticed the extensive guttering and downpipes on every edge of every building. I found out why they were there in June. In short - rain. All day some days and all over some places. And it all keeps you inside. Or, if you are that sort of person, calls you out to run through the downpours with a camera tucked under your shirt. You can tell those sort of people - they are always on about weather proofing, water proofing, and resistance to being dropped off a jetty when it comes to considering camera gear. They do things that would have them confined in other parts of the world, and they take selfies whilst doing so. The quick answer to this, besides staying inside with a hot toddy, is to get a completely waterproof camera. Something like the old Nikonos or the newer waterproof digital adventure cameras. Then, if you have done the right thing with the silicone water seal, you can more or less bid defiance to the rain. If it is raining deeper than 15 metres either build an ark or put up a periscope and look for merchantmen. These camera can do good video as well as the stills and are surprisingly good on dry (ish) land. They are certainly acceptable tourist travel cams. The action cam is also pretty waterproof though it is generally better as a video capture device than a still camera. They're a special case in cameras - one that has become enormously popular in the last 8 years, but in a niche. For the really dedicated, there are the waterproof housings for larger and more complex cameras - with prices that reflect their sophistication and much more bulk and weight. Use them if you really have to do something in professionals style with professional cameras. If you level of achievement and water resistance is more modest, there is a great deal that can be done with simple plastic rain covers and shields for cameras. You'll not be able to withstand the tropical downpour but the light sprinkle or sudden shower will be fine. Just get your gear inside the shelter in time- no good being lazy or over-confident in your timing. Cold? Well, most cameras cope pretty well with it but many batteries do not - their performance drops dramatically when they get cold. People in arctic Canada ( and that extends south to the tropics in Colorado...) keep their batteries in their pockets and change them frequently to get the electricity out before it freezes on the contacts. And don't fall for that old trick of someone telling you to put your tongue on the contacts...