• 
• 
• 

Gear

Chase The Storms

Gear up for the wild weather of late summer to get some intense landscapes

Late summer provides us with awesome photo opportunities. Booming thunderstorms give us wild light and incredible skies, while strong winds twist tree limbs and towering fair-weather cumulus clouds offer dramatic subject matter. Stormy conditions change rapidly, though, and the right gear can help you deal with them.

Garmin Oregon 550t

Non-photo items include rain gear and insect repellent to keep you dry and comfortable in field conditions. A weather radio provides the latest storm updates and helps you find storms and avoid flash floods. Water (or a favorite hydrating beverage) and snacks for the trail are necessities. Bring your cell phone and let someone know where you’ll be if you’re trekking alone. And it’s always a good idea to have a portable hiker’s first-aid kit stuffed into your camera bag.

ewa-marine U-BF100

GPS
A GPS unit can help you keep track of where you are, how to get back from there when you’re done shooting (assuming you had to travel off-road, either in your vehicle or on foot) and even geotag your images with location data. A standard handheld GPS is best for navigation; there are a number of geotagging systems available for that purpose.

Kata GDC Elements Cover

Camera Protection
Summer storms mean brief, but heavy rains. It’s best to shoot from a protected area, but it doesn’t hurt to provide weather protection for your camera. All-out underwater housings aren’t needed, but relatively inexpensive items like the ewa-marine Rain Cape, OP/TECH Rain Sleeve and Kata GDC Elements Cover provide good rain protection.

Marshall V-LCD70XP-HDMI

Field Monitor
It can be difficult to see the image on a DSLR LCD monitor during Live-View operation outdoors. An external unit such as the Marshall seven-inch Portable Field Monitor provides a larger, easier-to-see image, handy for composing and manually focusing in Live-View mode.

You also can use the Hoodman HoodLoupe, which fits over the LCD monitor, cutting out the ambient glare and providing a magnifying eyepiece for easier manual focusing. Or take a cue from large-format photographers and drape a dark cloth over the camera body and yourself to help you see the monitor image better.

Add Comment