Getting out in the field and taking pictures is not always a comfortable process. Sometimes it’s too hot outside and you need to drink tons of liquids to keep up (https://callofnatureblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/airshows-3/). In other situations it rains and you have to pay attention to the equipment, as not all cameras and lenses are weather sealed (https://callofnatureblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/droplets-2/). And last but not least, it might be so cold that you wish you were home with a cup of hot tea nearby (https://callofnatureblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/winter-in-alba-iulia-2/).
However one of the principles for achieving great things says one should get out of the confort zone. This is true for photography as well. No matter how harsh the weather conditions are, the main motivation should be “I don’t care, I can get great pictures so it’s definitely worth the “sacrifice”. I have to do this!”. Otherwise mentioned, do I want to get great pictures or do I just want to wait for the weather to get better so I can then go out and take some ordinary photos that say “yeah, I was there…so what”? I think the answer is obvious.
Well, this idea also made me get out of the cosy house (wherever this was) and take a walk in the frozen areas swept by the blizzard. This brought multiple challenges. On the one hand it was so cold (remember that when the wind blows the temperature can be perceived as by even 10 degrees lower) that it was really hard to focus on taking pictures or making any camera settings. You need really good gloves to be able to handle the camera and in the same time keep your hands as warm as possible (there are special types of gloves designed with photography in mind). On the other hand the visibility was pretty low, which was not helpful at all for finding subjects. Well, this is in fact double-sided, as exactly this lack of visibility can bring some very interesting effects in the photos. Last but not least, even if a subject was found I coulnd’t remain too much in that place, again due to the extreme temperature conditions. So I had to move fast, which is what I did.
To conclude, I would say I didn’t get disappointed. It was definitely worth. But even if I hadn’t got many great pictures, it would have still been worth grabbing the camera and getting out in the field. Every experience adds to the overall photography experience and makes it richer.
Enjoy the photos!
Call of Nature 