NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/440846
remember that your camera may work against you if you aren't careful. Cameras assume that anything bright white should be toned down to a nice medium gray. That's helpful when you're photographing gray subjects in bright sunlight, but pretty frustrating when you're trying to show off the brilliant whites of snow or ice. If you can, set your camera to manual exposure and "open up" your aperture a stop or two (let more light in) to compensate for your meter's hijinks. If your camera doesn't have a full manual setting, it may still allow you to adjust the exposure in one way or another. (Just be sure to figure out how to do that before you get into the field. You won't want to be fumbling around with your camera while an eagle and otter wrestle over a fish on a snow-covered frozen river!) If all else fails, try metering off of something fairly neutral toned (blue sky, tan coveralls, or brown grass) hold the shutter release button halfway down, reframe the shot, and then take the picture. There are a couple more tips to keep in mind when taking your camera for a winter hike. First, cold temperatures are hard on camera batteries. Carry an extra battery in your pocket, and when the one in your camera dies, swap it for the warmer one. Second, when you bring your camera inside after a few hours in the frosty air, keep it sealed in the camera bag until it warms up to prevent condensation from forming inside. Yes, winter weather can be frightful. On the other hand, do you really want sit on your old couch and watch re-runs of old westerns or mid-season college basketball all day? I didn't think so. There is a big beautiful natural world out there waiting for you to photograph it. Stand up, grab a thermos of your favorite hot drink, dig out your old coveralls, and get out there and shoot. You'll be glad you did. ■ JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 • NEBRASKAland 55 12/10/2009, 10:33:52 AM 2/21/2011, 2:24:14 PM 3/4/2014, 10:54:51 AM Chris Helzer is an ecologist with The Nature Conservancy in Aurora and writes The Prairie Ecologist blog. He has been a NEBRASKAland contributor since 1994.