Photographing in Very Cold Countries

Photographing in an extremely cold country (Iceland in winter, Nordic countries, polar regions) raises different questions from those of simple mountain altitude : here, it’s exposure to extreme cold over several hours at a stretch that really puts the gear to the test.

Battery life, the first casualty

Cold significantly slows the chemical reactions inside a battery, sometimes cutting its life in half compared to use at room temperature. Keeping spare batteries warm, against your body under several layers of clothing, and only taking out the cold battery when you’re about to use it, keeps battery life much closer to normal.

Coming back into the warmth, the most critical moment

Bringing a frozen camera body straight into a heated room causes immediate and sometimes heavy condensation, both inside and outside the camera — the same phenomenon as in a very humid environment, but often even more sudden given the temperature gap. Letting the gear acclimatise gradually, in its closed bag for at least an hour before opening it, remains the best protection.

Handling the gear with suitable gloves

The metal of a camera body quickly becomes painful against bare skin in extreme cold, and fingers lose precision within a few minutes of exposure. Thin touchscreen-compatible gloves, worn under thicker mittens removed only while framing a shot, keep enough dexterity for settings without exposing bare skin for too long.

The screen and shutter, slower in the cold

The rear screen can become slower to refresh in extreme cold, and some mechanical shutters react differently — something to anticipate by testing your gear before a trip into extreme conditions, rather than discovering it once there. Bringing far more batteries than you’d normally need remains, regardless, the simplest and most effective precaution.