Weather-Hazard Information

While all of the different meteorological conditions we have studied in this course can be captured and recorded with amazing photography skills, we also have to bear in mind the risks associated with these common weather patterns!

(From the Royal Meteorological SocietyLinks to an external site., retrieved Oct 24)

Here are a few types of weather hazards you may encounter on your photo-taking journeys!

Precipitation

All of the following weather conditions are common, especially for us here in Vancouver! While they can be hazardous to both the photographer and our gear, with the right preparation we can actually use these meteorological conditions to our advantage and capture stunning photography!

(Picture by Harry CunninghamLinks to an external site., retrieved Oct 22, 2021)

Some warning signs to be aware of when you're out and about to better understand when there will be increased precipitation is checking weather forecasts for obvious reports. Additionally, if there are reports for an approaching cold front and low pressure system (which results as a cold front moves through a warm front), this is a good sign that precipitation may form soon. One type of cloud to be mindful of is the nimbostratus clouds. They are a low stratiform cloud that precipitate snow and light rain. This can be a good sign that precipitation is occurring or has happened, leading to many of the concerns associated with precipitation (i.e. slippery surfaces, low temperatures, and reduced visibility).

Rain

(Scene from the Garden of WordsLinks to an external site., retrieved Oct 23, 2021)

As a Vancouverite, I love the rain! It's great for photography, but unfortunately bad for you and your gear if you are unprepared. With ample preparation, you do not need to fear this weather condition. Seize the opportunities our Raincouver has to offer!

• Slippery and wet!!
  • For the photographer: Rain can make surfaces wet and slippery. This can make you slip and trip on ground that you think you have a stable footing on. Be mindful of your environments and ensure that you have a firm footing before settling down and bringing out your gear to shoot a scene. If possible, stay on the pavement at all times. You should also check the road conditions in tandem to checking the weather conditions using the resources listed in the helpful links. Dress appropriately by wearing waterproof clothing and bring an umbrella. You should also check the road conditions in tandem to checking the weather conditions using the resources listed in the helpful links to avoid going on slippery paths or roads with bad conditions.
  • For your gear: Unfortunately many photography tools are not waterproof. If you know that it may be raining, bring the appropriate gear, such as an umbrella and other waterproof mechanisms for both you and your camera!
• Lower temperatures
  • For the photographer: Wet clothing and colder temperatures can make you lose heat really, really fast. This makes you prone to hypothermia, a condition where your body is not able to generate enough heat to counteract the cooling of your overall body temperature due to the environment. To prevent this, make sure you're wearing waterproof and warm clothing. Having multiple layers to help you trap the heat in and having dry clothes can go a long way. This is especially important when the sun goes down - the temperatures can drop drastically. Make sure to bring extra layers in case you do have to stay until it gets dark!
  • For your gear: Regardless of what device you use for photography, battery drain tends to be faster in colder temperatures. Just as we photographers need to stay warm, so does our gear. To counteract this, keep your devices in a warm place like a pouch or a bag with extra paddings. There are plenty of these for sale online!
• Reduced visibility
  • While rain can be a great setting for certain scenes (especially in the city at night with all the lights; it has an amazing aesthetic to it), too much of it can lead to reduced visibility. If you and your camera cannot see anything, then it's time to pack up and stay cozy at home! Heavy rain can lead to extremely bad visibility, so it would be best to stay home if you encounter this situation!

(Visual Guide for Types of Clouds, retrieved Nov. 10 from ImgurLinks to an external site.)

A visual signal in the sky would be cumulonimbus clouds and cumulus congestus clouds. These two clouds are associated with strong updrafts and rain with the former being associated with thunderstorms. Therefore, if you spot them in your area, it would be good to stay home for the day.

If the rain gets too heavy, it is okay to pack up and come back another time. Sometimes the rainbow that comes after the rain can be just as pretty!

Snow

(from B&H PhotoLinks to an external site., retrieved Oct 25)

It's winter time! Soft fluffy snow packing up the streets and parks form a gorgeous view for photographers. Vancouver's a winter wonderland waiting for you to be captured. But wait! Before you dive into the monochrome paradise, there are some dangers you should watch out for:

• Slips, trips, and falls

• • For the photographer: Snow can be more slippery than you expect. I can't count the number of times I have tried to take a picture in the winter, only to almost trip and hit my head on the ground. Be mindful of where you're standing to take pictures. Always have a firm footing and avoid risky shots that require you to stand somewhere without fencing or any cushioning for when you fall.
  • For your gear: Slippery footing can cause you to fall and break your photography gear, so make sure to have proper and stable footing before you zone into your next shot!
• Snow blindness
  • After staring at the white and fluffy snow for too long, you can experience eye pain often called snow blindness. While this is usually not serious and goes away after a few days, you can still make preparations to prevent the high exposure to UV light by wearing sunglasses or snow goggles.
• Lower temperatures
  • For the photographer: Make sure to wear appropriate gear, such as gloves or scarves as necessary, to prevent your extremities from freezing up. Frostbite is serious!
  • For your gear:  Whether you are using your phone or a professional camera, battery drain tends to be faster in colder temperatures too. Just as we photographers need to stay warm, so does our gear. You can counteract the fast battery drain by keeping your devices in a warm holder like a pouch or a bag with extra paddings. You can find plenty of these online!

Sunlight

(from Andrey GrinkevichLinks to an external site., retrieved October 29)

As with all outdoor activities, being mindful of the sun is always important. Without the right preparation, the sun that makes your photos look all pretty and nice can become a deadly lazer and cause lots of damage!

• Dehydration, Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke, and other Heat-Related diseases

• • As a first aider, one of the things that have been ingrained in my head is that all these heat-related diseases are really serious and lead to fatal injuries if not mindful. When we're out and about taking pictures in the sunny weather, it can be easy to forget about our own body temperatures when we're so ingrained in our picture.
  • For the photographer: Often accompanied by the nice sunshine is elevated temperatures that the human body is not used to. There are many complications that may arise due to higher temperatures. Heat exhaustion is a condition where your body is producing more heat than it can cool off, so your body is overheating and you will be sweating heavily with a rapid pulse. This condition can quickly advance into heat stroke if not managed properly, which is a fatal condition if not managed appropriately. Therefore, you should always make sure to minimize your risk by following the following steps:
    
    • Dress appropriately - minimize the number of layers you are wearing to minimize the amount of heat that is trapped. Ensure what you are wearing is also light-weight and well-ventilated to further ensure that your body is able to cool down properly.
    • Stay in the shade and wear sunscreen - nature is often your best friend when it comes to finding a cool place to rest. However, in cases where you do have to stand in the sun, make sure to apply sunscreen to all surfaces to prevent sunburn.
    • Stay hydrated and avoid sugary drinks - dehydration can quickly accelerate you into heat exhaustion. When the weather is warm, we sweat a lot. Therefore, we must ensure that we replenish the fluids that we lose by staying hydrated! You want to avoid sugary drinks as they can dehydrate you even more. The best would be energy drinks and plain old water!
    • Have a communication device with you at all times. If possible, have someone with you as well. This is so that you and your buddy can remind each other to stay hydrated, and call for medical help if necessarily.
  • For your gear: Like us, your gear can also overheat. All the tips given for the photographer can be applied to your gear as well (aside from staying hydrated!). Keep your gear stored safely in a cool and well-ventilated place if possible. Use an umbrella as necessary to create shade for your camera if needed. External batteries, cold gel packs, as well as faster memory cards are also remedies to the hazard.
  • A side note: Empirically, I have found that using a higher ISO setting would also warm up my camera a lot. Usually when you're in sunny conditions, you want to lower your ISO setting accordingly so that your picture's brightness would not be too high and that your camera would not be too warm. Additionally, longer exposure shots can also make your camera really warm. Consider putting your camera under a shade either using an umbrella or using a natural shade to prevent your camera from overheating.

Fog

(from Paul Gilmore @pueblovistaLinks to an external site., retrieved October 26)

We use relative humidity as a measure of moisture for clouds and fog. When this value reaches saturation (100%), you begin to see clouds or fog. When this value is higher than 90%, your visibility would be very bad! Check the weather forecast links in the helpful links section that would provide this information and help you determine whether or not it would be good to go for a photography trip. Usually when the RH is less than 50%, it is a good indicator of cloud free skies and good visibility! Fortunately, as time passes, fog will dissipate or rise to a higher altitude, both of which will clear up your photography site! Sometimes waiting it out can be a good option if you are severely impacted by fog.

• For the photographer: As a photographer, sight is your best friend. Having fog impact your visibility means that you likely won't see much around you. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the environment beforehand as you can easily get lost when it is foggy.
• For your gear: When temperature changes drastically, condensation can damage your gear. This will affect the photos that we take as our cameras won't be able to see anything! To prevent this from affecting both your gear and your photos, make sure to always cover and protect your gear in a safe and dry place when you are not using it.
• For your gear: Our lenses can fog up easily due to condensation as well. You do NOT want to wipe your lenses, as using any random cloth will scratch and damage your lenses. If you do want to wipe your lenses to combat the fog, make sure to use professional wipes that will not damage your expensive and intricate lenses. From personal experience, sometimes wiping your lenses can even make the fogging worse! Just like it takes us a bit of time to get used to the weather, you can bring your camera out in a cool location that is relatively dry to allow the temperature of the camera to cool down to a level that is similar enough to the environment temperature. In wet or humid places, you can do this safely by placing your gear in any sealed containers and keeping them outside. Usually 10 minutes is enough to prevent your camera from fogging up when using them. There are also other tools, such as silica bags or anti-fog sprays, but understanding the fundamentals of how condensation occurs and using that to your advantage can save you a lot of time and money on preventing fog from blurring out your pictures!
• Lastly, condensation can cause moisture to seem inside the circuitry of your camera, causing short-circuiting that may shut down your camera improperly. Water droplets can also form INSIDE your lens surface, causing mildew to form in the interior where you won't be able to clear it off. If you aren't comfortable with handling your gear under condensation, it would be recommended to store your camera away for the day and enjoy the scenery yourself!

Wind

(from WeatherNationLinks to an external site., retrieved Nov. 2)

Recently the Greater Vancouver Area has been experiencing a major low pressure storm system, which leads to really fast winds! As a photographer, many of your trips may be accompanied by these fast-moving gusts of wind that blow you away. Aside from directly affecting you, the wind may knock over trees, rocks from higher places, litter on the streets, and cause an assortment of hazards flying toward your way. This would likely both knock you and your gear over along with chances of you getting hurt from being hit by these debris! Make sure to check the weather reports ahead of time and scan for any warnings for high wind speeds. Checking the overall pressure patterns would help with this as well. Usually, low-pressure systems are associated with weather that is not the best. On the other hand, high-pressure is associated with better weather. If you have to go out during high wind speeds, make sure to stay in places that are less exposed to the winds, such as forested areas on slopes. Generally, high pressure areas also tend to have calmer winds, so those are also good conditions to go out for photography. Dress appropriately regardless of what the conditions may be.

 

Another thing to be mindful of when there are low temperatures and high winds is wind chill. The combination of both low temperatures and fast winds can make it feel even colder than the actual temperatures. This is the apparent temperature we will feel, which can be provided on many forecasting sites. Here is a handy chart from Environment Canada that helps you visualize the relationship between actual air temperature, wind speed, and wind chill:

(Screenshot of the Environment Canada Wind Chill ChartLinks to an external site., retrieved Nov. 16)

Scene-Dependent Hazards

While all of the above hazards are common throughout all photography trips, you also have to bear in mind more scene-specific hazards too. Make sure to do your own research ahead of time so that you can be well prepared for any weather conditions that are more specific to where you will be taking your photos. I will list one that is specific to when you want to go out on the mountains to take pictures!

Avalanches

If you are taking photos in the winter on the mountains, there is a chance for an avalanche to occur. They can be caused by humans or occur naturally. Avalanches can be classified into two main types - slab avalanches and loose-snow avalanches.

(from Avalanche.orgLinks to an external site., retrieved Oct. 31)

• Slab avalanches occur when a weak layer beneath layers of snow collapses, causing the snow on the surface to fracture into big blocks that are very large and destructive. These can be extremely dangerous for both you and your gear because they can knock you off of balance and end up burying you beneath very heavy snow.

(from Avalanche.orgLinks to an external site., retrieved Oct. 31)

• Loose-snow avalanches (sometimes called sluffs) form from loosely bonded snow on or near the surface. They begin at a small point and fall out. While these are less likely to bury you compared to slab avalanches, they can still knock both you and your gear off balance.

While sluffs are generally less dangerous than slab avalanches, both are still very dangerous and would be good to avoid if possible. The best way to avoid running into avalanches is to check weather and avalanche forecasts. If there is a moderate to high chance of an avalanche occurring, it may be best to save the photography trip for another day! If you do plan to go photographing even when there is a mild risk, make sure to dress appropriately as mentioned previously, have a buddy along with some means of communication if possible so that you can help each other, know your location, escape routes and meet up areas in case of emergencies.

 

Sources:

ATSC 113 Weather For Sailing, Flying and Snow Sports. 5c - Moisture Pressure-Level Maps. Retrieved October 31, 2021 from https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/atsc113/snow/met_concepts/05-met_concepts/05c-moisture-from-pressure-maps/Links to an external site..

ATSC 113 Weather For Sailing, Flying and Snow Sports. 7j - Types of Avalanches. Retrieved October 31, 2021 from https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/atsc113/snow/met_concepts/07-met_concepts/07j-types-of-avalanche/Links to an external site..