How cold is too cold

K

KenS

Popular Poster
Registered User
Joined
Aug 18, 2016
Messages
429
While abed this morning (Feb 25th) I gave some thought to humphing the Linhof and Tripod outdoors to record some 'winter snow' images. However after my first cup of coffee before heading down to load some flm holders , I decided it might be time to check the weather channel for this area (Southern Alberta) and quickly decided it might be better to 'just' climb back into bed.

There's just under 2 feet of "fine" snow accumulated over the past few days... BUT... discretion became the better part of valour when I read that the current temperature of -31°C,

Ken
 
While you never 'really' get used to it ....you just have to learn to 'live' with it.
Hving a 'central' natural gas-fired heating system has proven itself to be much 'easier' having to 'huddle' around the old (60+years ago) coal-burning fireplace of my childhood days where it was difficult to even 'see' the fire for other family bodies huddled around seeking some warmth from the meagre flames.

Ken
 
Stop complaining Ken, we are suffering our warmest winter day ever at 20.3ºC, we ate our lunch outside Saturday & Sunday. But hey the Banana Republic's President says there's no such thing as Global warming :D

My nephew won't be complaining he'll just head out of Calgary to ski and snowboard all weekend if it lasts . . . . . . . . . .

Ian
 
I think we hit that region once, and only overnight, while I was in New Mexico (-26°F as I recall), it broke my thermometer as the alcohol in it froze. This was about 9300 feet (2900 m) above sea level.
 
Ian Grant said:
Stop complaining Ken, we are suffering our warmest winter day ever at 20.3ºC, we ate our lunch outside Saturday & Sunday. But hey the Banana Republic's President says there's no such thing as Global warming :D

My nephew won't be complaining he'll just head out of Calgary to ski and snowboard all weekend if it lasts . . . . . . . . . .

Ian
Click to expand...

You're "suffering"?? while I managed to 'escape' from the UK in 'late-ish '63' I can't say I ever remember temperatures so WELL into the minus degree 'regions' but... I can remember delivering morning newspapers when coat hat and warm 'scarf and gloves' were the unwritten 'rule

It seems as if the current layer of 'white stuff' and the accompanying 'chill' will be around for quite some time to come. I would gladly welcome a +20.3°Ç temperature when the household four-legged 'gardian' (of the Weimeraner persuasion) would not then be 'hirpling/limping" back into the house when the cold white stuff gets 'up in between his paw pads'. 8-(

Ken
 
-25°C is the worst I've experienced in the UK in 1982, I had a specialist photographic company and we had to shut down due to the cold, it was -26.1°C not far north (25 miles). That's the coldest on record in England.

I used the word "suffered" tongue in cheek as we ate outside in glorious and extremely unusual warn February sunshine. My wife had just spoken to friends in Istanbul where it was snowing. Today was frosty then warmer still but we were in A&E for 6+ hours:eek:

My K9 is camouflaged in the snow when out in the woods, he's the liver spot hunting not carriage dog variation of dalmations, scents like a blood-hound. Well known to photographer friends for guarding my back-pack which he gets tied to :D

Weather and temperature is whay you get used to, I remember when living all year around in Turkey, October or November maybe even early December I'd be out in a tee-shirt, locals had coats, scarves, hats, etc, German women were topless on the beach. Northern Europeans are subject to quite wide swings in temperature and we cope with both extremes, our bodies adjust, as does our choice of clothing.

I remember Winter 1982 here in the UK, once we'd realised how to keep warm, thermal under-wear & socks etc it was fine.

Maybe a question is do people shoot in bad waether ? I've made a point of doing so over the years, different seasons and weather, rain, snow fog, plain overcast dull, cloudy, sunny tec.

Ian
 
0947h today....the sun is shining 'fit to burn your eyes out' and nary a cloud to be seen anywhere in the sky....HOWEVER I will NOT be going out there WITH or WITHOUT a camera.... it is MINUS 41°C.... with very light to NO air movement.
I'm almost tempted to go back to bed,,, and stay there.... until real 'spring' weather arrives at my front door.

Ken
 
Ian Grant said:
...the Banana Republic's President says there's no such thing as Global warming...
Click to expand...
Barnum's not a "president." He's an illegitimate, illegal occupant of the White House. History will record an asterisk between the 44th and 46th U.S. Presidents, just as there are no 13th floors in Barnum-named buildings.

A bit more on topic, here in southern California we've been 10 degrees F below average for the last two months. A direct result of anthropogenic global warming, despite Barnum's protestations to the contrary. It's good to be old and childless.
 
To avoid ignoramuses claiming that Global Warming does not exist whenever they have to tell the chauffeur to adjust their bullet-proof limo's heater, it's best to call it Climate Change. The effect is disruption of weather patterns everywhere as well as the gradual increase in average temperature that's given us the warming label. I believe that many individual states are addressing the problem more effectively.
The process by which the Top Banana gets the job seems very peculiar and complicated to me, but this is not the place.
 
David M said:
To avoid ignoramuses claiming that Global Warming does not exist whenever they have to tell the chauffeur to adjust their bullet-proof limo's heater, it's best to call it Climate Change...
Click to expand...
I disagree. Ignoramuses will continue to be such whether thinking people dumb down the terminology or not. Integrated over the globe's surface, temperature is increasing. It is global warming. Call it what it is. If ignoramuses cannot or will not learn, that's their loss. Appropriate corrective government actions won't be taken until the ignoramuses are substantially outnumbered by thinking voters anyway.
 
David,

I cannot... and WILL NOT get into any arguements/dicussions re 'global warming' This Forum is NOT the place for 'discussion and/or arguements' re Global warming.. If you do, I'm sure ... there Must be online forums (fora) whre you can continue with such discussions

Somehow, It seems to be much more difficult (for me, anyway) to 'get out there' with my camera and heavy wood tripod with temperatures 'sinking' into the 'WELL below the Zero' mark on the thermometer, at which point the GG becomes somewhat difficult to use due to condensation from your beathing 'out' whilst "huddled under the darkcloth"... I no longer have the ability to 'hold my breath for as long a period as I need to 'compose', adjust the swing/tilt etc. for BEST focus requirements to meet my 'creative needs'.


Ken
 
Ken,
Thank you, A very timely reminder. I was trying to be moderate, but I seem to have failed.
 
David... Sir, I was somewhat 'annoyed' with his 'reasoning' well outside the purpose of my original post of 'making photographs in somewhat inclement weather conditions.... but he did not (obviously) seem to get the 'point'. My response (as posted) was the result of some judicial 'editing' to keep within the realm of 'politeness'...[if you get what I mean... :cool: ]
 
Let us willingly return to manipulating cameras in extraordinary weather. At the other end of the scale, I once had to abandon the day, because life under the darkcloth in sunshine was just too hot. I should have taken the cloth with white outside, rather than the red.
I do second your idea of keeping within bounds, even with very emotive subjects.
 
KenS said:
the GG becomes somewhat difficult to use due to condensation from your beathing 'out' whilst "huddled under the darkcloth"... I no longer have the ability to 'hold my breath for as long a period as I need to 'compose', adjust the swing/tilt etc.
Click to expand...
No need to hold one's breath. Simply purchase a snorkel tube, put one end in your mouth and ensure the other is outside your dark cloth. We already look weird to the general public when using view cameras. How much worse could it be with one more piece of unusual kit? :)
 
Any sane person would agree that major global changes in weather patters are having an impact on our local climates and that impacts on our lives as well as Photography.

Who would think that here in the UK we could eat lunch outside in February for at least 6 days running and that it was the warmest February on record while parts of North America have the other extreme, or that it would be warmer and sunnier in the UK compared to the Aegean coast of Turkey.

As Photographers we deal in processes totally predicted and controllable byby pure science, that same science predicted Globall warming and we are seeing the changes even more profoundly in recent years. I echo Sal's comments and so does my wife, we both feel lucky we don't have children, or grad-children, as the future is dire.

So far we've been lucky and Rachel Carson's predictions in "Silent Spring" didn't really come true in the 70's, 80's. 90's, maybe just started in 00's, but they are really kicking in now.

Again though as photographers we need to be at the forefront of highlighting these changes, whether that's the natural disasters in New Orleans, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Florida, Alabama, California, Australia, etc, or more locally where ever we live.

Ian
 
Tying a large handkerchief round the face, like the baddie in a Western, can help with the condensation, too.

Ian,
I think your key phrase might be: "...sane person..." Perhaps we, the sane, should take this discussion elsewhere.
 
Has anyone tried the anti-fog solutions like Rain-X applied to the GG?

A cheaper option is to wipe the GG with a soapy solution.

Mike
 
David M said:
Ian,
I think your key phrase might be: "...sane person..." Perhaps we, the sane, should take this discussion elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Environmental, social and political issues have been the subject of photography for many years - they aren't a taboo subject.

One has to think of W, Eugene Smith murdered in Japan for highlighting the human damage caused by pollution, or some of Don McCullin's work, Chris Killip, John Gossage, Robert Misrach, and many many others.

One member of APUG/Photrio documented the flooding and aftermath in New Orleans, we can't hide from the changes going on around us.

Ian
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top