Recommended footwear for winter photography

[erotavlas]

Say you are going to go to a national park or some other wilderness in the winter that has lots of snow. (i.e. areas with some walkable trails but mostly just snow) Maybe it's a ski trip (cross country or down hill) or maybe your doing dog sledding, or snow shoeing.

Do you guys take the camera with you on whatever foot wear you are wearing. Like say you are doing cross country skiing, do you pack the camera with you? Or if you specifically have photography in mind do you ditch the skis for that day and put on a pair of snow shoes instead. Or just winter boots with gators?

 

[Designer]

I've carried my camera in a backpack while skiing. Stop and grab a shot, go again. Also bought a video camera mainly for shooting skiing.

If I was planning a walk, I would wear whatever footwear was required. If snowshoes, then snowshoes.

Is that what you are asking about?

 

[PropilotBW]

You could buy a GoPro

 

[Tailgunner]

I never leave home without my camera.

As for foot ware , it all depends on the terrain. I use snow boots for walking through anything more than a few inches of snow and hiking shoes for walking through fields etc. My current shoes look like typical shoes but their designed for walking in slippery condition and offer water resistance. Their very comfortable for daily usage as well.

These are well worth the coin in my opinion.
http://www.asicsamerica.com/Shop/Footwear/Running/Mens/GEL-Cumulus®-16-G-TX/p/0010223302.7459

As for skiing, I spend a lot of time around areas with skiing but I have never tried it. I will say I'm for using the right tool for the job. I wouldn't think twice about strapping on some snow shoes or skis if they got me to the shot I wanted...I may have to take a few lesson first lol

My best advice is a for either hiking or skiing with camera gear is a Mindshift backpack. This is ThinkTanks adventure gear. I have the smaller version of the rotate backpack and used it several times on small hikes around Colorado. It works great, you don't have to stop and pull the backpack off. You simply unlock the rotational pack, swivel it around and shoot. Then slide it back, latch it and go. Now I have the smaller version which works great but it just barely holds my D800 w/28-70mm 2.8. I have to put it in side ways. So I would recommend the pro series for larger bodies. The top section of the bag has room for snacks and additional camera gear. The tripod is easily attached to the outside and it has a hydration pocket (1.5L for smaller version). I generally pack this in my large suit case and transport my camera gear using my ThinkTank shoulder bag or Airstream roller.

MindShift Gear - Outdoor Camera Bags, Camera Backpacks, Photo Gear

 

[erotavlas]

I've carried my camera in a backpack while skiing. Stop and grab a shot, go again. Also bought a video camera mainly for shooting skiing.

If I was planning a walk, I would wear whatever footwear was required. If snowshoes, then snowshoes.

Is that what you are asking about?

Yeah I was just curious how other people deal with travelling through snow when trying to take photographs in the winter. Usually I have only walked with winter boots through packed down trails, but am planning a trip further away from hiking trails to go cross country skiing.

 

[bc_steve]

I've snowboarded with my camera a few times.

It's pretty nice up in the alpine, especially when you get out in the backcountry.

 

[bc_steve]

I work in the bush in the winter. So out there in the snow no matter what the weather is. Most of us use these boots:

Russell 2 | Walmart.ca

Comfy, waterproof and rated to -40°. And cheap.

 

[gsgary]

These work quite well for me SEXY KINKY FETISH LEATHER LOOK HEELS THIGH HIGH OVER THE KNEE STRETCH BOOTS SIZE | eBay

 

[pixmedic]

These work quite well for me SEXY KINKY FETISH LEATHER LOOK HEELS THIGH HIGH OVER THE KNEE STRETCH BOOTS SIZE | eBay

I'm surprised you can walk in those gary...practice makes perfect?

 

[imagemaker46]

Depends on what I'm shooting of where I'm walking but generally I have the gear I want on my shoulders already. As far as footwear goes, if I'm doing steep climbs I use cramp-ons on my boots. I have a couple weeks of alpine shooting coming up and will be getting the wireless heat socks to help out on the hills. Cold feet is a killer.

 

[gsgary]

Depends on what I'm shooting of where I'm walking but generally I have the gear I want on my shoulders already. As far as footwear goes, if I'm doing steep climbs I use cramp-ons on my boots. I have a couple weeks of alpine shooting coming up and will be getting the wireless heat socks to help out on the hills. Cold feet is a killer.

Don't forget willy warmer

 

[bc_steve]

Depends on what I'm shooting of where I'm walking but generally I have the gear I want on my shoulders already. As far as footwear goes, if I'm doing steep climbs I use cramp-ons on my boots. I have a couple weeks of alpine shooting coming up and will be getting the wireless heat socks to help out on the hills. Cold feet is a killer.

I always get my boots a size big and wear bama boots inside. It's another layer of insulation plus it wicks the sweat away from your socks.

Agreed though, cold feet suck.

 

[JoeW]

Say you are going to go to a national park or some other wilderness in the winter that has lots of snow. (i.e. areas with some walkable trails but mostly just snow) Maybe it's a ski trip (cross country or down hill) or maybe your doing dog sledding, or snow shoeing.

Do you guys take the camera with you on whatever foot wear you are wearing. Like say you are doing cross country skiing, do you pack the camera with you? Or if you specifically have photography in mind do you ditch the skis for that day and put on a pair of snow shoes instead. Or just winter boots with gators?

On footwear, it depends. Lots of places where I go in the winter, my primary concern is keeping my feet warm and maintaining my footing. That's b/c I may be out walking on sheets of ice and rutted snow in the dark, getting there early to wait for a sunrise.

One of the thing to keep in mind about winter shooting and footwear is that there are a lot of sites/places where once you tromp there, it's ruined as a shot location...the marks of your feet or snowshoes will be what stands out in the photo. So you need to anticipate and position well. If you're doing X-country skiiing or some other winter sport, you have to position gear accordingly so it's usable. That means a bunch of things--as a skier (or skater) you need your hands free for other stuff. But if you're looking to shoot "along the way" then a backpack usually isn't going to work. So a harness to strap a camera to your chest makes a lot of sense as a x-country skier. Also, the cold will get your batteries to freeze up so you need to be able to put them under an armpit to warm them up and restore the electrical connection. Going in and out of warm-to-cold places (i.e. if you're driving someplace and get out to shoot and then get back in) can create a lot of condensation and fog for your lens.

And to answer one of your questions--I try to take my camera as many places as possible. That includes on winter hikes or journeys.