First Blog Of 2026 By; Gord Barker

     Wow! We're almost at the end of January already. (It's January 29th as I'm writing this.) Earlier this year, I decided to return to my old schedule of publishing a blog post on the last Saturday of every month. The vacation from publishing at least once a month has been nice, but I really need to return to some form of creative discipline. It really is about getting the work, (photographic or written copy) out there. 

     

    The truth is that I'm the world's worst procrastinator. Without a hard deadline, self imposed or otherwise, I really don't get much done. That being said, here's the first blog post of the year, created during one of the coldest, snowiest winters we've had for a long time.

 

    It can be hard to make photographs outdoors in harsh winter conditions. If I'm not moving, I'm freezing and photography often involves waiting for just the right conditions,

lighting, action etc. to make a decent shot. Generally, you need bare hands to operate a camera. The thinnest of gloves will help, but still do not always successfully allow working camera controls.

 

    Winter can also be a terrible time to be the proud owner of a pro grade metal bodied camera. Metal at -25 degrees C. is no fun to handle and don't even think of working with analuminum tripod! Batteries, the elemental power source for all digital cameras, are not nearly as efficient at sub zero temperatures. I always have spares  and try to carry them in an inside coat pocket. 

    But, it can be fun to do cold weather street photography. People generally are not expecting to see someone out making photographs when the weather is chilly. 

  

     Then again, maybe this guy has the right idea. Just stay inside and play a good game of chess!

                                        ...more later