Wildlife in Winter

Photographing wildlife in winter can be a chilling challenge! Camera and lenses need to be warm enough to prevent fogging and you'll need lots of fresh batteries due to reduced battery life in cold weather. You'll also need a pair of photo gloves...like the ones from LowePro.

Dress warm so you can focus on the subject and not how much you are shivering. Be prepared to get on the ground for low shots at the animal's eye level.

This photo of an arctic fox was taken at Triple D game rance in Montana. They had built a snow habitat for the fox to make it comfortable. It was snowing on and off during the shoot, so I had to time shots to minimize snow interference. Arctic foxes rarely stop and occasionally will strike a pose...like the one above. White-on-white subjects can be difficult and most camera meters will render them gray. So try opening up your lens 1/2 to 1 stop for whiter whites. Don't use a flash as it will make the fox's eyes look like a she-devil! Good luck with your winter wildlife shoot. Next up...my second winter experience with a Siberian Tiger.