A second camera body is a good idea, both as a backup and also as a mount for a second lens, since it is often difficult to change lenses in winter weather. Camera gear has a tendency to behave in weird ways when exposed to extreme cold, so redundancy could mean the difference between getting the shot you’ve spent so much effort getting yourself out here for and nothing. You need to be able to operate your gear through layers of clothing and essentially operate it blind. Understand that daylight hours tend to be short in winter, whiteout storms can come up quickly, smooth surfaces (snow, glaciers, ice, etc) can have hidden dangers underneath, and animals can be hidden in plain sight with seasonal camouflage.
Second, know the environment you are entering, or hire a guide who does. Bring more layers than you anticipate needing I’ve never regretted bringing too much, but have often regretted leaving an extra pair of long underwear at home. This is a requirement to merely be outside in the cold and doubly so for us photographers, who often have to patiently wait in stillness for light, subject, and conditions to change. 
First, understand the climate you are entering, and make sure you have proper clothing. Dogsleds, tundra buggies, and zodiacs are commandeered by knowledgeable guides daily. The good thing is that their is great ecotourism infrastructure in place to open up the wilderness to you. An off road vehicle and a gun are required to access much of the wilderness. For those who prefer to wander alone, you can’t really do that here. Image by David QuiringĬhurchill is a difficult place to wander around safely, and therein lies perhaps the greatest logistical challenge for the visiting photographer. “Watch out for polar bears, and mind the wolves that have been around the yard lately.” Polar bear lounging in a snowy field, Churchill, Manitob. Amidst the boots, coats, and furs that fill the alcove, he pulled out a gun, double-checked to make sure it is loaded, and handed it to me. Without a word, he rummaged through the closet by the front door. Bill, the lone fellow who ran this remote little bed and breakfast out of his home, ambled over from the next room and looked out at the starry night over my shoulder. Stepping away from the warmth of the fireplace at my host’s home 20km out of town, I donned my winter garb and opened the front door to the eerie quiet that settles over the far north after sunset. After a long summer living off fat reserves, these massive predators were hungry and could pose quite a real danger to humans…unlike grizzly bears, wolves, sharks, or any other apex predator I’ve ever encountered before. It was November and I was documenting the late freezing of the bay, where the largest congregation of polar bears in the world hungrily paced the rugged shore waiting for the water to turn to ice so they could hunt seal. In this place, where the mighty Churchill River meets the ocean, the township is isolated a heart with a few paved arteries spreading out from it that quickly dwindle to makeshift roads before disappearing altogether.īack in 2011, I was on my first assignment in Churchill. Image by David QuiringĬhurchill, Manitoba is a special region of Canada that I return to again and again. Camera gear has a tendency to behave in weird ways when exposed to extreme cold…” Slumbering polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba. Each of them also gave some tips to fellow photographers hoping to follow in their snow-covered footsteps. They told us about their favorite destinations and the one memory they’ll carry with them wherever they go. In honor of the coming winter, we asked five seasoned cold-weather photographers to tell us about the cruelty and joy of making pictures in places few people dare trod. Mankind is losing the last of our winter wonderlands. Glaciers and ice caps are melting polar bears are starving. While they’re able to come into closer contact with the forces of winter, contemporary photographers are also haunted by the knowledge that with global warming, these otherworldly, ethereal locations are as fragile as they are formidable. With DSLR batteries and multiple layers of gloves, they can remain in inhospitable landscapes for hours as the bitter wind whips around their cheers and the sun peeks out over the horizon. What’s different about today’s photographers is that they have the tools to navigate and withstand cold weather for extended periods of time. 
From The Sea of Ice by Caspar David Friedrich to Clearing Winter Storm by Ansel Adams, some of the most lyrical and poetic works of art of the last several centuries have been made in frigid terrain. It’s easy to romanticize freezing destinations.
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