038 - Seasonal Transitions in Photography
All across the world seasons are changing. We are transitioning into a new period where when and how we take photos changes. It is during this time of transitions that I always make sure to look carefully over my gear and make sure I’ve got everything ready for whatever the upcoming season is. Today on the podcast, we will talk about seasonal transitions in photography and what you should do at the start of each new season to ensure you and your kit are ready.
Right now, in Calgary, we are transitioning from fall into winter, which means colder outdoor shoots, earlier sunsets, later sunrises and fewer daylight hours. It also means I need a totally different gear bag than what I need in the fall. Because I have to put together a whole new kit bag anyway, I take this opportunity to look over my entire kit, do a deep clean and make sure everything is ready to go.
I do this 4 times a year, and it typically takes me about half a day, but then I don’t really need to think about it again until the next seasonal change starts to hit. So, it’s well worth the investment to me. And it should be for you as well. We need to take care of our gear. We expect it to be there to create art, so we should give it a little attention in return. Today, I’m going to go over the 5 steps I take during every seasonal transition.
Step #1 - Layout Everything I Need
I gather and lay out all the gear I used in the previous season and all the gear I will need in the upcoming season. This includes cameras, lenses, tripods, lights, filters, medical kit, backpacks, straps, clothing, shoes, camping gear, and accessories. It turns into a lot of stuff being out, but it helps me get everything organized. I typically put everything into their categories (like cameras and lenses being together, backpacks in one pile, footwear in another, etc.) This way, you can keep track of what is out and it makes step #2 easier.
Step #2 - Inventory
After getting everything brought out and organized, I take an inventory of what is there and compare it to my previous inventory. I do this to keep track of all my gear partially for insurance purposes (helps if anything ever happens to my kit) and partly to know what I have and what may need replacing.
The first time you are doing this, create a spreadsheet that has the following categories:
Item (i.e. Camera Body, lens, etc.)
Trade Name (i.e. Canon R5 or Sony A7III).
Serial # (if it has one)
Condition
Issues (i.e., hole in the arm from a tree branch, worn-out shoe sole, lost lens hood)
Expiry date (for things like bear spray and anything in my med bag)
Needs Replacing Yes/No
Replaced with:
You can go more in-depth with these lists if you like (such as colour or year purchased), but these basic categories should do for now. Then use this spreadsheet every time you take an inventory. This helps keep track of everything and give you insight into how gear is wearing and how often you are replacing it. This is great for budgets because you can approximate how often you will be buying things like shoes, backpacks, and the small things like bandaids and duct tape. Will you be replacing these things every year? Every few months? Knowing this will help you understand how much you need to set aside. Or maybe look at buying a different product, because this one isn’t holding up.
Keeping track of how things wear down and where they break can also provide you insights into things like how you use gear, what to watch out for when you are adventuring, and your gait pattern (how you walk). I’m sure it will tell you a few other things as well.
One of the largest jobs during this inventory process is looking over each item’s wear and tear. Look for things like dents or scratches on gear, holes in clothes, shoes and backpacks, scuffs and wear patterns, just anything that indicates how any item has been used and the condition it is in. I usually rate items from excellent to fair to destroyed. Destroyed typically means the item is going in the garbage or is upcycled into something new, and I will have to decide how to replace it.
I make sure to include clothing in this inventory because I can typically buy replacements for anything I’ve ruined (like a pair of shoes) over the previous season during clearance sales. That way, I have them ready to go whenever I need them again, and I get to save a bit of money (and who doesn’t like that). I also do this with the clothing I’ll need for the upcoming year because I may have forgotten to replace something, or it may have had something happen to it in storage (rare occurrence but a possibility). You should also make sure the stuff still fits. It’d be bad to go and put your pants on and realize you’ve shrunk out of them just a few minutes before leaving on a long hike.
One of the other significant tasks during this inventory process is to look through my medkit. This means pulling everything out, looking at expiry dates, replacing bandages, gauze or anything else that got used and is low and just generally making sure I have what I will need for the upcoming season (for example, I typically take quite a few things to deal with insect bites and stings during the summer, but in the winter I won’t have that stuff in my med bag. I’ll focus more on things that can fight off hypothermia and frostbite).
Taking an inventory tends to be the most time-consuming part of this process. But it saves you so much time for the rest of the season that the hour or two this takes is well worth the time.
Step #3 - Deep Cleaning
After you’ve taken your inventory, you should know the shape your gear is in. And you should know which items need a good scrubbing and which ones just need to be put through the wash cycle.
Scrub the dirt out of buckles and the insoles of shoes. Re-waterproof everything (I need to put beeswax on my boots before and after each winter). You aren’t looking to pull stains out or anything, but just get the dirt out of and off places where it may cause lasting damage. This is really true if you live in an area that uses salt on the sidewalks and roads in the winter and spring. Salt will eat away and corrode pretty much anything.
This is also where I’ll pull out my camera gear and clean it up thoroughly. Looking to get any excess dirt out of the cracks, thoroughly cleaning filters and lenses, looking for any loose covers and generally checking up on the health of my camera and lenses (and giving them some gratitude for all they give me).
Step #4 - Camera Checkup
In the fourth step, I’ll check out how the entire camera is working. I’ve already cleaned the camera here, but now I’m looking for any problems with how it is working. If there are any significant problems, I should see it while shooting or editing. But this is a chance to look for little things that may not be working quite right. During this checkup, I make sure to look for and at:
Micro-adjustments on the lenses (on a DSLR)
Autofocus speed and accuracy
Sensor Spots
Light Metering
This is typically a quick check, as I rarely need to fix or look too closely at anything. But it is a good thing to do anyway because if any of these weren’t working correctly, it could seriously inhibit a shoot.
Step #5 - Pack it Up
The last step is pretty apparent, pack everything away. I use large, water and rodent-resistant containers to store anything I won’t need for a few months and tuck it out of the way. This includes jackets, sleeping bags, backpacks, anything I won’t be using.
I then put together my kits for the upcoming season. That way, I won’t need to hunt down things when I need to head out. So I keep medkits for different lengths of trips (short hike, day-long, multi-day). And split out the clothing into categories for types of days like 10 to 0 degrees celsius. 0 to -10, -10 to -20, and -20 and below. All of this is intended for me to be able to just walk out the door without wasting time looking for something, heading to the store to buy it, or forgetting something critical that could cost me a few fingers or my life. After everything gets packed away, I’m ready to go for the upcoming season! And I’ll be ready for when the previous season rolls around again.
This is such an important thing to do during each seasonal shift. You get to know the shape your gear is in and get ready for the upcoming season. So take half a day and take care of your gear. It gives so much to you. Make sure you give a little something back to it.
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