Save Your Film, Save Your Camera!
Care in The Summer Sun
Summer is a time of travel, beach outings and backyard barbeques. If you are going to photograph your adventures, you’re going to need to keep your yourself and your photo equipment safe from summer threats, the most common being: sun, heat, sand, water and other people!
Sun Safety
Just as you should always slather on sun-block, or a strong sunscreen, you camera should have protection from the sun as well. Investing in a polarizing filter is like putting sun-block, or good UVA sunglasses, on your camera lens. This keeps glare from ruining your shots and intense sunlight from washing out colors. Whether you use a film or a digital camera, an SLR or a point-and-shoot, your manufacturer probably offers a polarizing filter. These filters usually screw right onto the lens, directly on top of it, the way a lid screws onto a jar. They are easy to attach to the camera and offer incredible protection from sunlight, and can be used all year ‘round when outdoors, such as during winter when the sun’s glare reflects off of snow and ice.
Heat
While you are drinking plenty of water and keeping yourself cool and hydrated, your film (if you use it) and your camera (and it’s related gear) should also be kept at an even temperature. Exposing your equipment direct sunlight and strong heat will cause them to malfunction and can also cause irreversible damage. Film that gets too hot can fog and/or have very poor processing results, so do not photograph in extreme temperatures when doing so can be avoided.
When not in use, don’t leave your camera and film on patios, decks, tables and anywhere else it will sit in direct sunlight and bake. Like your body, you don’t want your photo gear to become heated. Cameras come with insulated camera bags for a reason. Use them to protect your camera from severe summer heat.
When leaving your camera in your car, keep it cool. Use a cooler! Yes, in a pinch, a good old Styrofoam cooler works perfectly to protect your precious photo gear. Park in a shaded spot and store your camera and film in a waterproof bag. Many camera bags are waterproof, but if yours is not, or you are not sure, Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers work well for cameras, lens and film.
Ice packs on the cooler bottom are optional, but worth it. They will ensure that your equipment stays nice and cool. Many coolers even come with shelving of some sort, so if you have a small camera bag, you can put your equipment right on the shelf.
If you choose to use ice packs in your cooler, know that it will take the camera and the film a little time to acclimate to the warmer air after remove them from the cooler. Before you load your film or use your camera, wait a few minutes to allow the equipment to adjust to the temperature change.
