Let’s be frank: I’m not an adventure junkie hooked on the adrenaline rush of doing crazy things just to get an impressive photo.
If you are looking for that kind of article, then keep moving. I’m more laid-back, and I like to relax and enjoy my photography experience.
The Danger of Assumptions…
First, this is not for the faint of heart; in fact, I almost didn’t get out of bed this particular morning: (4 Feb 2023). I live in New England and we were hit with once-in-a-lifetime polar temps. Mount Washington in New Hampshire hit a wind chill temp of -108. (actual temp was -37)
On Friday (the 3rd), the winds were howling outside our house in Salem, Massachusetts, with windchills in the -40s or lower all night long. I checked the morning forecast and thought the winds would continue through the next day (my error)
I had thought to head up to Maine for some lighthouse shots there, but with these winds, I “assumed” that the fog or sea smoke would be blown away. So I set no alarm and a big mistake (NEVER assume…)
The dangers of sub-zero photography
Of course, the biggest danger is frostbite. It was a balmy -7 when I left the house, and the winds were 16-25mph. I say balmy because the charts say 10-30 minutes for unprotected skin before frostbite sets in. My clothing choices were:
1. Fleece or Merino wool hat
2. Balaclava (doubled up because I don’t have much hair for warmth)
3. Silk weight long sleeve shirt/pants under my jeans and t-shirt
4. A L.L. Bean coat rated to -15
5. 2 pairs of gloves with finger-tip holes for fingers to slip out when needed
6. Ski Googles
I did this in Salem back on February 14th (2016), and the thermometer on that morning was -9 degrees, but on that date, I stayed out in the cold for 30+ minutes at a time. That is when all the precautions are really needed. Even with all those layers, I got frostnip, and my fingers were in pain for the next week.
On this February morning, it was too cold to stray far from the car (or I’m getting old). I left the car running and a camera battery on the charger, and I would step out and then get back into the car for a moment to switch out a battery and warm up before going back out.
IF you have to be out on your own (no nearby car to warm up in), then you need to be extra careful.
My first images taken this morning were of the National Historic Park in Salem (where I spent 4 years as an Interpretive Ranger).
The sun was rising and just beginning to clear the Sea Smoke… Are you wondering what Sea Smoke is? It’s fog that presents itself only when the water is a lot warmer than the air above it. so the water temps were around a balmy 28 degrees and the air was 45 degrees colder.
At -17 the cold was penetrating through my clothes. My hands, legs, and feet could feel the cold the most, and in only 6-10 minutes, I headed back to the car and the heater. Next, I headed out to Winter Island and the Lighthouse out there.
Winter Island and Fort Pickering Lighthouse
I was actually able to make this image while seated in my car in the parking lot with my window rolled down. (I did mention 64 and a bit lazy?) I did get out and shot a bit more but the wind, while mild, was attacking my fingers.
I got back in the car and went to the other end of the parking lot near the Harbor Masters office and got out to shoot from and through the gazebo (as seen here). As I got back in the car, I was watching others jump out of their cars with their phones snapping shots and running back to the warmth of their cars. I was thinking it wasn’t that windy, I wonder how my drone would take the cold?
Flying a drone in sub-zero temps, a stress test
On this day, I had a DJI Mini 2 and DJI says to avoid flying the drone below 32(F) or 0(C) HaHaHa…
I figured the battery would only last a short while, so I watched that carefully. I turned it on and stepped out of the car, and placed it on the ground.
I started the motors and then had to unlock the area because we are near the Beverly, Massachusetts, airport. I was flying along the shore and only out about 715 feet from where I was sitting. As you can guess, I didn’t have to worry about flying over people like I do in summer.
The stone and cement lighthouse is one of three that sailors use to find their way into Salem Harbor since the late 1800s. One is further inside the harbor at the end of Derby Wharf, and the other is out on Baker Island.
The Sea Smoke provided an almost mystical quality to the dawn’s light.
DJI has software built into their systems that allows you to do different things with the images you capture. They have master shots that have the drone fly pre-programmed routes.
Also, it allows you to take 360-degree photos and stitches them into Panoramas. Then you can turn the panoramas into little planets or spheres, which are whimsical views of our world. But a new one turns the sphere inside out.
You can click on the description above to view this in my gallery and see if it feels like a surfer’s dream or a nightmarescape from the Twilight Zone.
All of the drone images I created while piloting from inside my nice warm car. Usually, I have to be outside the car to maintain VLOS, but for the most part, I did just fine from inside.
In case anyone wonders, I do have my Part 107 Drone certification. So I can legally sell the images produced by my drone. You should always ask a drone pilot/photographer before they do work for you if they have their part 107 because, without it, you and they can get in trouble if an accident happens.
Always go with a genuine Part 107 Pilot!!!!
Jeff “Foliage” Folger
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