Cold weather landscape photography is one of my favorite times to be out photographing. Familiar landscapes become unfamiliar once again. But you must be prepared and comfortable while out in the elements. Here is my approach to staying warm in the winter.

I enjoy photographing landscape scenes in the cold weather of winter. You have a chance of seeing familiar scenes covered in snow or ice. Waterfalls, lakes, and ponds freeze, affording new and unique composition opportunities. You can show scenes most people don’t get to see with your wintertime images.

And my favorite thing about landscape photography in the winter? Fewer people! I can visit areas often busy with tourists in the spring, summer, and fall and have places nearly to myself!

But you have to be prepared for the winter weather. If you are cold and miserable, your work will suffer. But with some preparation, it isn’t hard to prepare yourself properly for cold weather and enjoy the wintertime landscape photography experience.

Importance of Layers

Keeping yourself comfortable is the most important. If you aren’t comfortable photographing in the cold, the experience will not be any fun. Everyone tolerates the cold differently, but the layering approach works in some variation for everyone. 

Another significant advantage of using layers as a photographer is due to the mix of activities in one trip. During the hiking portion of a trip, we often generate more heat due to the activity, and then once we reach our destination, we stand for long periods of time with less activity, making us cold. 

With layers, you can quickly shed an outer shell while hiking to avoid becoming overheated and then once you stop, add the shell back on to stay warm. The ability to add and remove layers as the temperature or your activity level change contribute greatly to comfort.

There are three layers to utilize when out in the cold.

Base Layer

The base layer is the layer closest to your skin, typically long underwear of some sort. This is an integral part of the layering system, as it helps keep moisture away from your skin, making you feel warmer. 

Something like this Duofold Thermal Shirt is a good example of a possible base layer option. I use both upper and lower body base layers as soon as the temperature drops on my outings.

Middle Layer

The middle layer is an insulating layer that helps keep the warm air near your body and the cold out. There are many options for your middle layers, from fleece vests, to fleece jackets, to down vests, and jackets. There are even legging options in various materials as well. 

These middle layers are where you can tailor your layering system to your own comfort in the cold. Some people might want a fleece vest, a fleece jacket, and a down puffer jacket to stay warm. Others might shed one of those layers to stay a little cooler. 

Outer Layer

The last layer in the system is the outer layer. Those middle layers, while excelling at insulation, aren’t always the greatest at wind protection or keeping you dry from cold rain or snow. 

An outer shell layer will have varying levels of waterproofing or water-resistance while also protecting from the wind. When these shells are coupled with the other two layers, they provide a very comprehensive and flexible system to keep you warm and dry while you practice landscape photography in inclement weather.

A Hat: Keep the Head Warm

Don’t underestimate the importance of a warm hat for your head. You can lose a lot of heat through an uncovered head, which causes your body to be inefficient in trying to keep the rest of it warm. 

A warm hat similar to this Columbia beanie is one of the first clothing items I don for cold-weather outings. If I can keep my head warm, I can stay much more comfortable when out photographing in the winter. Don’t forget the hat!

Gloves

Gloves are another essential item of clothing, though somewhat tricky for photographers. We need to keep our hands warm, but we also need to maintain the dexterity of our fingers so we can change camera settings, use the shutter button, and adjust our zoom lenses.

Different photographers will have different opinions, and it can take some experimentation to see what is most comfortable for your use. After lots of time in the field, I have two sets of gloves I use most often.

In 30 °F weather and above, I use a set of fingerless gloves. They keep the core of my hand warm but keep my fingers free to use the camera efficiently. In weather under 30 °F, I use mittens with flip tops that are insulated and have a shell for wind protection. Those have worked well for me down to sub-zero temperatures and high winds.

Some photographers prefer a two glove approach with a thinner liner and a heavier outer shell to slip on over the liner in really cold conditions. 

Protect the Feet

Your feet can be subject to a lot of abuse in cold weather landscape photography. From trudging through snow to standing on cold rocks or frozen lakes, it is important to be mindful of your feet. 

I wear hiking boots for nearly all of my hiking, but wearing a sturdier and warmer boot is important. The socks you wear are important as well, they need to have insulation properties and wick moisture away from your skin.

If you know you are going to encounter deeper snow, a set of gaiters to keep the snow from getting into your boot from the top is essential. I often toss a pair into my backpack if uncertain of the conditions I might face.

While not so much related to keeping warm, be mindful of the conditions. If you know you will be on icy trails or crossing frozen lakes, invest in a set of microspikes for your boots. These traction control devices easily fit over normal boots and make you much more sure-footed as you are hiking or standing on frozen lakes taking photos.

Enjoy the Winter

Landscape photography in the winter can be a gratifying experience. Winter photography is a great time, from enjoying locations with fewer people to capturing scenes many will never see. Many shy away from the experience because of the cold, but with preparation and a clothing plan, you can stay comfortable on the hike and while photographing in some fantastic locations.

How about you? Do you enjoy wintertime landscape photography? Do you have a favorite tip to stay comfortable in those conditions? 
 

Like many photographers, I’ve spent years hunting the impossible combination: a high-quality camera that’s also compact. Must haves: a great sensor and a wide aperture wide angle lens. Today, I’ll walk you through the meandering journey that eventually led me to the Leica Q3.

Editor’s note: The photos below were all captured with the camera in the section they are in. The photos from the first Leica Q3 section onward were all captured on the Leica Q3.

But First, the Fuji X-Pro 1

My first contender was the Fuji X-Pro 1 in 2015. I traveled to France and Italy with it and enjoyed the quality of the files the X-Trans sensor was giving me. The camera was much smaller than my Canon 7D and the lenses available were pretty great, giving the photos a dream-like quality. For anything going slow, I was able to get decent images, with plenty to recover when processing the RAW files.

The main downside of the Fuji was its autofocus: the camera was too slow for my street photography, so I’d keep reverting to my Canon 7D.

On to the Canon 5D Mark IV

What eventually made me part ways with it completely was the release of the 5D Mark IV and the upgraded 35mm f/1.4 II lens in 2016. That new combo nearly tripled my hit rate against the 7D. Suddenly everything was in focus and my gear wasn’t a limiting factor anymore. I traveled the world with the 5D, and I took photographs I’m still very proud of. But there was nothing compact about that camera.

Next, the Canon R5

Mid-2020 I upgraded to the Canon R5, again increasing my hit rate to a point where 90% of my shots would be in focus with minimal effort. The reliable autofocus and impeccable image quality made me drop the idea of a smaller body camera temporarily. I shot fashion shows, concerts, and adventured to many places, such as the Lofoten Islands, China, and Iceland.

The R5 became the camera I could trust in all conditions. Very little thinking was required to get the shot right. It gave me more freedom to create than any other camera before.

Finally, the Leica Q3

Fast forward to 2023 and when I got into ultra-distance gravel cycling, cycling over 10,000 kilometers during the year through various regions of Spain and Portugal. I competed in a few races but quickly realized sleepless nights on a bike — only to come back with iPhone photos — just wasn’t my thing… It felt wrong to be traveling through such incredible places without a camera.

So I focused my search again on a compact body with a decent lens. I quickly stumbled upon the Leica Q3. Ecstatic reviews convinced me to try one in store. When I did, the truth is, I wasn’t overly impressed. But I ordered one anyway — I wanted a camera for my future adventures and no one else had released any that could come close for quality and weight (743 grams).

Three months later, my local Leica dealer called to let me know the camera had arrived. Eager to put it to the test, I took time off work straight away, and I went out to shoot the streets of East London.

The Q3 for Street Photography

Adapting to the 28mm wasn’t easy. First, I compose my images at 35mm, not 28mm. While I’ve used most focal lengths, my vision of the world happens at 35mm, regardless of what my eyes actually see. I find it’s harder to isolate a subject at 28mm — going wider is the easy choice, where everything fits in.

The ergonomics of the camera weren’t too hard to adjust to; the Q3 has simple menus and dials. However, I really missed having an additional aperture dial on the body. While stylish, changing aperture on the lens isn’t too practical, above all as it changes on its own when taken out of a bag. I also often ended up half way between Macro and regular shooting modes, which allows you to do nothing. Those are small things, but ones you shouldn’t have to think about.

My setup is simple: single shots (sometimes more), highlight-weighted exposure, field focus. I adjust aperture and exposure as needed and usually leave ISO in auto. My main mistake while setting up the Q3 was to go for mechanical shutter only to avoid dealing with rolling shutter. At only 1/2000 second, the Q3 is too slow to shoot at f/1.7 in bright light.

After a couple of hours out, I quickly realized f/1.7 wasn’t enough for my street work; I rely heavily on wide apertures to separate the key subject from its environment, and I’ve struggled to do so on the Q3. A 28mm focal length brings a lot into the frame, significantly more than the 35mm I’m used to, and creating a “3D effect” in my photos was a lot harder. My experience with the R5 and 35mm f/1.4 combo is that I can separate subjects from their environment by pushing the aperture to f/1.4. With the Q3, I’m forced to rely on lighting a lot more to create the style I want.

Going back to my “hit rate,” I simply can’t get anywhere near my R5. Part of it is due to the ergonomics of the Q3: a typical Leica without joystick to move the focus and poorly placed dials (the worst one being for exposure, placed on the outer part of the body and hard to reach with your thumb). With the temperatures dropping in the past few weeks, I used the Q3 with gloves and missed countless street shots by pushing the Play button instead of the arrows, definitely killing my shots. You may wonder why I’m not using subject tracking: because switching between subjects rapidly with the Q3’s buttons is completely unreliable.

The second reason for the low hit rate is the autofocus: average in poor lighting conditions and terrible in motion. With the Q3, I’ve had to stop shooting while walking. I have to stop, compose my image and shoot when the right subject comes into the frame — a much less spontaneous experience than what I’m used to.

Lastly, the camera is painfully slow to wake up. It should be on within a few milliseconds, but it takes the Q3 a second or two to start… far too long when trying to capture an instant.

Getting a disappointing street photography experience with a camera that many would describe as designed just for that is the paradox I found myself in. The photos above are more “successful” examples, but they would’ve been so much easier to get with my R5. In fact, it’s made me eager for Canon to finally release a 35mm f1.2, which should enable me to do much more.

The Q3 for Landscape Photography

If you remember, I didn’t really get the Q3 for street. I was curious about the idea, and was left unimpressed. But I really got the Q3 for bikepacking. And during my gravel rides in the South of Spain, in the region of Guadix, this November, the Q3 proved to be a great companion.

I’ve been very happy with the highlight-metering mode on the Q3, which has allowed me to always properly expose my landscapes. In that mode, I’d often have to retrieve shadows, which was easy with the amazing dynamics range the Q3’s sensor offers.

The Q3 for Intentional and Attentive Photography

Generally, the Leica Q3 is a great camera for more intentional and attentive photography. Anything slow-paced with time to breathe is within the Q3’s capabilities.

Leica Q3: Worth It?

Now, does it make sense to spend $6,000 on the Leica Q3? I think it does for now… until someone takes the opportunity and makes something like the Q3 but with a far better lens, ergonomics and software. It’s more than achievable for every camera maker today, including Leica themselves.

My understanding is that Leica doesn’t want to cannibalize its M sales. I see this as a mistake. The Q series can be Leica’s future, allowing more people like me to enjoy a great 60mp sensor in a beautiful body, but with the lens of their choice and great autofocus. I’m sure there’s significant market share to own.

Something that really puzzled me was the image quality coming from the large 60mp files. They aren’t any better than what I get on my R5, and I believe that’s only because of the fairly average 28mm f1.7, which has a lot of chromatic aberrations and uninteresting bokeh. It’s a shame to pair such an amazing sensor with such a lens. When comparing files, I’m happier with those of the R5, especially when processed with Canon’s DPP software. They seem more pure and sharper where it needs to be. I thought DPP was slow, but processing the Q3’s RAW files in Camera Raw or Lightroom has been a more time-consuming process.

I didn’t buy the Q3 for the prestige or the appearances, but for its features. I enjoy using a nice object to take photographs but the brand name doesn’t matter one bit to me. I think it’s high time Leica realized there’s a market of people seeking the highest performance and image quality possible in a small body, and that they are ideally positioned to capture it. Adding a joystick, investing in software, and allowing for other lenses (or a modern 28mm with f1.4 aperture) would make the Leica Q series the ultimate compact cameras.

As an ultra-distance cyclist, the Q3 fits in my frame bag, and I will be using it for my bikepacking adventures. It’ll also be with me for day-to-day events where bringing a larger camera would be cumbersome. However, to produce my best work, including at similar focal lengths, I’ll definitely continue using my R5.

About the author: Emmanuel Nataf is a photographer who’s traveled through Europe, South America and South East Asia in search of all things strange and beautiful. He’s also the co-founder of Reedsy, a marketplace where authors can connect with the world’s best freelance editors, designers, and marketers.

You can see more of his photography on his website or by following him on Instagram.

Aquatic feats and brotherly beats: Student overcomes back injury with swimming, photography and music – El Camino College The Union

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images, Everett Collection

Jeremy Pope’s speaking voice is as velvety as it is powerful, which, if you’ve heard the man sing, should not come as a surprise. Since 2018, he’s been bringing his vocal talents to the stage, where he earned two Tony nominations in the same year for his debut Broadway performance as Pharus Jonathan Young in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy and for playing Eddie Kendricks in the jukebox musical Ain’t Too Proud. Beyond the stage, he’s appeared on television (in Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood and Pose) and film (The Inspection, The Collaboration), and he has recently started to work behind the lens, too.

Pope grew up in Florida, and after a pit stop in Orlando to visit family this month, he headed over to Miami, where his newest collection of photographs appeared on display at the SCOPE Art Show for Art Basel. The exhibition, called “FLEX(bitch),” follows his 2021 photo essay, “Generations,” and addresses some of the same themes. It’s about masculinity as he experienced it growing up — his father is both a pastor and a bodybuilder — and his journey to manhood as he lives it now.

Photo: Jeremy Pope

I read that you’ve been cultivating your skills as a photographer since college, when you were taking headshots for your fellow acting students. Can you talk about how you evolved your photography skills while becoming an accomplished actor and singer?

That was really a big part of my life when I was in New York, just grinding and hustling between catering and all of that. It is more a hobby than something I do all the time. But after I’d spent last year working, I wanted to do something that was for me. That usually starts when I go back home, where there’s less noise. I think about young Jeremy, when I was at home making beats or working on whatever I was doing as a kid — just that creative freedom to think and expand and go, What do I have to say? And why do I have to scream it? I want to get to a place where what I have to say is so loud that it becomes actionary for me. That was the early thesis of unpacking what the “FLEX” series is, but it initially was me just having time, picking up my camera, and wanting to shoot on film.

From left: Photo: Jeremy PopePhoto: Jeremy Pope

From top: Photo: Jeremy PopePhoto: Jeremy Pope

“FLEX(bitch)” addresses the structures of masculinity you were raised with, and I see echoes of that in your photo essay “Generations.” Can you talk about how your relationship with your masculinity, and your creativity around it, has evolved?

Coming from these spaces that are extremely hypermasculine, and knowing that a lot of my core foundation comes from being in those environments, it allowed me to take time to unpack and relearn and reshape and try to guide myself to a healthier place of self-love and existence. Me and my dad have a beautiful relationship; it has had its ebbs and flows, but it’s ultimately always lived in a support and love place. But in trying to understand where I come from, and my foundation, I found out my foundation was a little rocky for me to stand on. I think my idea of masculinity was very fragile — is very fragile. Visually, this project was giving us something new, starting with myself. And the definition of “flex” is to bend, like bending the things that I thought were true. Bending the Bible that is supposed to be the word of God and you don’t question. Allowing questioning to not be a sin, but a launching pad.

Photo: Jeremy Pope

Am I serving the fullness of a Black experience, the Black male experience, in a way that is pushing the narrative forward for the industry that I’m a part of? I look at my career and the opportunities that I have as a vessel. What I’m creating and doing is bigger than me. It has to be, because my time, our time on this earth is so short and limited. I want to believe that what I’m creating is planting a seed for something that maybe I won’t even see, but I know that it’s going to grow into another person being able to exist or share or create.

Photo: Jeremy Pope

I know you’ll be speaking to Tarell Alvin McCraney at Basel. What does that conversation, and his work, mean to you?

It means everything, because Tarell is one of my good, good friends, and he gave me my first shot in New York in 2013 in Choir Boy, which ended up being my Broadway debut and my first Tony, so it’s very special for me. But more importantly, I remember him being one of the first people that I saw standing in his Blackness, just so strong and confident and comfortable. I remember being like, I want to be like Tarell, I want to just exist. He wasn’t ever overly fazed. He was just who he was. We both know what it means to come from Florida, to come from religion, come from the South. I’m just excited that he was down. He was like, “Whatever you need, Pope.” I hope to be able to take the series to other states and places to further the conversation and allow people access to something different.

You played Jean-Michel Basquiat on stage in The Collaboration, which has now been adapted for a film. He was an artist, and you’re now stepping into your artist shoes at Art Basel. What did you learn about art from playing Basquiat?

Anytime you play a character as long as I did, they teach you. You learn about yourself through the character, and I think what I learned through Basquiat was having an open mind and an unconventional approach to everything that you do, not allowing there to be a ceiling, especially in these spaces that weren’t really built for you to be in. He challenged the narrative. I kept saying to myself, “The world is my gallery.” Basquiat taught me to be free in my art.

Where do you get your best culture recommendations from?

Oddly enough, I feel like it’s my grandma. My grandma’s pretty tapped in. It’s kind of crazy, the stuff she’ll know. She’ll be like, “You heard about Cardi B?” I love connecting with her and also sharing culture with her. She’s kind of informed me about what it meant to be liberated and free in the ’60s and ’70s, and I’m telling her what it looks like in 2023.

You’re hopping in an Uber XL and you can bring five celebrities, dead or alive. Who are you bringing?

I’m gonna go with Prince. He’ll have the aux, he’ll handle the music. Plot twist, Miss Honey from Matilda, because she was everything. She was just kind. Who else … Beyoncé, hello? Just because of Renaissance. That’s three. Basquiat. I’d love to connect with him. And my grandma. I gotta throw my grandma in there. It would be lit.

What is the last meal that you cooked for dinner?

Probably Thanksgiving. We threw down. It’s my favorite holiday, so I definitely cooked smoked turkey wings, mac and cheese, sweet potato soufflé, creamed corn, fried chicken. I go hard, like it’s kind of a problem. That’s why I haven’t been in the kitchen since. I made cereal the past couple of nights. I was recovering from my Thanksgiving throwdown.

Sweet potato soufflé sounds incredible.

It’s insane, fam. Brown butter crumble with marshmallow. Next level.

Do you have a ritual before performing, on set or in front of a crowd?

If I’m doing a show on Broadway or in theater, it’s really just getting the energy right, especially being in New York, it’s a lot. I usually listen to a great playlist. I have my palo santo. I love snacks, to get myself whatever energy boost or candy rush I need to be able to go out there and give the show what it needs.

When I’m on set, I call it a moment of still. I like to be alone to allow things to come in. Music is a big thing; it probably is for a lot of people. With Basquiat, it was a lot of jazz and instrumental stuff. With certain characters, it’ll be word-specific or genre-specific.

Your red carpets are always so legendary. Do you have a pre–red carpet ritual?

I always get really nervous before a carpet. I call it bubble gut. I get really quiet. I don’t know if that’s the Cancer in me. I’m not a big drinker, but if I was, I’m sure I’d be doing shots. Normally I have a little Sour Patch in my pocket — li’l Sour Patch candy, Sour Patch Children. Pop one of those. Those really take me there. I’m a big candy fiend! So I usually have like a little Hi-Chew, or just something on me to keep it sweet.

What is your comfort rewatch?

The TV show Martin that was in the ’90s, or Sister Act 2.

What about something you’ll never ever watch, no matter what?

I don’t really mess with extremely gory or horror stuff. I don’t like anything that’s psycho, like it could happen. Stuff where it’s like, the neighbors looking at you. I’m trying to see positive things that make you laugh. Even some of these thrillers sometimes be on the cusp, because I’m like, that’s a little spooky, now. Listen, if you like it, I love it. But personally, I’m not throwing that on and being scared in my house. Why would I do that to myself?

What’s the best piece of gossip that you’ve ever heard?

I think because we’re living in the Renaissance era — at least, I am — I think anything related to Beyoncé, that type of gossip. Act Two, Act Three, we’re all fantasizing and I’m like, Do they exist? Like, Are we delusional? I was fortunate enough to see the premiere in L.A. She’s so sweet and lovely. But she really be minding her business.

Was there any good intel at the premiere? 

I think it’s beautiful to watch her process as an artist, as a mother, as a woman. In the end credits, there’s new music, so I do believe there’s got to be new music … like, where’s the hard drive, ma’am? I know you got things on the hard drive. Stop playing.

What’s your favorite game to play?

I like to play Uno, but we play it dirty style. Doubles, triples, give me your hand, take mine, draw 30 ’til you get the color. We play hard in the streets and talk a lot of shit while doing it too.

What music do you listen to when you’re alone?

That varies, but I’ll say this week — and most weeks — I’m usually going old-school: Earth, Wind & Fire, Luther Vandross, Prince, Aretha. It’s crazy because growing up I always felt like that was old music, but now it feels like the soundtrack of my life. Most of the time when I’m home alone, I’m cleaning, so it feels like, Put on the cleaning music.

What’s a book you couldn’t put down?

Janet Mock wrote a book, Redefining Realness, and she was someone that I was able to work with during Hollywood and Pose. I bought the audiobook; I was about to go on a flight, and I was like, Let me support her and read this book. I couldn’t stop, I was learning so much. Maybe because I was connected to her and she doesn’t lead with all the things that her book entails. I’m always moved by people’s vulnerabilities to share, because once you share something you can’t take it back.

What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received?

“When you know better, you do better.” So stay open, and stay open to the process, and allow everything to have a process. We want results so fast. As an artist, as a human, you’re supposed to have a process.

What show is your partner not allowed to watch without you? 

We’re watching a show on BET+ called The Ms. Pat Show, which is a funny show. I’ll tell you what they can watch without me: anything scary. Watch that on your own time, that ain’t got nothing to do with me.

What’s your favorite piece of art that you own?

A photo of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The photographer who shot it is Richard Corman. It was really cool to be shot by the same photographer that had shot that series, and we did an homage to that, so it was really special and unexpected that he gave me one of the raw prints from his shoot with Basquiat.

What is the worst thing to do at a dinner party?

Not acknowledge everybody at the dinner party. It’s so strange. I’ve been to a lot of them where you’re having dinner and you’re sitting across from someone and they’re on their phone, or they talk through and around you. Just don’t do that. We’re all here. We all got names, whether the name cards are on the table or not. You don’t have to talk talk, but I try to do that at parties. Just make sure everyone knows, Hi, I’m Jeremy. Have we met before? If we have, refresh my memory or if not, I’m available to connect if you choose to.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Jeremy Pope Has a Sweet Tooth