Storm Photography!

Capturing the Power of Nature

There are certain photographers who aren't content with doing portraits in a studio all day, don't care to work for a tabloid - but want to shoot nature on film, or digital/digital video. Some are a bit extreme like the guys who shoot video for Survival programs aired on TV and others love shooting the weather and it's effects on land and man. How do they get those wonderful shots of storm surf breaking high into the sky as wave after wave slam into break-walls? How do they get those shots in the pouring rain of the Amazon forests or the Alaskan landscape with it's notoriously temperamental weather? How do they get those powerful shots of volcanoes bursting or hurricanes slamming into various landfalls?

The question is easily answered. They protect their photography gear with a 100% waterproof housing or use what is called a hurricane hood or a rain cape. These are partial housings that protect against almost all wet environments but aren't completely submersible. They allow for almost any camera, be it broadcast quality down to the smallest video camcorder. The bottoms open and close by using snaps, zippers or Velcro closure systems for quick "hands inside" adjustments while offering the opportunity of a quick re-closure. The bottoms open for use with a tripod as well. Some even have swing out sections for the LCD screen and are a real joy to use after struggling with a dive housing. Use the gear that the pros use and pick up your ewa-marine hurricane hood before your next nature "shoot", they are affordable, highly portable and very cheap insurance!

Ewa-Marine Rain Capes - Hurricane Hoods

Hurricane Hoods for Photos in the Rain

I was reading some posts on the web regarding Ewa-Marine rain capes / hurricane hoods and saw some of the following baloney.

Has anyone had any experience using the Ewa-Marine Rain Capes in bad weather? I'm planning a fall photo trip to the Scottish Highlands and rain will probably be a factor. Anymore ideas for equipment protection?

If you expect bad weather you might want to take along a few waterproof one-time-use cameras. Around here they sell for under $10.00. I don't chuckle at the idea of putting away the SLR for a disposable camera since one of my favorite shots I ever took was in a Maine fog with a disposable Point and Shoot.

There's a number of fairly good and inexpensive Point and Shoot cameras are showerproof. (doesn't sound like a good idea to me) Not a bad idea to have one along just in case.
I've always found the rain hoods to be a bit of a pain. It's better to have an assistant with an umbrella if possible, as long as the rain is falling vertically, not horizontally like in a hurricane!

They go on and on about wrapping gear in plastic dry-cleaning bags and other wrapping mediums to protect their digital and digital slr cameras. I don't believe these cheapskates!

You can pick up an Ewa-Marine economy model rain cape for as little as $19.00 which thoroughly cover slr or digital slr cameras - protecting it from rain coming in any direction but straight up from below the camera. You can use the camera with your hands or use a tripod. Also Featured on Chuck Lantz site as a really inexpensive "performer".

The cape is made of special double laminated PVC and has notches at its top which allows the normal use of the camera carry strap. The lens is protected by means of a PVC flap which can be pulled over it and adjusted to the required length. Beats the daylights out of disposables and dry cleaning bags!