Equipment Maintanence
An important and often overlooked aspect of getting great nature photos is equipment maintenance. Especially if you plan to reproduce your images as high-quality fine art prints, make sure that you are getting the best quality photos that your gear is capable of. This means: keep your lenses and camera bodies clean and dry.
For the outdoor photographer, the lens is what must be constantly taken care of. There are a number of things to look out for, namely: dirt and dust, scratches, and water.
Dirt and Dust
Dirt and dust on the lens is the most common problem. Nature photographers in Colorado and Wyoming are constantly battling the dry, dust-filled climate. Dust on the lens isn’t the end of the world, but you should try to avoid it as much as possible. Dirt on the lens can be worse though, as the minerals in dirt are often harder than the glass at the front of the lens.
The best way to avoid dust on the lens is to keep the lens cap on the camera as much as possible. When the lens does get dirty you’ll want to have the following to clean it: professional cleaning solution (don’t use Windex or other household cleaners as the additives may damage your lens), a microfiber cloth, compressed gas or a blower bulb, and some pristine cleaning tissue. All of this can be purchased for about $20 at your local photo store, so make sure you don’t leave home without this failsafe kit.
Scratches
I recommend that all photographers invest in high quality skylight or polarizing filters for their lenses. This is essentially putting an inexpensive piece of glass in front of a very expensive piece of glass. Believe me; you do not want your lens to get scratched. The cost of replacing a piece of glass on a lens is usually around the cost of the lens itself!
When dirt gets on your lens, try to remove as much as possible with compressed gas, then apply that professional cleaning solution. Never use a dirty piece of tissue to clean your lens as this will certainly lead to scratches.
Water
Water is another constant enemy for outdoor photographers—especially in the Colorado Mountains, where rainstorms can take you by surprise. Lenses are not usually watertight, and once water gets inside the lens, it can damage motors and leave spots and residue inside.
To avoid water leaking into your lens, always use a rain hood when shooting in a downpour or even drizzles. Rain hoods aren’t expensive and they could save you lots of money in the long run.
Also, be careful when moving your camera from one temperature to another (like from a warm house into moist winter air). Keep your camera in your camera bag, and introduce it to the new temperature slowly, to avoid condensation.
