Now that fall is officially here, that means that temperatures have begun to drop. Here are some tips to help protect your equipment from colder weather and the weather changes that comes with it.
A good camera bag is your first defense against the weather.
First suggestion is to get a good camera bag. This gives you great protection from any kind of element; snow, rain, or wind. If you get a good one with decent padding between the sections can also provide good protection against itself. Having one that can hold a couple of lenses and other equipment like batteries and memory cards is great, the good padding will make sure they are not bumping into each other on the inside. I add a few little extras including a rain poncho and reflective belt. If you are like me and when you go shooting you go for a chunk of time, so mine also accommodates a water bottle and maybe a sandwich. Some camera bags come with an extra rain guard for those harsh down pours. No matter what kind of bag you get, its nice to be able to carry your essential equipment all together and have them out of the weather.
I always carry extra batteries when shooting in cold weather.
Another thing to worry about is that the cold can shorten the charge in your batteries. This can be a major issue if you doing a lot of photographing outside in the cold. When not using them keep them in a warmer area like in a pocket close to your body heat or even can put them in your glove to keep them warm. I always carry at least one spare with me so that if my camera battery drain is fast I have a back up with and can keep shooting. Using features like live view mode can use a lot of battery power so it is a good idea to avoid it when worried about having enough power.
I also carry at least two micro fiber cloths in bag, they are the best for cleaning your lens but by carrying two I have one to dry off any snow or rain and one to clean with. This will help your photos to stay unobstructed and as clear as you can make them.
Moisture and condensation is a hidden enemy in colder weather.
Condensation is also something that you need to watch out for. When you bring your camera from cold to somewhere heated like your home or car you run the risk of forming condensation on your camera. This can be very detrimental to your camera. If this occurs, open all your compartments like for your battery and memory card and take everything out. Keep these compartments open until your camera dries out. Do not take your camera back outside if there is any kind of moisture in your camera because this can freeze and ruin camera.
One thing to help with this is to put your camera in a plastic bag while you are still outside. This way the condensation will form on the bag instead of the camera. Another thing you can try is warming up your camera slowly. You can achieve this by leaving it in the camera bag or putting it on a windowsill or someone where it is a bit cooler until it gets use to the warmer temperture. A third way to help with condensation is to use a bad of rice or silica gel with your camera, these help take the moisture out of the air.
I hope you take these tips and enjoy photographing in cooler weather. It can make for some really great photography! I definitely enjoy doing it!
This photo tip is on the subject of composition. 
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