Photo How To

Today we’re going to discuss lens fogging—a serious problem that plagues outdoor photographers this time of year. When this occurs you’ll either miss a spontaneous opportunity while waiting for a lens to clear up, or you’ll snap the shutter and end up with a worthless photo.

If you’ve experienced this issue yourself, you know it happens in hot, humid weather when you leave an air-conditioned house, hotel room, or car, and your gear instantly fogs up. Wiping off the lens with a cleaning cloth solves the problem for barely a second, before your cold lens fogs up again—ruining any chance of capturing a great photo.

Those of you who shoot landscapes or wildlife in frigid weather experience the same thing, when you go inside a heated cabin or car to warm up. Once again, all your gear is immediately covered in condensation. And like in warm weather, it takes what seems like forever for the fogging to clear up.

Fortunately there are a few solutions, as you’ll see the helpful video below from our friends at Backcountry Gallery. In barely 10 minutes you’ll learn a handful of tricks to make lens fogging a problem of the past.

Instructor Steve Perry is an experienced pro, specializing in landscape, wildlife, and nature photography who shoots in all sorts of weather.  In this episode he briefly explains the science of why lenses fog up, before demonstrating several steps for eliminating the problem in both summer and winter.

As Perry explains, condensation forms when the temperature of a surface is at or below the dew point. While this fact may seem irrelevant, unless you’re a meteorologist, it actually helps understand why Perry’s solutions are effective.

Bottom line: Keeping your photo gear above the dew point may seem easier said than done, but Perry’s suggestions really work.

You can find more helpful tips and tricks by visiting Perry’s YouTube channel, so be sure and take a look.

And if you’re serious about shooting in the field, check out our earlier story with seven “secret” accessories that protect your equipment and make it easier to capture great photos.