Photographing the scenic winter landscapes of Scandinavia can be an unforgettable experience. It is easy to get stunned by the beauty of snowy mountains, frozen waterfalls and icy rivers. And above all, watching the Northern Lights dancing at the night sky is one of the most fascinating moments you can experience - as photographer and as human being.

But the conditions above the Arctic Circle can be challenging, especially when you are waiting for the Northern Lights to show up at minus 20 degrees celsius or less. Being prepared with the correct clothing is crucial in order to keep your body warm and to make the photo shoot an epic one!

The huge range of outdoor products on the market with different features and produced with various materials can make easily be overwhelming. This is why I created this guide to give you some insights into what I consider when preparing a winter photography trip to the North.

Upper body - “Layers and layers”

My best advice to keep your body warm is to wear several thinner layers of cloths instead of one thick layer. The layers trap warm air in the space between which works perfectly as insulation against the cold.

1. Base Layer: the best choice for the first layer for me is long underwear made from wool or merino wool. You can wear one or more layers that almost work like a second skin and should isolate your core body. The main advantages of wool products compared to other materials like polyester is that wool has much better insulating function and keeps your body warm even if you sweat. My favorite merino wool baser layers are those made by Icebreaker. The quality of their merino wool is one of the best on the market. I really like that they offer their garments in different thicknesses so you can choose depending on temperature and activity. If you are aiming for a winter hike with high intensity, their 175 Everyday Base Layer with a thickness of 175 g/m2 might be the right choice, whereas the 260 Tech Base Layer is probably better when you are out chasing Northern Lights and don’t move for quite some time. Here is the link to the Icebreaker base layer products. Other brands that are well-known for their high-quality base layers are Ulvang, Devold and Woolpower.

Gloves

For me as outdoor photographer, gloves are a really important part of the right clothing when shooting in winter. It’s obvious that you cannot take photos when your fingers are frozen. The wide range of different gloves on the market can easily be overwhelming when you don’t know what exactly you are looking for. There are two main features that we are looking for as photographers:

• On the one hand you need to keep your hands and fingers warm while you are not photographing and waiting for the right moment to get the perfect shot.

• On the other hand you want to have the flexibility to easily adjust the camera settings and push the shutter release button without taking off the gloves every time you take a photo.

There are a lot of products on the market, even special gloves made for photographers. Remember that the highest flexibility is of no use when the material doesn’t keep your fingers warm. From my experience, traditional wool mittens with a foldable “hood” works best for me. When you are not photographing, your fingers are kept together in the mitten to stay warm and wool is an excellent insulation against freezing outside temperatures. Once you need your fingers to set up your camera, you just fold down the hood and use your fingers. If you follow the link you will find the mittens that I use since a couple of years: Pullover wool mittens

A great add-on to wool mittens is a thin liner or inner gloves that fit underneath your main gloves. The liner will provide extra warmth make sure that your fingers are not exposed directly to the cold even if you fold up the hood. You will still be able to use your camera since those liners are usually very thin. Some even have a practical touch function on the thumb and index finger so that you can use your phone without taking them off. Here you will find some liner gloves made from wool or merino wool.

I hope those tips could give you some ideas about what to consider when photographing winter landscapes. When staying warm, it’s an amazing experience and I am sure you will have tons of fun! Please remember that the amount of layers always depend on your own individual feeling (e.g. if you easily get cold) and the planned activity. You need dress differently if you want to go on a winter hike or if you are waiting for the Northern Lights to show up.

Now winter can come!

Cheers, Julien