So there I was, north of Bismarck. I’d left the comfort of my climate-controlled home, with its nice cool temperature and low humidity. I’d arrived and scoped out a really cool sunset irrigation photo. The blast of water was going to intersect the golden, setting sun. The tree line in the background was tall enough to be interesting, not tall enough to interfere. My tripod was in place and I dug out my camera…and that’s when it happened.

The nice, cool camera, having been chilled to perfection in my home, now met the hot, moist air. You can see what happened after that: it fogged up. The filter, the lens elements, the mirror, the prism, the viewfinder, and (presumably) the sensor. I took one shot last night, and this was it.

This has happened to me twice before…once at sunset, and once at last year’s Buggies & Blues. Third time’s the charm, I hope, and that I will have learned to let my camera gear acclimatize to the outside temperature before attempting to use it. Don’t be like me and lose a great shot due to a lack of foresight! Make sure your camera is matched to the conditions before you get ready to click that shutter. Have a good weekend!