Photography in high temperatures - by David Askham (2025)
18th July 2025
In: News, Members' Articles
O 
As a result of the way we live, our climate is changing. In the UK, We are likely to have more days and nights of high temperatures and storms than we have experienced in the past, and more frequently. Speaking as an elderly citizen, temperatures in the high 20s or in excess of 30 degrees centigrade quickly sap human energy. Survival becomes a priority.
Survival Mode
Heat can kill! It is up to the individual to make sure that does not happen.
If you doubt that assertion, consider the fate of the late British health expert who thought that he was fit enough to walk back to his Greek villa in the midday summer sun but, sadly, failed before reaching his destination.
Survival mode involves all measures, including reducing labour, working in the shade and drinking plenty of water. That goes a long way to combating dehydration. Also, cutting out all non-essential or discretionary activities, such as sports or landscape photography.
Since we are Leica Fellowship photographers, that is very challenging, particularly when the outside world is bathed in sunshine, with clear blue skies, and ideal conditions for personal or landscape photography.
Opinions are divided on what to do with windows and curtains. During extreme hot weather, we close all windows on the sunny side of the house and draw curtains and blinds, only opening up when temperatures fall in the evening or the windows are in the shade. The main aim is to reduce solar heating of the interior. An electric fan has minimal cooling effect but gives us an illusion of a refreshing influence. Air conditioners are better.
We maximise the inflow of cool air in the evenings and during the night, commensurate with security. It lowers the temperatures inside our house, helping us to sleep. (Not guaranteed in a heatwave) Another escape for us is to find a shady and cooler spot in the garden, especially one that normally has a slight breeze. This position will change according to the time of day and available shade. These factors should be taken onto account when redesigning a garden.
Gardens
If you are a keen gardener, you will know what damage excessive heat can do to our native plants. Short-term, we cope as well as hosepipe bans permit. Long-term we replace lost specimens with those more accustomed to Mediterranean conditions.
Rainwater, when available, is stored in numerous water butts. A decision to reduce the use of plant pots and planters has been difficult to do, but necessary to reduce the labour of watering during a drought.
Photography in the garden is restricted to early and late hours because of distressing temperatures. I find photography in our garden very useful from a documentary point of view. It is easy to forget which plants perished when temperatures were excessively high.
In the Darkroom
Film-using photographers will also need to adapt to higher ambient temperatures. The standard temperature of 20 degrees might not be achievable in summer time. Some form of refrigeration might be needed, or new chemistry developed normalised for higher ambient temperatures.
Film emulsions do not like wild swings of temperature. Care needs to be taken of cameras loaded with film rather than memory cards. Electric fans inevitably circulate dust which is unwanted in a darkroom. So some form of air conditioning will be required.
Perhaps that is the prompt to embrace digital photography.
Productive use of idle time
During a heatwave, it is natural for our minds to wander unless we already have a structured plan. Otherwise, there is a risk of just sitting around. What a perfect time for gathering our thoughts and remembering.
A lot of our time is spent waiting for something to happen. Waiting for a plane or train; waiting to see a doctor or dentist. Waiting for an interview for a new career move. I have always looked upon these unavoidable ‘dead’ times not as wasted time, but opportunities.
I have no idea what prompts specific thoughts; often I relive a past moment, in my mind, of course. Occasionally I consider options for some forthcoming event. My subconscious mind is very good at that. Or sometimes I have a promising new idea. It is vital that I harness new ideas before they escape, never to be retrieved in the future. I can easily lose myself while mentally roaming. It is never unproductive time. It should come as no surprise that this new Leica Fellowship website article resulted from my time escaping from the heat!
Reading books, obviously. We could also indulge ourselves and watch video diaries of professionals exploring some remote and dashingly picturesque places. (Armchair travel for the less dedicated travel photographers). Certainly, I am frequently inspired by their patience and knowledge. (Not all, but you soon discover your favourites such as Joe Cornish, Thomas Heaton, or Mads Peter Iversen)
Or we could catch up with overdue or long-forgotten lightroom work. Own up. You still have many unedited pictures awaiting their destiny. What a perfect opportunity you have to make amends during the hot weather. The huge benefit is that when those hidden treasures emerge, you can share them with other members of the Leica Fellowship. It's a win-win situation.
So, grab a cool drink and spend 30 minutes reviewing unedited images and video files. Then rest a while before resuming; double checking potential rejects before deleting them. Enjoy your rediscovered masterpieces. A huge benefit of heatwaves.
What do you do when you unexpectedly find that you have free time on your hands? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Expressions such as “I don't have any” are not allowed.
According to a recent report, heatwaves are predicted to be more severe and also more frequent. So, let us be prepared!
(Leica M8 with 75mm Summarit lens)
As a result of the way we live, our climate is changing. In the UK, We are likely to have more days and nights of high temperatures and storms than we have experienced in the past, and more frequently. Speaking as an elderly citizen, temperatures in the high 20s or in excess of 30 degrees centigrade quickly sap human energy. Survival becomes a priority.
[
]
] "Flat Out and Well-balanced"
Spare a thought for pets with fur coats with no opportunity to peel them off when its very hot!
(Leica D-Lux 5)
Spare a thought for pets with fur coats with no opportunity to peel them off when its very hot!
(Leica D-Lux 5)
Survival Mode
Heat can kill! It is up to the individual to make sure that does not happen.
If you doubt that assertion, consider the fate of the late British health expert who thought that he was fit enough to walk back to his Greek villa in the midday summer sun but, sadly, failed before reaching his destination.
In Khania, locals maximise the use of limited shade to carry out their routine domestic chores
(Scanned from a film camera; either Leica M6 or Leica CM)
(Scanned from a film camera; either Leica M6 or Leica CM)
Survival mode involves all measures, including reducing labour, working in the shade and drinking plenty of water. That goes a long way to combating dehydration. Also, cutting out all non-essential or discretionary activities, such as sports or landscape photography.
Since we are Leica Fellowship photographers, that is very challenging, particularly when the outside world is bathed in sunshine, with clear blue skies, and ideal conditions for personal or landscape photography.
Opinions are divided on what to do with windows and curtains. During extreme hot weather, we close all windows on the sunny side of the house and draw curtains and blinds, only opening up when temperatures fall in the evening or the windows are in the shade. The main aim is to reduce solar heating of the interior. An electric fan has minimal cooling effect but gives us an illusion of a refreshing influence. Air conditioners are better.
A novel way of keeping a sports car cool.
(Leica X-Vario)
(Leica X-Vario)
We maximise the inflow of cool air in the evenings and during the night, commensurate with security. It lowers the temperatures inside our house, helping us to sleep. (Not guaranteed in a heatwave) Another escape for us is to find a shady and cooler spot in the garden, especially one that normally has a slight breeze. This position will change according to the time of day and available shade. These factors should be taken onto account when redesigning a garden.
Extreme and prolonged drought killed one of our conifer trees. By chance, a Euonymus fortunei 'Silver & Gilt' had begun to treat it as a host, so we trimmed exposed dead conifer parts soon after we assessed the damage. Now most of the brown bits have gone and we have a most unusual evergreen feature. So, all is not lost.
(Leica MP240 + 50mm Summicron lens)
(Leica MP240 + 50mm Summicron lens)
Gardens
If you are a keen gardener, you will know what damage excessive heat can do to our native plants. Short-term, we cope as well as hosepipe bans permit. Long-term we replace lost specimens with those more accustomed to Mediterranean conditions.
Rainwater, when available, is stored in numerous water butts. A decision to reduce the use of plant pots and planters has been difficult to do, but necessary to reduce the labour of watering during a drought.
Photography in the garden is restricted to early and late hours because of distressing temperatures. I find photography in our garden very useful from a documentary point of view. It is easy to forget which plants perished when temperatures were excessively high.
In the Darkroom
Film-using photographers will also need to adapt to higher ambient temperatures. The standard temperature of 20 degrees might not be achievable in summer time. Some form of refrigeration might be needed, or new chemistry developed normalised for higher ambient temperatures.
Film emulsions do not like wild swings of temperature. Care needs to be taken of cameras loaded with film rather than memory cards. Electric fans inevitably circulate dust which is unwanted in a darkroom. So some form of air conditioning will be required.
Perhaps that is the prompt to embrace digital photography.
Productive use of idle time
During a heatwave, it is natural for our minds to wander unless we already have a structured plan. Otherwise, there is a risk of just sitting around. What a perfect time for gathering our thoughts and remembering.
('Poodles floating by ...' and other amusing shapes we patiently wait to discover)
A lot of our time is spent waiting for something to happen. Waiting for a plane or train; waiting to see a doctor or dentist. Waiting for an interview for a new career move. I have always looked upon these unavoidable ‘dead’ times not as wasted time, but opportunities.
I have no idea what prompts specific thoughts; often I relive a past moment, in my mind, of course. Occasionally I consider options for some forthcoming event. My subconscious mind is very good at that. Or sometimes I have a promising new idea. It is vital that I harness new ideas before they escape, never to be retrieved in the future. I can easily lose myself while mentally roaming. It is never unproductive time. It should come as no surprise that this new Leica Fellowship website article resulted from my time escaping from the heat!
One way to get your legs tanned
(Leica X-Vario)
(Leica X-Vario)
Reading books, obviously. We could also indulge ourselves and watch video diaries of professionals exploring some remote and dashingly picturesque places. (Armchair travel for the less dedicated travel photographers). Certainly, I am frequently inspired by their patience and knowledge. (Not all, but you soon discover your favourites such as Joe Cornish, Thomas Heaton, or Mads Peter Iversen)
Or we could catch up with overdue or long-forgotten lightroom work. Own up. You still have many unedited pictures awaiting their destiny. What a perfect opportunity you have to make amends during the hot weather. The huge benefit is that when those hidden treasures emerge, you can share them with other members of the Leica Fellowship. It's a win-win situation.
So, grab a cool drink and spend 30 minutes reviewing unedited images and video files. Then rest a while before resuming; double checking potential rejects before deleting them. Enjoy your rediscovered masterpieces. A huge benefit of heatwaves.
What do you do when you unexpectedly find that you have free time on your hands? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Expressions such as “I don't have any” are not allowed.
According to a recent report, heatwaves are predicted to be more severe and also more frequent. So, let us be prepared!
Comments
By Ken Davis: Sage advice David, remember our limitations. By Pam: Lucy obviously knows how to keep cool. Very sensible cat
It has been difficult the last couple of weeks but cooler today By Denis Gilbert my: All most interesting and absorbing , echoing many of my thoughts while sitting and resting due to my mobility problems , thank you for sharing your article with us . By Keith Walker: I guess we all have to find a way to maximise life without undue risk. A big bonus is most cars and mainline trains have air conditioning making travel comfortable. By Dennis Steel: To keep cool we use the old method of a cold flannel on our foreheads By David Askham: Ken, Pam, Denis, Keith and Dennis, thank for your appreciative comments. That is encouraging. Thank you.