The best way to keep your camera dry in a rainstorm.

I live in the Northwest and it rains here. No really, it does. I know you don't believe me, but I tell the truth. Some days it just rains more than others. I'm not sure which is a worse rain - the soft drizzling rain that soaks through even though it doesn't feel as if it would or the hard drenching rain that soaks through with one drop.

Both can wreck havoc on your camera gear. So what to do when it rains? Stay indoors? Never!

Here are some handy tips on keeping your camera equipment dry and workable during the wetter seasons (which in the northwest starts on January 1 and ends on December 31).

Electronics and water are not the best of friends, so it's best to try and keep them separated. To do this a plastic camera cover or sleeve is a great option. You can buy pre-made ones at your favorite camera store for anywhere between a few bucks up to $50. All of them work, but make sure you can manage working with them. There's nothing worse than heading out into the field and trying to figure out how to use your accessory or worse, the accessory is more trouble than it's worth. Try it out at home before you go.

Another option is to take a plastic bag (large enough to cover both your lens and the camera) and place your camera in the bag with the lens at the closed end. Next, take your lens hood (or a filter) and thread it on the lens (your lens will be on one side of the bag and the lens hood on the other). This creates an easily removable hole in the bag that is just big enough for your lens to fit through. Secure the end of the bag to the end of the lens with a rubberband and you're ready to go.

Speaking of plastic bags - it is also a good idea while you're out and about in the rain to also have a bag large enough to fit your camera bag into. It really helps to keep all your gear dry - a tall kitchen trash bag works well.

Now that you have protected your gear, how about protecting the front of your lens. Unless you really want them there, raindrops on the lens can ruin a photo or add extra time in front of the computer cloning them out.

Your lens hood can really help here. Not only will a lens hood block unwanted sun spots, it can reduce unwanted raindrops. And for those stray raindrops that happen to sneak onto the lens? A microfiber cleaning cloth between your exposures can help dry them up. If you're not ready to make another exposure, snap on your lens cap until you are ready.

So the next time it's raining, you'll be far more confident to head out for some weather photography. The above image was taken during a windy rainy day at Cape Disappointment in Southwest Washington at the mouth of the Columbia River. The waves crash violently along the cliffs during storms, so the next time a good storm is forecasted you know where to go.

The Wet Beach

Cape Disappointment, Spring Road Trip, 3/22/08

Olympia & I arrived at Cape Disappointment State Park just as the clouds started covering the sky from the horizon. I had been hoping to catch the last rays of day on the North Head Lighthouse. Tonight, that would not be. So upon arriving at the park I searched first for a suitable campsite and prepared for the possible precipitation.

Finding the perfect tent site was a bit tough - the stakes refused to go into the ground in my original spot so I instead moved the tent in between some trees. I might also be able to get a little extra protection from rain tucked in the trees as I was. But the tent was up and it was time to explore the beach.

Olympia's second favorite substance to run in is sand and she pulled against her leash as we made our way through the driftwood and dune grass. The beach was almost empty, so I let Olympia go to allow her the joy of running along in the sand. We made our way to the north end of the beach just below the lighthouse before heading back to camp, quietly rounding out our day.

The rain held off until after we were nicely tucked away in the tent. Although after a night of rain the trees didn't offer too much protection, my original tent placement would have placed me right in the middle of a puddle.

Willapa Peninsula

1/13-1/15/07 SW Washington

I have fond memories of Long Beach Peninsula, spending time with my grandmother and cousins on this narrow spit of land that swings up the coast from the mouth of the Columbia. I had visited many times during the summers of my youth and found comfort there again after the death of a beloved uncle. This year I decided to share my lovely peninsula with a few of my fellow Mountaineer Photographers. The peninsula holds many opportunities for photographers, from sweeping ocean vistas to historic old homes and a few lighthouses thrown in for fun.

We rented yurts at the Cape Disappointment State Park for the weekend and arrived Saturday afternoon to a bitterly cold welcome – not from the park staff but from the temperature of the yurts. The yurts were advertised as being heated – however, there is only so much heated defense that can be produced by a small 1200 watt heater against a frigid cold winter the likes of which are rarely seen in the northwest. We quickly settled in and set out to explore our immediate environs, hoping the activity would keep us warmer. Our first stop was a Waikiki Beach to photograph the Cape Disappointment lighthouse atop the cliff. As we finished here, the light began fading although a few breaks could be seen with a slight orange color reflected in the wet sand. So, we gathered together for dinner in Ilwaco and a chilly night in our mausoleum-cold yurts.

It really doesn’t take too long for my sleeping bag to warm up and luckily Saturday night was no different. I woke up pre-dawn and comfortably changed into some warm clothes for my Sunday romp. Two of my compatriots and I had plans of heading to Ledbetter Wildlife Refuge at the tip of the peninsula for sunrise and what a beautiful sunrise it was. During the night, our cloud cover cleared off to reveal a star-filled night sky and for our interests that morning a bright yellow and orange sunrise over the bay. As the morning warmed, I walked along the beach with a myriad of seashells and birds in the surf and birds in the grass. I hadn’t been relaxed for several weeks and here my troubles seemed to melt away – at least something was melting. The water in the bay had begun to freeze and had washed ice chips ashore and built a little wave barricade between surf and shore.

After I rejoined my morning photo partners, we headed into Oysterville – a town I knew all too well. This is where Grandma had lived. Oysterville is a small town with wonderful old houses, a church filled with character and oyster shell lined streets. OK, they are now paved, but that’s how I remember them. We journeyed on to the local cemetery then sought out the windless kite flying festival in Long Beach. Yes, you read that right – windless kite flying. This was absolutely fascinating to watch. These kites are so light that just the tension on the cords is enough to keep the kite aloft. We ventured back down to Cape Disappointment to visit the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and tour the North Head lighthouse before heading back into Ilwaco for a walk around the marina. It was decided that sunset at the North Head lighthouse would be the best place and we watched a orange and red sunset on a day that had been sparkling clear if not just a little chilly.

After dinner in Ilwaco, we all journeyed back to our yurts. However, my yurt had developed a beeping problem – the battery in the smoke detector died and the detector emitted an intermittent beep to let us know this fact. As we knew we’d never sleep with the noise, we packed up and headed to our other yurt across the way and four of us settled into a little warmer of a night – body heat really does help. Sunrise the next morning was admired along the Columbia River and after a short stroll on the beach, we were all ready to go home to warm up as best we could.