Red-tailed hawk in central Park.

There is nothing better than a winter walk through Central Park. Especially on a day when you are lucky enough to find a red-tailed hawk watching over you. So, here are some tips for photographing in the cold:
1) Keep your camera cold – it sounds stupid, but your camera will probably be happier in the cold for far longer than you can stand it yourself. Keeping the camera cold will reduce the chance of condensation forming in it or the lenses.
2) When moving from the warm to the cold, or vice versa, put all your gear inside a sealed plastic bag. Again, it reduces the chance of condensation forming. You can take it out of the bag when the contents has reached the same temperature as its surroundings.
3) Keep your batteries warm. They will discharge very quickly in the cold, so keep your spares inside your jacket.
4) If you are using a tripod in the snow, keep the legs together. The snow will hold the tripod up. Pushing the legs apart into the snow can buckle them.
5) Use pipe insulation around your tripod legs to stop them from sucking all the heat from your hands.
6) Wear gloves with two layers, so you can take off the main layer without having to completely expose your skin to the air when using the camera.
Happy winter shooting!