With the shortest days of the year almost upon us, you might be thinking that the main priority for your prescription shooting glasses will be to get lenses that can help enhance the light and enable you to see clearly when the conditions are gloomy. However, that is not the full picture.
It is certainly true that the days are very short, with fewer than eight hours between sunrise and sunset at the winter solstice. Indeed, while the shortest day overall is on December 21st, the earliest sunset has actually already arrived, although mornings will continue getting darker until the end of December. The lightest time of day will be after 1 pm.
Either way, the light conditions will be poor and when it is cloudy, as will normally be the case, light-enhancing lenses will be invaluable.
Why Is The Low Winter Sun A Problem For Shooters?
However, the poor light that is mainly caused by the sun being low in the sky can also lead to the opposite situation. When it is clear, the sun can be in your eyeline instead of high above it as it would be on a summer’s day. Even in the south, it will only be just over 15 degrees above the horizon at astronomical noon, lower still further north.
In this instance, having lenses that adjust to the light levels and can save you from being dazzled are more important now than at any time of year.
That said, you may be helped by the location of the traps. If it is oriented away from the mid-day sun, so you are not looking southwards as you shoot, the problem will not be so acute. However, even at an angle, it may cause some distraction, not least if it reflects off other surfaces.
Two-tine lenses that can adjust to changing light are valuable throughout the year. They may be more useful in the middle of winter than some might imagine.
