One of the secrets to successful nature photography, especially in winter when the days are relatively short, is preparation. You need to know exactly where you are going and what you want to capture, to avoid wandering and searching. You read guides about the areas you're going to and study maps to familiarize yourself with the area. Leaving it to chance almost always results in disappointment, regardless of extremely photogenic locations. You will rarely have the opportunity to take stunning photos from a parking lot or a car on the side of the road. You need to get your leather boots and get off the beaten path, but even if you've been in the area before you need to take some precautions. First and foremost, tell someone where you're going. You could slip and sprain your ankle, or fall and break your arm, and in sub-zero temperatures you'll quickly be at risk of hypothermia. Of course, you will also bring your mobile phone, but be aware that in remote areas the signal can be very weak or even non-existent, so don't rely on that solution. Other must-haves include a first aid kit, flashlight and compass, as well as high-energy food and drink. You also need a wide-angle and telephoto lens, an additional memory card and maybe some filters. Something else would be good to bring if you can, and that is a tripod. No other plugins can improve the quality of your photo, so don't leave them on if you really don't have to. A tripod allows you to use the lowest ISO values, set small apertures to get depth, and guarantees sharp photos by eliminating the cherry of the camera.