In the last couple
of months, I have been receiving a lot of e-mails from photographers asking
what equipment I use in the mountains and whether I have any special tips or
techniques when shooting in the Himalaya . So
this post covers some tips and tricks to get better photographs in the
mountains.
Tip 1:
Don’t keep your camera in the bag
Many photographers, in order to protect their equipment, keep it in a camera bag when they are out
shooting. This is the wrong thing to do
because invariably the moment will be gone by the time the camera is taken out
of the bag! So keep the camera and one lens around your neck and keep the rest
of the equipment in the bag to be used if needed. You will need to select the lens you want to use before starting out!
Tip 2:
Simplify your equipment
I have seen a lot
of photographers in the field with a full bag of lenses: wide angle, prime
normal, zoom, telephoto etc. The problem of carrying such a lot of equipment is
that you are invariably spoiled for choice and by the time you decide what to
use the moment may have passed you once again!
I recently did a seventeen day trek and photo assignment in the Everest
region of Nepal
Tip 3:
Shooting into the light
Mountains present a
lot of opportunity for back lit photography. However the biggest enemy of
backlit shooting is flare. So you need to protect your lens. How?
- Use a lens hood – this may not always
work!
- Remove the UV filter if you can as
sometimes flare does come from the filter if it is not properly
multi-coated.
- Try to shield the lens from the direct sun
by stepping into the shade if possible. And if this is not possible you
can try as I do by using my left hand to keep the sun away from the lens.
Make sure that your hand does not come in the photo! Better still if you
have a friend with you ask him to shield your lens and then you can use
both hands to take the photo!
Basically this
famous photography axiom asks you to be ready to shoot. So rather than adjust
white balance, aperture, shutter speed ,
metering modes, focus modes etc before
taking a photo, you to need to set all this before hand. On a normal day in the
Himalaya, I will usually set the following before I start out: WB auto, ISO
auto set to maximum of 800, aperture priority around 6.3 or so, matrix
metering, AF-S for single focus. This allows me to shoot in most situations
provide the light is reasonable. And, if I have time I would bracket three to four exposure either by
using auto bracketing or manually -0.3,
-0.7, -0.1, +0.3, + 0.7. This usually nails the photograph right in the camera.
Tip 5:
Use the light to your advantage
In the mountains, the early morning light and late evening light
is usually very flattering and I have to confess that I am partial to the late
evening light before sun down. Sometimes you need to wait for the right light.
A lot of mountain landscapes are made due to the patience of the photographer.
It also helps to know how the subject will look at a certain time of day. For
example, certain monasteries in Ladakh get the western sun and so look best in
the evening. Similarly, the Sandakphu view near Darjeeling
Tip 6:
Don’t put away your camera in bad weather
Mountain weather is
unpredictable. There may be bright sunshine in the morning and snow and sleet
in the afternoon. Sometimes great photos are taken in inclement weather. If you
are shooting in the rain or snow try to protect your camera by covering it with
a cloth or a temporary plastic cover. When I am walking and it is raining or
snowing I keep my camera over my shoulder inside my jacket so that I can take
it out and shoot as needed. When you get back to camp, remove the plastic, wipe
the camera and lens clean with a dry cloth and leave in the open in your room or tent for it to
breathe and the moisture to dry out.
Tip 8:
Batteries
Batteries are a
major problem in the Himalaya . Ideally you
need to carry two batteries with you as often on long treks you do not have
access to electricity to charge batteries. At night it often helps to take the
batteries out of the camera and put it into a warm jacket or sleeping bag. And
on the subject of batteries and extending battery life, stop looking at the LCD
after every shot! In the Himalaya to save
batteries my LCD is disabled and comes on only when I press the button. Also
avoid scrolling through all the photos at camp every night as this drains the
battery as well!
Tip 9:
If you can, take along a small table top light weight tripod
Ideally most
photographers would recommend a full heavy weight tripod but I have given this
up in the Himalaya a long time ago! It is too
heavy to carry and also in some situations difficult to set up. So I have a
small Slik table top which can also fit into a jacket pocket which I use when I
need support. The Joby Gorilla pod is also an option and has the advantage of
flexible legs!
Tip 10:
Finally, don’t get mesmerized by the mountain ranges - look for detail near you
as well
Often in a mountain
environment, we tend to get mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the mountain
ranges and shoot them as much as we can: at sunrise, at sunset, during the day.
However, very often there is a lot of interesting details in the rocks,
flowers, plants etc in the terrain through which we walk. Very often it is
possible to combine this in a wide angle view to create a spectacular shot
which is out of the ordinary. So don’t put the mountain in the top of the frame
every time and shoot. Look at what is near your feet as well!
My outfit, South
Col Expeditions, is running a five day
trek cum photo workshop in the Annapurna foothills of of Nepal
Happy shooting!
