Photography News Issue 29 absolutephoto.com
Technique 28
Charlie on: “The possibility always exists of making the best image that I have ever made in my life.” The Landscape Photographer of the Year competition has, of course, seen its fair share of wintry winners over the years, and while Charlie stresses that all seasons are represented in the competition, he admits that winter in has a special effect, even on familiar scenes, and snow is certainly not always required: “Winter unclothes and reveals the landscape. The thickness of summer foliage is gone, allowing the subtle shapes of troughs and rises in the land to express themselvesmore clearly.” Winter winners Whenyoudo find snowand ice, there’s no doubt that it can transform scenes that you’d perhaps not considered photogenic before; the blanket of white concealing textures or confusing details, and simplifying shapes, so the eye ismore easily drawn to a focal point. “There have been two overall winners of Landscape Photographer of theYear,whoseworkdepictssnowylandscapes,” says Charlie “Robert Fulton back in 2011 and our current winner, Andy Farrer.” It’s noticeable that both of the snow-covered winners are more graphic and use the lines of the snow strongly in their compositions. “Both winners chose big, classic landscapes as their subjects and the lines of the snow allow the viewer’s eye to appreciate the viewmore fully,” says Charlie. When exposing in snowy conditions, it’s important to remember that your camera will tend to underexpose the scene, due to how reflective the snow is. The dynamic range will also naturally be higher across the landscape, with the very bright patches of snow sitting alongside uncovered areas of the scene that are darker. When shooting then, it can be helpful to apply some positive exposure compensation, but shooting in Raw can help too; allowing you to subtly lower the intensity of the highlights and boost the shadowdetail after the event. Conversely, a covering of frost can have the opposite effect to simplifying a scene as it will heighten the sense of detail. For example, Antony Spencer’s image of Corfe Castle, which won in 2010, was taken on a frostymorning and the ice crystals add texture to the foreground grasses. “Frost,” says Charlie, “always brings opportunities – there’s the crisp detail loved by macro photographers, and the patterns and the crispness of hoar frost have also been well represented since the competition begun.” To make the most of that foreground detail, make sure you focus on that part of the scene; and while using the very smallest apertures is tempting in order to create the greatest depth- of-field in a landscape, shooting closer to f/8 or f/11 can make those details clearer and those
Shooting closer to f/8 or f/11 can make those details clearer and those middling apertures tend to give the sharpest results on many lenses
Landscape Photographer of the Year images: Right 2010 winner: Winter mist at Corfe Castle, Dorset, by Antony Spencer. Below 2015 winner: Bat’s Head, Dorset, by Andy Farrer. Far right top Adult Classic view, highly commended 2015: An Teallach from Bidein a’Ghlas Thuill, Highlands, by Guy Richardson. Far right Adult Your view Commended 2013: Icy abstract, Calderdale, West Yorkshire, by Robert Birkby.
middling apertures tend to give the sharpest results onmany lenses. As well as Andy’s winning image, there were 23 further snow and ice images in the latest competition – a very high proportion – and they all feature within the Awards book – Landscape Photographer of the Year; Collection 9 . “That includes the cover image, by Guy Richardson,” adds Charlie, “where the warm colour of the rising sun belies the cold temperatures that Guy must have experienced!” Putting in the hours Braving the cold and reaching places where snow and ice are more common, is a big part of winter shooting, but chances can be taken closer to home if your timing is right, too. One favourable aspect of winter shooting is the accessibility of the dawnandduskhours, but ice or frost is also fleeting and the best conditions, like the crystalline patterns and hoar frost that Charlie mentions, won’t tend to survive long after the sun kisses them. Likewise snowfall, while beautiful in its freshly fallen state, can soon become a trampled mess. Acting fast when the conditions are right is therefore vital, and to prove it, there are a number of very hardy photographers whose success in Landscape Photographer of the Year has been underpinned, says Charlie, by “long nights in a tent, in horrendous gales and blizzards just below a mountain peak awaiting dawn. The
stunning results, of which Guy Richardson’s cover image is one, tell a story of photography as a challenge, sharingmoments thatmany of us will never experience directly.” Cosy compositions Stayingwarmandsafeinthesnowisparamount, of course, because, as Charlie points out “it is hard to be creative if you’re frozen.” Therefore, never underestimate the conditions, even in places that seem benign. If anything, wrap up warmer than you’d normally do for a walk, as typically with landscapes you’ll be spending a good amount of time standing around rather than keeping your body temperature up with movement. Charlie uses “a very thick jacket of the highest quality I can afford and three hats all on top of each other! It is hard to travel light if you are to be fully prepared, which youmust be, but good clothing and footwear is critical.” A waterproof outer layer, a down jacket and a thermal inner is the best combination and you should also plan what you’re wearing on your hands. Although there are lots of good gloves designed for photographers and marksmen out there, you can also rely on a pair of thin, woollen liner gloves for when you’re actually shooting, and a larger pair to go over those for when you’re not shooting. Alternatively, something like Sealskinz Fairfield Gloves (£25) who’s silicone palm and finger sections give a good grip on your camera, while also being
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