Photography News Issue 40

Photography News | Issue 40 | absolutephoto.com

Technique

fooled into underexposing the scene; use a little positive exposure compensation or shoot in manual mode for better control and always assess the image histogram in playback to make sure your exposure is good – it’s better to check than regret it. If you’re ever in doubt, make sure you shoot in Rawmode. Winter gear Beyond making sure you’re warm and safe in thepotentiallydangerouswinterenvironment, winter landscapes don’t see a great change in the actual kit required to shoot them, from any other time of the year. Sure, you might need to think ahead in terms of the rain, with an emergency cover at the ready (even a clean bin liner can do the job at a push), but in terms of lenses and filters, there’s not much difference between packing a winter bag and your normal gear. Weight can be a concern though, and according to John;,“if I’mclimbinghigh into the Fells, I will cut my lenses down to a minimum, thanks to the extra clothing and food I need to carry. I’ll also take a mapping GPS and a head torch withme. And I always make space inmy pack for a hot drink – a Thermos of hot tea is a godsend after a few hours in the cold!” “Often I go out with just my Nikon D800 and one lens; sometimes I take my Nikon 16- 35mm, and sometimes my favourite ‘travel’ lens, the Nikon 28-300mm.” Such all-in-one options can certainly offer everything you need for a successful day’s shooting, and concentrating on the telephoto end can be especially effective in winter, allowing you to isolate misty details in the landscape, or backlit areas where the sun is broken and only lighting small parts of a hillside or valley. “I’ll always have a set of Lee filters along with the Universal bellows hood with me, including grads, a polariser and often a selection of Stoppers (Little, Big or Super) although the latter doesn’t come up to the high Fells with me too often.” For the same reasons of weight, he switches between a Gitzo Systematic tripod around the Lakes, “or a smaller, lighter one that fits in my rucksack for the higher Fells.” These will be carbon-fibre models which are much warmer to the touch than aluminium, but gloves are still vital. Try wearing a thin liner inside a warmer glove for the best mix of protection and operability. It’s also well worth leaving your camera in cooler room than the rest of the house before you head out, to prevent condensation problems, and doing the same when you return to the warm. “One of the most important parts of winter shooting is spare batteries,” says John “they tend to run flat faster in the cold. I usually carry two or three spares (though I’ve never neededmore thanone) and I don’t use live view as much, as that drains them faster. I keep the spares inside my outer clothing, where body heat prevents them running down.” Be careful out there As a parting tip, John is quick to offer some realism about facing winter conditions, “I always stress thatmaintaining bodywarmth is vital, through layering of clothing, as standing around taking photographs is very different from going on a 12 mile hike. If there’s lots of snow or ice, I also recommend some form of walking aid, like Kahtoola Microspikes or overstuds. Proper clothing and equipment is vital, and really should take priority over any photographic gear. I’d certainly leave a couple of lenses behind and pack a set of crampons if I was climbing high as personal safety is most important.” It’s always tempting, he says, to stay out a little longer than you intended, but “getting a photographic masterpiece can happen another day, so never put yourself in danger for a photograph!”

Lakeland learning

Proper clothing and equipment is vital, and really should take priority over any photographic gear

Owned and operated by John Gravett, Lakeland Photographic Holidays (LPH) has been offering residential photo courses since 1999. Based in Braithwaite, near Keswick, LPH’s courses you’ll find yourself right in the middle of one of the UK’s most beautiful landscapes. Lakeland provides full board, licensed accommodation in comfortable en-suite rooms, and while many excursions are within the Lake District national park itself, also included are trips to the nearby Solway coast. Overseas trips are also available, with some exciting winter-flavoured excursions planned including shooting the Northern Lights in Iceland. Workshops are varied in style, so there’s plenty to suit a range of interests, including dedicated black & white courses and Photoshop and Lightroom training. Excursions are also tailored to the amount of walking you want to undertake, so you can stick to the shorelines or investigate the Fells if you prefer. When it comes to capturing those quintessential snow-covered views, according to John, “the best snow in the Lake District is usually late January through to March or even later in the year (we had snow on 28 April last year).” So if you want a taste of the white stuff, get booking now.

lakelandphotohols.com

©JohnGravett

Above Safety is paramount in winter conditions, and especially so when climbing to reach fresh snow. Make room in your bag for extra clothing, food, torch, warm drink and survival blanket even if it’s at the expense of some of your photo gear.