Trick or Treat? Definitely, a ‘treat’ for Adventure Photographers
Photography and travel go hand in hand. For many people, the decision to move up to a DSLR, is the point where they start taking photography a bit more seriously. Packing the right kind of gear and tools for your adventure are vital to capture some breath taking photos.You might not want to bring a heavy DSLR with multiple lenses, if you’re climbing thousands of feet of exposure. Bringing supplementary gear such as tripods, batteries and memory cards, depends on figuring out what kind of an adventure it is that you are embarking on. Having too much is just extra weight in your bag pack and having too little can cause a great trip to end short!
You can do all the research in the world you want but it still won’t prepare you for what it’s like when you’re there in the arena.
When you reach inside the ‘shooting range’, look out for a good vantage point where you can setup your camera. A place from where you can capture the action/athlete with a perfect landscape you want in the backdrop.
It is always okay to backtrack on your hike to evaluate multiple destinations.
I believe what makes a photo more interesting is, if you can make your audience feel that they are right there. Showing a photograph from a different perspective is very important. Adding a human element also helps to show realise the scale of landscapes, etc., in your photograph. It tells how big the place really is. Below is a photograph, showing a man walking down the lush green meadows .Adding a subject in a frame really helps you showcase how huge the surroundings are.
‘Light’ is key in photography — Soft, warm, morning light creates some spectacular images. Sunrise is not the only time to catch some great light. Sunsets are also good! Waking up early calls for less crowd and you have ample space for yourself. While you are clicking pictures early morning or after sunset, keeping a tripod or monopod handy will help you get some stable shots.
There have been a lot of questions about stabilizing, focusing and getting some sharp images when one is photographing at night or during times of long exposure. The first thing you can do to focus is, find the farthest brightest spot. Use a manual focus and adjust ‘mirror lock-up’. When you are doing night photography, you will need to use a long exposure. Using a tripod will help reduce shakes. Minimizing movements in your surroundings will yield the best results for sharp photos. Adjust your ‘mirror-lock up’ settings if you have a DSLR. If you have a ‘mirror-less’ camera you do not need to worry about it.
Now days, most of the lenses have an inbuilt option of image stabilization or vibration reduction. Leaving this mode on whilst the camera is mounted on a tripod, and there is absolutely nothing that could cause the camera to move, could actually work against your efforts and might just leave your photos out of focus. So, remember to turn off the stabilization button and you will get those sharp photos you wanted.
One of the most important things that a lot of us ignore is the use of lens filters. From UV to GND filters, there are n numbers of filters available in the market. While photographing landscapes, I prefer using a GND filter especially, when the skies or clouds have a harsh light as compared to the darker land. When I am capturing a water fall or want to slowdown the shutter speed during the day, I prefer to use an ND filter. It reduces the light entering the sensor of the camera. Even during the day, you can slow down the shutter speed without getting over exposed photographs.
Try different shots of the same subjects with different shutter speeds, ISO(s) and apertures. Keep experimenting with your shots till you are satisfied with the result. Experimenting with the shutter is the key! Increasing the shutter speed to freeze the motion or slowing it down to make a dreamy look, it is all up to you.
If you have always felt a drawn towards mountains and have a passion for climbing, here is a short guide on how to make a career in mountaineering in India.
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