| Why is it so difficult to capture mountain images | | | | To remedy this, we need to include an object of |
| like the ones we see in those lavishly-produced | | | | known size, your walking partner for instance, to |
| coffee table books? Is it just down to equipment, | | | | impart scale - lack of foreground interest also |
| or is the photographer simply better at it than we | | | | makes pictures look boring, so try to include |
| are? Was he just lucky with the weather that | | | | something like a cairn, a tarn, an interesting bit of |
| day? And if so, why am I never that lucky? Well, | | | | rock, anything which will improve the composition. |
| luck does come into it, having the right equipment | | | | One trick landscape photographers use is to angle |
| is a necessity, and if the weather's not right, | | | | the camera downwards, to avoid the inclusion of |
| there's not a lot you can do about it, but you | | | | too much empty sky, and to fill the frame with |
| don't have to be a John Cleare or Colin Prior to | | | | more of the foreground. Of course, the sky is |
| produce fantastic mountain images that will | | | | often an interesting feature in its own right, and a |
| capture the essence of your perfect day in the | | | | dramatic cloud formation can often rescue an |
| hills. | | | | otherwise mediocre scene. |
| Mountains are by nature photogenic, but it is not | | | | The primary consideration affecting the quality of |
| always easy to capture their scenic grandeur in a | | | | any photograph is lighting, even more so when |
| photograph. Serious professional photographers | | | | shooting landscapes. The lighting on a particular |
| have to use very expensive, large-format | | | | scene can change dramatically depending on |
| equipment to produce the image quality required | | | | several factors - the weather, time of day, |
| for reproduction in a printed book or magazine, | | | | season of the year, and location of the scene. |
| but for non-professional purposes, a decent | | | | Generally speaking, lighting for mountain |
| 35mm SLR camera, preferably with a wide angle | | | | photography is better early or late in the day, and |
| lens, will produce highly acceptable results. | | | | from autumn through to spring, when the sun is |
| I use a Sigma 12-24mm wide-angle zoom lens on | | | | low in the sky, producing side-lighting which |
| a Nikon D2X, usually at its wider settings, or a | | | | emphasises the shape of the mountain. During the |
| Tokina 20-35mm. Wide angle lenses are | | | | middle of the day, and particularly in summer, the |
| necessary to include the large physical area | | | | sun tends to be very overhead, and produces |
| occupied by mountain scenes, and impart a sense | | | | lighting which flattens the contours of the |
| of scale and space. It is a good idea to include | | | | landscape. |
| some foreground detail like figures or buildings to | | | | Sunlight on a crisp winters day, with snow on the |
| emphasise the scale of the scene. | | | | peaks, often produces the most satisfying results |
| But owning the latest Canon or Nikon 35mm will | | | | - the air is cold and clear, intensifying the blue of |
| not turn you into Ansel Adams overnight. Ask | | | | the sky, and definition of the landscape is at its |
| any photographer what is the most important | | | | most pronounced. In summer, heat produces a |
| element in the picture-taking process, and he will | | | | dust and photochemical haze in the atmosphere, |
| reply - the person behind the camera. The | | | | reducing definition, and causing the sky to appear |
| camera should become an extension of your eye, | | | | grey and colourless, even in bright sunshine. |
| allowing you to frame the image in the viewfinder | | | | It is also important to remember that the light |
| the way you see the scene in your mind's eye. | | | | moves around the points of the compass from |
| This is where viewpoint, composition, and lighting | | | | dawn to dusk, rising in the east, passing through |
| enter the equation., and although the best | | | | south in the middle of the day, and setting in the |
| photographers do this instinctively, there are basic | | | | west. Light illuminates different facets of a |
| principles which you can adopt, and apply to your | | | | mountain at differing times of day, so that an |
| picture-taking, which will dramatically improve your | | | | east-facing mountain will receive light in the |
| photography. | | | | morning, west-facing will be lit in the afternoon, |
| Viewpoint is the first consideration - most places | | | | and south-facing will receive light all day. Often a |
| and objects, whether they are mountains, | | | | shot from a desired viewpoint must be timed to |
| buildings, people, or your prize begonias, have an | | | | suit the timing when the light will be at its most |
| optimum viewpoint, from which angle they are | | | | advantageous - side-lighting generally yields better |
| shown to best effect. With large objects like | | | | results than flat over-the-shoulder lighting. |
| mountains, there will be several viewpoints from | | | | Finally, don't leave the camera behind because the |
| which interesting and often dramatic images can | | | | weather is bad - often the best results occur |
| be captured. These viewpoints are often well | | | | when the light suddenly breaks through clouds |
| known, and books like The Welsh Peaks and the | | | | after rain, glinting off wet rock. This is where the |
| Lakeland Peaks by W.A. Poucher contain specific | | | | luck comes in - all the planning in the world won't |
| information about the best viewpoints for | | | | help if the weather isn't being co-operative, but |
| mountain photographs in these areas. There is | | | | any serious photographer will be ready for that |
| also every chance that your normal walking | | | | single moment when the light miraculously appears |
| routes will pass several striking viewpoints during | | | | before the gloom descends once more - if your |
| the day. | | | | camera is permanently buried at the bottom of |
| Having selected your viewpoint, you need to | | | | your rucksack under the first-aid kit and the |
| compose the image in the camera, a process | | | | emergency fruit cake, and you only bother to dig |
| known as 'framing'. Although images are often | | | | it out to record that summit moment, then you're |
| cropped prior to publication, the photographer | | | | probably going to miss a multitude of mountain |
| usually composes the image in the viewfinder, and | | | | photo opportunities. So keep the camera |
| there are some handy devices employed by top | | | | accessible - that way, if the perfect panoramic |
| photographers to improve the composition of | | | | landscape does appear during your day out, you'll |
| their images. A common failing of the pictures we | | | | be able to record it - and even if every image on |
| bring back from our day in the hills is that they | | | | the film isn't an award-winning spectacular, |
| seem empty and flat, when at the time we were | | | | photographs are a great way of recording your |
| surrounded by soaring peaks and dramatic views. | | | | walks. |