This and other mountain skills courses are run by photographer and outdoors
enthusiast Rod Ireland and his team, dauntingly called The Out There People.
As a regular if easy-going walker (an hour or so a day with the dog) and an
infrequent camper, I had blenched at the extreme heartiness that the name
conjured and I’d worried that my accustomed point-and-shoot photography
would be too basic and leave me out of my depth. But over the phone Rod had
assured me that he tailors each trip carefully, limiting numbers to three
participants. In the event, I had one-on-one tuition: it was just me and Rod
who set out late on an early summer morning.
Rod’s verdict: “This has a strong and simple composition.The
foreground rock and stream curving through the middle distance leads the
viewer through the image, maintaining interest. Unfortunately, a spec of
rain on the lens shows as a translucent circle when the image is viewed
closely.”
That was after a detailed planning session. I had arrived early that day at
Rod’s base in the pretty village of Askham near Penrith – and settled down
in front of a computer. Preparation is vital, said Rob, both in terms of
mountain survival and for optimum photographic opportunities. We consulted
two weather websites (mwis.org.uk and lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk),
checked sunset and sunrise times and established that conditions would be
wet, windy and generally difficult. Forewarned, we scaled down our walking
plans deciding on a short route that would present good views while
affording some shelter.
Then we assembled our kit. I’d packed a rucksack with what I considered my
essentials, most of which Rod rejected as superfluous. Even so, for just one
night out there seemed a heck of a lot to carry. In went the equipment I was
borrowing from The Out There People – including tent, sleeping bag and
cooking apparatus. In went my dried food provisions and camera equipment.
Participants usually bring a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera, which
means they have at least two lenses plus bulky bags to carry. But I was
trying out a new, lightweight ‘bridge’ camera, the Fujifilm HS50 with one
lens that has an impressive range of focal lengths (up to x42). In addition,
Rod insisted that I take along one of his tripods, which seemed to me a
luxury but proved indispensable in the wind.
Rod’s verdict: “Taking landscape shots can sometimes be a dynamic
process and the best use has been made here of the fleeting presence of the
sheep to provide foreground interest. The elements within the shot are
nicely balanced and this makes for a pleasing composition.”
We drove off to Haweswater, the lake in the lovely Mardale valley that was
controversially enlarged into a reservoir in the 1930s. Its banks are home
to England’s only resident golden eagle, and as if on cue the magnificent
raptor was circling overhead as we parked at the southern end. It is a
bleakly beautiful area crossed by the ancient packhorse route between Kendal
and Penrith. As a wet mist descended we squelched off. Slowly. At about 12kg
my rucksack didn’t feel unduly heavy but, unused to hefting that amount on
my back, I was off kilter. I had the curious sensation of feeling I’d only
just learnt to walk.
I didn’t struggle for long. The drizzle stopped. Out came shafts of sunlight.
Out came our cameras, backpacks on the ground. The joy of a one-to-one (or
indeed small group) course is that you are closely mentored along the way.
First: composition. As we looked back to the lake through an artfully-opened
gate (we closed it later), we tackled the famous photographic Rule of
Thirds, keeping points of interest at one-third intervals in the frame – and
viola, more interest and visual drama than in a centred shot.
Rod’s verdict: “Harriet has taken advantage here of the improving
weather conditions to provide a broader contextual shot. All the essential
elements of the scene have been captured without making the mistake of
trying to include too much. The simplicity of the image works.”
Lesson learnt, we moved on to a small stream curving near our path. Such an
S-bend would, said Rod, give pleasing movement to a picture. It looked all
the better for having a foreground rock to lead the eye into the photograph.
As light rain returned we were experimenting with settings for depth of
field, seeing how much of a shot could remain acceptably in focus by
changing the aperture size. My otherwise very serviceable bridge camera had
limitations here; the smallest aperture I could set being F11, whereas Rod’s
DSLR camera had a range up to F22.
The downpour grew heavier as we splodged on. Red deer moved nimbly across the
horizon while I lumbered across boggy ground. The wind grew ever stronger,
howling in our ears. We reached Blea Water, the deepest tarn in the Lake
District and one of the most dramatic, edged by the towering slopes of
Riggindale Crag and Pilot Crag.
By now a small gale was whistling above us so we changed our plans, setting up
camp in the relative shelter of these hills rather than proceeding further
as we’d intended. Tents successfully pitched, we put a kettle on, then
hunkered down with mugs of tea while Rod explained the abstruse rights of
wild camping: basically this is legal anywhere in Scotland but elsewhere in
the UK you need to seek the landlord’s permission. In practice this isn’t
always possible and in certain areas, such as Dartmoor and parts of the Lake
District, wild camping is tolerated provided you act sensitively, pitch
late, strike camp early and leave no trace behind.
Rod’s verdict: “Here, by using a longer focal length (zooming in) this
image has an abstract feel to it, forcing the viewer to interact for longer
in order to understand what the scene is. This has worked well and
demonstrates there are alternative images to be made if you think creatively.”
A lull in wind and rain had us scampering up a ridge above our camp. From this
blustery vantage we had terrific views and Rod showed me how to use the
camera’s zoom to create different perspectives and produce more abstract
scenes. The cold conditions grew irrelevant as I became increasingly
absorbed in the patterns of the landscape and the play of light and shadow.
By about 7pm, however, rain had resumed in force. We returned to our tents,
cooked supper and in face of dark clouds overhead, gave up on seeing the sun
set.
Rod’s verdict: “This shot is all about capturing transient light. It
has been cropped in editing to emphasise this but would have benefited from
tighter framing at the time of shooting. None the less, I love the interplay
of light and terrain in the scene, especially knowing it lasted just a few
seconds before fading away.”
And so to dawn the next morning: not a conventional beauty, yet it offered
moments of spellbinding light and drama. I felt triumphant, not only at
capturing the evanescent scenes but at having coped with a night out in the
stormy wild. A benign, sunny couple of days might have been more comfortable
but our rain-and-wind conditions had emphasised the sheer force of nature
around us.
Thereafter we carefully packed up camp and returned in stages to the car,
stopping to photograph little waterfalls and analysing how you add interest
by framing a shot through trees. Back at Rod’s Askham base we took a close
look at my efforts on a computer. Not too bad for a beginner, said Rod with
what I liked to hope was mild understatement. I had undoubtedly learnt a
great deal – on an invigorating adventure.
Essentials
Out There People’s two-day/one-night Landscape Photography and Wild Camping
course costs £269 per person (including use of the equipment below). Book
through www.outtherepeople.co.uk
or enquiries@outtherepeople.co.uk.
Out There People supplies a tent, sleeping bag and thermal liner as well as
cooking equipment, food, maps and a compass. You need to bring good walking
boots, wet weather gear, a fleece, DSLR camera (or similar) and, if you have
one, a tripod – and a large (light) rucksack to carry all the above.
Harriet O’Brien tried out the new Fujifilm HS50 (fujifilm.com)
which retails at around £400 through Currys and other stores.
General photography tips from Rod Ireland
Plan
You’ll improve your success rate if you’ve thought about what image you’re
trying to capture beforehand. Research a location to identify potential
shots and determine what gear you’ll need.
Learn the fundamentals
You don’t need to learn about every feature of your camera but you do need to
understand how to control focusing, how to use aperture and or shutter modes
and how to get the correct light exposure for an image.
Composition
Keep practising in order to improve the composition of your images. Even the
most amazing landscape scenes need careful composition and framing to make a
successful image.
Work the scene
Don’t settle for the first shot you take. Experiment with different focal
lengths to get broad views as well as isolated detail shots. Shoot from high
and low down, try landscape and portrait orientation.
Use a tripod
As well as helping you cope with low light and avoiding camera shake, it’s a
real help as you look through the viewfinder to check that you’re
composition is right.
Think about light
Light is critical in creating successful images so try to get out in the
optimum conditions. The hours around sunrise and sunset are often best,
really helping to emphasise texture and shape of the landscape. Spring and
autumn often have provide better lighting conditions for landscape shots.
Always have your camera with you
You’ll kick yourself if a magical scene develops in front of you and your
camera is at home!
Take a lens cloth
Great pictures can be ruined by drops of rain or dust spots that show up as
small blurred areas. Often, these are only apparent once you’re at home
viewing the image on your computer. So, use the cloth and avoid the
heartache.
Article source: http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0086/sony-expands-large-sensor-camera-family-with-new-k-systems/216147
Perfect landscape photography in the Lake District
No comments:
Post a Comment