3. Keep an eye on the sun
Most photographers will tell you to shoot in the ‘golden hour’ when the light
is much softer and the skies are full of colour. That’s great advice in
theory, but it’s not practical for most people in the mountains since the
slopes aren’t open at those times.
You have to work with what you’re given – but you can help by understanding
how the sun’s position affects your photos. Having the sun directly behind
you creates a huge amount of reflected light and the snow will lose all it’s
definition. If you keep the sun to your side, the undulations and textures
in the snow will be revealed by the shadows cast across them. This creates a
much more contrasting and interesting landscape
4. Shutter priority is your friend
If you’re using a point-and-shoot camera you’ll almost certainly have a sports
mode and this will give you a faster shutter speed to prevent blurry action
images. If you’re shooting with a DSLR, you’ll want to set it to TV mode,
also known as shutter priority. This mode gives you control of your shutter
speed and the camera works out the rest of the exposure details for you.
You’ll need to select a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 of a second if you
want to capture tack sharp action photos.
5. Anticipate the action
The key to capturing great action images is to understand when the climax of
the action will occur and time your shot accordingly. Before taking the
photo, envisage what is about to happen on the snow in front of you. Where
is the skier or boarder going to be and what is going to happen? Then narrow
it down even further; what is the crescendo going to be?
If you’re taking a photo of someone carving on the piste the moment you’re
after is the middle of their turn when they’re lowest to the ground and in
the most dramatic pose. If you’re shooting someone in the terrain park then
the peak is the moment they grab their skis or snowboard at the apex of
their trajectory. Preempting exactly what is about to happen will allow you
to plan exactly when you want to take your photo.
6. Cold weather maintenance
One of the most common questions I am asked is what precautions should people
take using cameras in cold climates. Cameras are remarkably robust in the
cold. However, all but the most expensive pro cameras are susceptible to
moisture so if it’s snowing heavily make sure to protect the camera and lens
with a cover or just a plastic bag. If you’re carrying a spare battery for
your camera, stick it inside your jacket to keep it warm. Lithium-Ion
batteries lose their charge in the cold.
The most important thing to do is to dry everything thoroughly once off the
mountain. Remove the lens from your camera and remove all the lens caps.
Allow the camera and lens to dry out slowly on a table and point the camera
down so that no dust falls into the sensor area. Do not place it near a
radiator or a fire.
7. Backgrounds, backgrounds, backgrounds
You can have the best athlete in the world on the best snow on the planet but
if the background isn’t right you’ll never get the perfect shot. The
background is the most underestimated element of ski and snowboard images. A
clean, uncluttered background allows the viewer to focus on the action you
intend for them, but a messy one full of people and other obstacles leaves a
simple snapshot impression.
Aim to isolate your subject in an area of your image. Avoid having them on
dark coloured backgrounds like rocks or trees and keep an eye out for things
that intersect them, like boundary tape or lift pylons. Find that visual
calm within the chaos and you’ll be rewarded with a much more powerful
image.
Dan Carr is a British professional photographer and photography teacher
residing in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Visit his website Shutter
Muse for more of his photography and educational material.
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Article source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/need-to-read/2012/05/12/welsh-snappers-make-mark-on-travel-photographer-of-the-year-exhibition-91466-30953490/
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