Practical Photography - UK (2020-02)

52 PRACTICALPHOTOGRAPHY

STYLE#6 GUYRICHARDSON

I’man extremelandscapephotographer.I spend

many nights wild camping on or near mountains

to get a unique view of the landscape around me.

While it’s not the most straightforward way toget

images – sometimes I don’t get anything at all!– the

re wards are that greater when everything comes

to gether. I relish being out in winter conditions,and

the hiking and camping adds another dimension

to a trip. I always aim for bright, clean images with

impact. The key is dramatic conditions – if youcan

find fresh snow, it can be used to create unique,

exciting compositions. I’m constantly tuned intothe

weather to make sure I arrive soon after snow has

fa llen to avoid any footprints. On short winter days,

li ght during the day is usually good to work with,

al though my main point of focus is often sunrise.

The colder conditions overnight make it easierto

achieve impressive wintry scenes at first light.

Intermsof photographicequipment,I don’t take

much more out in winter than I would at any other

time of the year. The most important gear for the

winter is warm, dry clothing and good quality boots!

The more comfortable you are, the better you’re

able to perform. I always take extra care with my

batteries in colder conditions because the cold

temperature can cause batteries to drain a lot quicker

than in normal usage. I tend to carry a couple of

fully-charged spares in my bag just to be on the safe

side. When you’ve spent hours climbing a mountain

in snow, the last thing you want is to find is that your

camera won’t work!

I use a tripod most of the time when I’m out shooting

in winter, which gives me a solid platform to work

from. For my wider images – depending on how

detailed the scene is – I will usually shoot at a

maximum of f/13. This keeps as much of the image in

focus as possible, while not losing sharpness from the

lens. If I’m in the mountains, I like to keep my shutter

speed high to avoid any wind buffeting that would

cause the camera to shake. I usually sacrifice the ISO

sensitivity as well – you can always remove noise

through the editing process, but it’s a lot harder to

I’M AN EXTREME LANDSCAPE

PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE REWARDS

Guy Richardson is a pro photographer and

time-lapse filmmaker, known for his evocative

images of the UK landscape. His work is used by

some of the UK’s biggest tourism and conservation

organisations, including Visit Britain and The

Woodland Trust. guyrichardson.com

Above The
Devil’s Point is a
remote mountain
in the heart of the
Cairngorms with
a bothy situated
nearby – perfect
for sunrise shots.