Digital SLR Photography - UK (2019-10)

Q

If it’sa choicebetweenphotographingat

sunriseorsunset,whichshouldI optfor?

Whilebothcanbebeautiful,withsunriseyoucan

getatmosphericweatherconditions,suchas

low-lyingmisttoo,dependingonthetimeof

year.Mixit updependingonyouwherethesun

risesandsetsonyourpreferredviewpointand

keepaneyeontheweatherforecastforthe

morningaheadtohelpyoumakeyourdecision.

Switchit uptoosoyou’renotuplateshootingthe

bluehourfollowedswiftlybyanearlysummer

sunrise,forinstance.However,dedicatedtravel

photographerswilltellyouwhenthere’ssuch

limitedtimeona tripyouhavetobepreparedto

workhardandthatmaymeangettingupearly

andstayingoutlatewithlittlesleepin-between.

Q

If I’mtravellingtoanextremeclimate,

howcanI protectmyequipment?

There’snotmuchyoucandowhenusingyour

equipment,exceptfortryingtokeepit dryand

dustfreewhenchanginglenses.It is a goodidea,

however,toleaveyourequipmentin itsbagfor

15-20minuteswhenyouchangeenvironments

toletit acclimatiseslowly.Bringinga coldcamera

intoa warmhotelcausescondensationandif

youmovefromair-conditioningintohumidity

yourlensandfilterswillmostlikelymistup.

Q

Is onedayat a locationenough?

Probablynotunfortunately.We’dadvise

keepingyourtripasfluidaspossiblesoyoucan

reacttothebestlightandweatherconditions.

Whenplanningyourtrip,havea goodideaofthe

shotsyouwanttogetin orderofprioritybutyou

mayneedtosacrificesomescenesforotherif the

lightorweatherdon'tcomply.

so that’s another factor to consider. The
Rocky Mountains look incredible most of
the year, with each season bringing a new
visual feast, but if you’ve a yearning for its
thawed, turquoise waters then July and
August are the only months to go. Namibia’s
heat is unbearable out of the shade in
summer, the tropics have incredible light
and skies during the rainy season and factor
in seasonal flowers and optimal light, such
as spring mist and autumnal fog in Tuscany,
and you’ve quite a few considerations when
deciding where and when to go.
Most landscapes are at their best at dawn
and dusk, which means you’ve only a
window of a few hours a day for optimal light
so you’re going to want to make the most of
it, even if it means not a lot of sleep in-
between. Throughout the day, if the skies are
grand or dramatic weather looms, you may
be able to continue shooting or turn to urban
landscapes, but more than likely you’ll need

to spend this time scouting out your next

golden-hour shoot and hiking to recce new

viewpoints. You can use Google to help

identify sunrise and sunset times for specific

places in certain countries, as well as The

Photographer’s Ephemeris app to see how

light falls on the land anywhere around the

world. Don’t forget to factor in tidal times,

too, if you’re planning a coastal shoot and

speak to the locals for the insider track on

where nearest the water it's unsafe to set-up.

Aside from preparation, your approach,

techniques and skills will remain largely

unchanged wherever you shoot, but you

may want to sharpen those skills before

leaving: Have you mastered long exposures?

Do you know how to bracket exposures,

should you forget the right ND filter? Do you

know how to shoot a panorama? These are

all worthy skills to have up your sleeve should

you need them when confronted with a

must-shoot scene.

Above: Follow the weather forecast for misty conditions,
as seen here in Yosemite National Park. B e l o w l e f t : The golden
hours and blue hour are almost always the best times to shoot.

MARK B

AU

ER

MARK B

AU

ER

October 2019 Digital SLR Photography 63

PhotoMasterclass

LANDSCAPES Q&A