Planning and anticipating bad weather
TECHNIQUE LOCATION
ALL PICTURES © RICHARD
The cloudscape of a passing storm provides a good contrast to the calm water in the foreground
inexperienced landscape photographers get excited by it . As fog tends to reduce colour saturation considerably , a much stronger emphasis is placed on the image ’ s tonal values . Consequently , images taken in fog can often be very successfully converted to black & white . If , however , you choose to retain the colour , the hues will appear wonderfully subtle . When photographing in fog , you can explore a visual phenomenon known as tonal recession What this means is that distant objects appear considerably lighter than those closer to the camera ; this is especially apparent when photographing a cluster of trees . The tonal interplay between the trees in the distance and those nearer the camera can prove particularly transformational . Because of the reduced visibility , images tend to be simpler and more graphic in nature .
Wind
Wind is a contradictory phenomenon insofar as it is invisible , and yet you can see the evidence all around you .
Shooting in the wind certainly has its drawbacks . For example , if you are using a tripod and aren ’ t sufficiently sheltered , the buffeting can cause camera shake , especially when using a long telephoto lens . On a more positive note , wind also introduces drama to the landscape and is capable of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary . From a technical standpoint , remember you do have a variety of shutter speeds to play with .
Landscape photographers often prefer to use the AV rather than the TV option as they consider controlling depth of field to be more important than shutter speed . When photographing in the wind , however , it ’ s a good idea to make the shutter speed your priority . It could be that you want to capture some object being blown in the wind that requires a fast shutter speed . Alternatively , capturing the moving clouds might be another way of illustrating wind , which then requires using an extended shutter speed .
Planning and anticipating bad weather
TO GET the best out of landscape photography , you need to recognise you cannot change the weather , but you can change your location . You may have spotted a beautiful field of red poppies and decided to shoot them under a blue sky . Days pass and the conditions are never right , but when they finally are , the poppies are well past their best . A much better way is to celebrate the weather conditions each day offers . When you look out in the morning and it is pouring with rain , that ’ s a real cause for celebration . When you arrive at a location and it is shrouded in thick mist , ponder on your good fortune . As you familiarise yourself with a given place , ask yourself what weatherconditions would be suitable . It certainly helps to be aware of forthcoming weather . While the media can give us a good overall picture , sometimes it is not specific enough . What you need is a service that gives you an hour-by-hour forecast . There are numerous websites which are more targeted . Moreover , there are many excellent apps you can use , even as you travel . All will help you be in the right place at the right time .
‘ Fog tends to reduce colour saturation considerably . Images taken in fog can ofen be successfully converted to black & white ’
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Trees in mist . At home , the cloud was low and featureless , but I remembered a wonderful wood about 20 miles away , which is located on higher ground . Acting on a hunch , I guessed it would be shrouded in a gentle mist , as indeed it was . Being able to anticipate the weather certainly helps
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