Lessons Learned from bad weather

 

Nikon D700, Nikon 70-200 f/2.8, 1/40th, f/11, ISO 400

This past winter I braved the weather in Yosemite with a wonderful group of photographers and came home with some surprisingly stunning images.  Going into the trip I was worried that the weather would mean lots of hours sitting in the lodge waiting for the weather to break.  I prepared several slide-shows and lessons just in case we were lodge-bound for an entire day, but my group was tough.  We photographed closeups in overcast light, grand landscapes with new snow, and oaks during the heavy snowfall itself. 

The lesson I was reminded of during the trip was there is no excuse for not being at a good location when the weather might do something amazing.  I was talking about the old photographers adage of "f/8 and be there" with several of my participants, and it became the de facto mentality for the trip.  Before leaving for the trip I had some people call worried that we might not even get our cameras out for fear of the weather.  But because we knew the weather was going to be a challenge, we all arrived in Yosemite with our rain gear and good attitudes. 

We watched several other photographers give up due to the weather and leave the valley, but our perseverance paid off with many unique images that most photographers drive right by.  The lesson for me was that every weather condition offers amazing photographs if we take the time to wait.  We need only be willing to take what is given to us rather than continuing to look for something we wish was there.


 

Mirror Lockup (back by popular demand)

Nikon D300, Nikon 70-300 ED, f/11, 1/10, ISO 200

I shot this image last summer during a mountaineering trip in the North Cascades.  This image was shot about 25 miles from the nearest road head.  Along with carrying camera equipment we had to carry, ropes, crampons, ice axes, and all necessary food and camping gear for six days.  Thus I was very limited in the photo equipment I was willing to carry on my back.  So I opted to carry a Nikon 16-85 VR, and Nikon 70-300 ED (not the VR version), and my two pound waste high Gitzo carbon fiber tripod. 

Despite the non-pro glass I ended up coming home with several stellar images, including the one above.  Often I am asked by photographers why images shot with their $2000 70-200 zoom lens are not coming out sharp, while I can get good images out of a $150 70-300.  Unknowingly they are asking two separate questions in there statement.  First while at f/4.5 my 70-300 ED is very weak, at f/8 or f/11 it rivals the sharpness of the $2000 lens.  Thus I try to shoot this lens at as close to f/8 as possible to pull out the sharpness.

The second and more important question is "why can't I get sharp images from my 70-200 f/2.8".  The real issue here is not the lens at all, but rather the technique.  While the 70-200's of today are truly amazing, no lens will come out sharp at slower shutter speeds unless it is absolutely rock solid.  But "I have it on a tripod" you may say... Well that is a good step, but it doesn't eliminate the last remaining source of vibration in the system.  It may seem trivial, but at slower shutter speeds when the mirror slaps up right before the shutter opens it sends a vibration through the camera/lens and makes it nearly impossible to capture a sharp image.  While each camera, lens, and tripod combination are slightly different a good rule of thumb is any shutter speed less than about 1/125 down to about 1 second will have this issue.

So if you have been wondering why you don't seem to be getting the image quality you were expecting from your investment at slower shutter speeds, try using the mirror lock up feature on your camera.  Mirror lock-up is one of the most expensive features to include in a camera, but most higher end digital cameras now come with this as a  standard feature.  If your camera does not have this feature you can still hedge your bet by using a solid tripod, a cable release, and trying to avoid the "danger" shutter speeds when possible.  If you must shoot at these slower speeds make several exposures and hopefully one might come out sharper than the rest.  Like everything in photography it is a balance of what we want vs. what we can get away with.  

Adventue or Suicide?

This past weekend I worked with a few mountain biker friends trying to capture some killer images that really tell the story of riding in the Sierra foothills. 

While we got several really stunning images, it was the last jump of the day that really told the story.  It also helped remind all of us that there is a fine line between pushing the envelope and a trip to the ER.

Peter Grubb Hut

This past weekend we did a trip to the Peter Grubb hut with some friends.  For me it was a chance to really test out the Nikon 24-120 f/4 lens and see how I liked using it as my all in one adventure lens.

A couple of us were using the trip as a dry run for a longer Sierra ski/photo trip this spring, so I carried everything including my backpacker guitar.

In keeping with our typical style we didn't leave the trail head till about 4pm, and because we had a four year old on a sled along we didn't make it to the ridge until dark.  Which ended up working out well, because it meant that I had a chance to shoot a few hand held moon photos.

The first night we had the hut to ourselves and had a great time catching up with old friends and singing around the fire.  The next day I slept in because I was getting over a cold.  After a relaxing morning waiting for the the sun to soften the snow.  Four of us strapped on our climbing skins and hiked up one of the flanks of Castle Peak for some turns.  It was supper windy and icy on top, but we had classic spring skiing once we descended from the ridge.

After skiing and some full contact sledding I hiked out to wait for the sunset.  Which again worked out to be one of those times were I was very glad to have VR even on my tiny tripod to counteract the raging wind.  We ended the night with a couple glasses of wine and lots of guitar. 

All in all a great time recharging my personal batteries and doing some photo shoots with some great friends.