Getting sharp landscape photos in blustery conditions is a challenge, but it's essential for capturing the beauty of nature in all its moods. These tips will help you improve.
Coming to you from Ian Worth, this insightful video dives into techniques for getting sharp images in terrible conditions. Worth begins by emphasizing the importance of location. Choosing a spot with natural shelter can make a big difference. He shares his experience of heading to a waterfall in a glen, sheltered by mountain ranges on both sides. This provided some relief from the 40 to 50 mph gusts that battered them on the way there. Knowing where to find these sheltered spots is key to getting stable shots.
Worth sets up his first shot of the day in a gusty spot, aiming to capture a waterfall with a snow-capped mountain in the distance. He highlights the importance of tripod stability in such conditions. By digging the tripod spikes into a soft embankment, he reduces vibration and gets a sturdier setup. He also discusses his strategy for dealing with moving elements in the scene. To freeze the motion of the ferns and bracken, he increases the ISO to 400, giving him a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second. To capture the motion in the water, he uses a three-stop filter to slow the shutter speed, then blends these two images in Photoshop.
In the editing process, Worth shows how he blends the two images to get the best of both worlds: sharp details in the foliage and smooth motion in the water. This technique involves aligning the layers in Photoshop and using a layer mask to paint in the desired parts of each exposure. While he admits the final image wasn't a keeper due to lighting issues, the method is a valuable tool for similar situations.
Worth also shares practical tips for shooting in windy conditions. He stresses the importance of keeping your lens clean, as wind can carry dust, sand, and water droplets that ruin shots. He advises taking multiple shots of the same scene to increase the chances of getting a sharp image. This hedging strategy helps mitigate the effects of sudden gusts or vibrations that might blur a single shot.
On their adventure, Worth and his companions experience a spectacular moment when a rainbow appears after a hailstorm. This unexpected event underscores the value of being out in bad weather. Such conditions can lead to unique and dramatic photographic opportunities. Worth captures a panoramic shot of the mountain with the rainbow, highlighting the importance of being prepared and adaptable. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Worth.
