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| The Spectacular beauty of the mountains |
Every muscle is straining after six hours of ascent, at 3700 metres my oxygen deprived lungs are gasping, adjusting the seemingly heavy load on my aching back (where did all that extra weight come from?), in a final burst of energy I climb the final slope and in a sudden breath-taking moment a spectacular panorama unfolds, verdant mountains, veiled in clouds surround an icy lake with flowers in profusion. Suddenly months of preparation and the cost of the trip become worth it. After I have absorbed the beauty of what I see, I reach for my camera to record for posterity what the eye and mind sees. This is exactly what I experienced when I trekked to the Valley of Flowers in Northern India earlier this year.
See my earlier blog on the Valley of Flowers on this site and my site on Flickr for photographs for this slice of Gods own corner. Links below:
http://xerxespa.blogspot.in/2015/08/valley-of-flowers-and-hemkund-trek-to_30.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129459215@N08/albums/72157657142242599 for VoF pictures and
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129459215@N08/albums/72157657562803801 for the beauty of high altitude flora at Hemkund above 4000 metres. Including pictures of the famed Brahma Kamal.
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| The famed Brahma Kamal at an altitude of about 4400 metres |
For the entire seven day trek to the Valley of Flowers I
had decided that my primary subject would be flowers and landscape, so I
carried a versatile 18-55 mm zoom with my Fuji XE-1 mirrorless camera and a tripod; keeping it simple I carried no other photography gear. I even left behind my Circular Polaroid filter (CPL), a fact that I regretted as the UV was very sharp at this unpolluted altitude.
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| the intriguing Bellwort |
Most trekkers I
saw and continue to see on my peregrinations carry inappropriate equipment or are unprepared for these golden moments,
hence bring back mediocre snapshots taken with kilos of expensive
equipment carried laboriously to the top of the mountain. A little forethought
and preparation will enable you to get superb pictures of your treks and
travels.
What to carry
Subject. When you plan your trip,
research and decide what will be your main subject
during the trip. All your equipment must be focussed (pun intended) towards this, camera, lens, flash and tripod. Do not “what if….” every scenario, or you will end up carrying the kitchen sink! I had no long lens, no flash and I never missed them. I have too often seen very enthusiastic but ignorant "photographers" lug huge and heavy equipment (bazooka sized telephoto lens for example), lens wholly ill-suited for the subject contemplated. Their ardour literally crushed by the weight of their equipment. Carrying less weight is very very important, I cannot this emphasise enough. When trekking every tiny item quickly begins to weigh a lot and what should be pleasure soon turns into a very unpleasant experience.
during the trip. All your equipment must be focussed (pun intended) towards this, camera, lens, flash and tripod. Do not “what if….” every scenario, or you will end up carrying the kitchen sink! I had no long lens, no flash and I never missed them. I have too often seen very enthusiastic but ignorant "photographers" lug huge and heavy equipment (bazooka sized telephoto lens for example), lens wholly ill-suited for the subject contemplated. Their ardour literally crushed by the weight of their equipment. Carrying less weight is very very important, I cannot this emphasise enough. When trekking every tiny item quickly begins to weigh a lot and what should be pleasure soon turns into a very unpleasant experience.
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| Hemkund Sarovar |
Camera. The
camera is your digital eye and select it carefully well before your trip. Remember
that a couple of hours into a climb, every gram is going to seem like kilos,
weighing heavily on your shoulders. Hence it is vital to carry as light a
camera as possible. Choose between a DSLR or mirrorless (MLC) system (assuming you are an advanced amateur), each has
its advantages and disadvantages, but a MLC is generally substantially lighter
for similar sensor size as most mid-range DSLRs. Prosumers and point and shoot cameras too have their place depending on what you own, can afford, your capability and your potential subject.
The outdoors is rough, dirty, wet and dusty, all serious
enemies of the camera and lens you carry, hence expose your expensive equipment
as little as possible. Avoid changing
lens as an open camera in such an environment can be seriously damaged. Besides, fiddling with lens at critical a time
means you could miss action or fleeting moments. Therefore I recommend the
options are to carry:
- · A prime lens of an optimal focal length for the type of pictures you intend to take. For landscapes and general photography a 35mm to 50mm is suitable.
- · A zoom that covers the possible range you might want, (this is what I did, 18-55mm zoom covered all my needs).
- · Two camera bodies with different lens, (watch your back and shoulders).
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| A jewel in the flower |
Tripod. There is little point in investing in
expensive equipment, lugging it around and coming back with mediocre unsharp
pictures. For truly tack sharp pics a tripod is vital. Today there are
wonderfully light and compact tripods to suit every pocket and need. Get one. heavier tripods are more stable and light ones easier to carry so it is a trade off. Remember, the heavier your camera the sturdier (heavier) tripod you will need. And don't forget that remote release. Other than when photographing fast moving
birds, I almost always use a tripod.
Minimum
accessories. As I said earlier, every gram will seem a
kilo when it's on your back or around your neck, I have more often than not
seen photographers carry everything they own, camera, lens and flash. Recently
when on a moderate trek, I asked a well-equipped photographer as to why wasn’t
he using a tripod with his lovely long lens, he replied that as it was too
heavy it was in the car and he would get it if required! Of course neither of
us mentioned that his car was a four hour climb away. It is important to
visualize the subjects that one is going to photograph and carry appropriate
equipment for that only. This applies to
all the gear, flash, lens, tripod included. Minimum gear also inculcates a discipline and creativity in doing the most with minimum gear. On the other hand remember that most outdoor locations have limited charging
facilities so always carry spare batteries and memory cards. I generally carry
one extra memory card and two fully charged batteries as spare.
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| notice my camera rigidly attached to my rucksack strap |
Carry
Rig. Do not for a moment forget that you will be
walking for hours if not days with your equipment. The neck strap that came with the camera is
generally not good enough for this and leaves the camera swinging and your neck
aching. Besides a swinging weight around your neck in rough terrain inhibits movement, leaves you susceptible to injury and your camera to damage. Some intrepid photographers carry bespoke backpacks and pack in
everything photographic they can, leaving little or no room for the other
necessities for a trek. There are many types of bags, backpacks, straps and
harnesses in the market, choose one that’s good for you. Important points to
note are that the equipment should be firmly secured, the load distributed on
shoulders and/or hips (not on the neck as most camera straps facilitate), and
easily accessible. I had my camera in
front, clipped to my backpack strap using a Peak Diamond clip. The same Arca-type plate works for this
bracket and the tripod.
Weatherproof
cover: The weather in the mountains or on a trail can change
rapidly, always carry weatherproof covers for your camera and equipment. Carry
it even if the weather says no rain. If you have to, carry a shelter to change
lens if it is raining. An umbrella or
poncho is better than a rain-jacket for this.
My friend Aarish stocks varied equipment for trekking and carrying equipment and Basav is an expert in equipment and fitness, they have advice for equipment for every level of fitness and type of camera. They would be happy to help and can be contacted below:
aarishsingh
basavm@gmail.com
My friend Aarish stocks varied equipment for trekking and carrying equipment and Basav is an expert in equipment and fitness, they have advice for equipment for every level of fitness and type of camera. They would be happy to help and can be contacted below:
aarishsingh
basavm@gmail.com
What to do
Read the manual and practice. Too many people buy new cameras days before the trek of a lifetime and spend the whole trip figuring out the controls, an expensive lesson indeed. If you don’t want every alternate picture blurred or blank, be smart, read the manual and practice, practice till you can handle most common settings without removing the camera from your eye. Find a similar subject and practice angles, exposure and themes.
Knowledge of the location: Research your intended location from the photography point of view. Know exact times of sunrise and sunset, the morning and evening golden hour in the mountains are spectacular. Know where the photo ops are. Be realistic in your trek timings, factor in the time required to take pictures on the way.
Be fit: Be fully aware of the physical demands of where you intend going and the load you intend carrying. If possible practise a couple of times near your home and see if you are comfortable. For gear on trekking see my blog The Fashionate Trekker at the link below:
http://xerxespa.blogspot.in/2015/08/the-fashionate-trekker.html
Patience is a virtue and make the journey as much fun as
the destination, stop to take pictures, smell the roses and enjoy your trek. Bring back photographs that were a joy to take and more important a joy for others to see.
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| Majestic Mount Rataban, briefly parting her veil of clouds, seen through the length of the Valley |
