On the trail - June 26, 2011

Proposed Title: See the light while taking pictures when you hike

Would you like to take better pictures of your hiking adventures? In this installment of my column, I will attempt to help you get better results with tips on what does and doesn’t work on the trail as far as photography is concerned.

First off, your camera has to be accessible if you hope to get good pictures. Cameras that are packed away in our backpacks tend to stay there.

Imagine you are hiking along and suddenly come upon a bull moose standing in a shallow pond eating willow branches. The mist from the cool morning hangs in the air as the moose stares right at you. What a picture, but not if the camera is not within reach.

So if you want to capture the moment, the camera has to be available. Point and shoot cameras can be holstered on your belt or put in a fanny pack that is turned around to the front for easy access. SLR cameras on the other hand pose a bit more of a challenge.

I do not recommend you hang your SLR camera around your neck with a strap while you hike. The camera tends to knock into your breastbone as you amble along. Personally, I hold my camera in my hand while I hike. This is not advisable though if you are hiking a very rocky trail or having to make a lot of stream crossings.

When you take your pictures is important too. In Colorado, we have very harsh light during the summer months. In other words, it is too bright outside most of the day for decent pictures. Try taking your pictures early morning or late afternoon when the angle of the sun is not directly overhead. These times pose problems as well though.

Have you ever been by a beautiful lake in the morning and tried to take a picture from the shadows out into the light? Most of the time, the camera will not be able to capture what you see. The picture will be either too dark or overexposed and washed out, so avoid taking pictures from the dark into the light. Step out into the light to get a better shot.

Planning ahead always helps when it comes to photography. Charge your camera battery before each hike, bring a soft cloth to clean your lenses with, and make sure your memory card has plenty of room for the pictures you plan on taking.

If you have ever taken pictures of sunrises or sunsets, you know that the light changes moment by moment. If you take a sunrise picture too soon, it is too dark with little color. As the sun rises, the light increases until when it is fully up, it is too bright and washes things out. The trick is to know what your camera is capable of and adjusting accordingly. For example, I sometimes shoot sunrises and sunsets with the action setting of the camera. This setting enables the camera to capture the relatively small amount of light with a faster shutter speed.

If you can remember that what you see on the trail is not necessarily what your camera can record, you might just be able to capture the light affectively and take better pictures of your hiking adventures.