The Active Photographer

The Making Of A Camp Fire & Tent Shot

Giles — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:55:55 +0000

So, I know a lot of you are fans of the glowing tent effect, whereby a photographer will show his/her shelter nestled within the landscape, nicely lit in a way that makes it really stand out.

On a recent camping trip, to check out a potential location for this year’s TAP Jolly events, I took a few minutes to shoot an illustrative shot of a couple of tents in close proximity to a roaring camp fire. All said and done, this picture is now being used variously to promote the Jolly – and if you choose to join me, you could well find yourself replicating it alongside fellow photo/outdoor enthusiasts!

Ok, shameless plug over, let’s get on with the how-to.

First up, the gear considerations.

This was actually simplicity itself – one camera (Nikon D800), one lens (24-85mm), a tripod, a shutter release cable, two tents and three light sources (two head torches and the fire). Oh, and if you want to think laterally, a down-filled jacket and gloves were fine additions for ensuring I stayed warm during my long, dark exposures!

Let’s set the scene first. With the tents in position well before the ambient light disappeared, it was time to get the fire burning. This was no great hardship and actually quite good fun – we took advantage of the process, toasting marshmallows as an accompaniment to the odd swig of whisky (well, it was setting up to be a cold night… -1˚, feeling like ˚-5 with the wind chill taken into account!).

One of the things you quickly come to realise with night time photography is that the natural daylight fades a lot quicker than you might think; every 5 minutes or so, it’s worth re-evaluating the scene and making mental compensations ahead of releasing the shutter.

Now, a great many of these glowing tent shots that we see involve epic, mountainous views. Which is great, but on this occasion I was camping in the woodland… which gave me another decision to make.

Woodlands are pretty dark places once the light goes (not much ambient makes its way through the canopy once the sun drops below the horizon), so thoughtful framing was important in order to make the most of what light remained. Shooting at a focal length of 24mm, the camera was mounted on the tripod in a way that would position the fire at the bottom left of the picture; I wanted to lead the eye into the frame, towards the tents and then that lovely, rich blue sky.

Composition sorted and focus locked on the foreground (make sure you switch to manual for this), it was time to begin making exposures.

So, beginning with what you might call an ‘educated guess’ of a 30-second exposure time at f/5.6 and ISO 100, I wanted to see how the scene looked as a whole.

Why did I choose f/5.6? Two reasons – firstly, to keep the exposure times relative short (10s of seconds rather then minutes) and secondly, the throw the background slightly out of focus, thus concentrating the viewers’ eyes immediately on the fire.

Here’s the result:

Not a bad start. I liked the overall composition (notice how sparks from the fire are recorded as wispy trails, blowing into frame) but several things were apparent:

1. The picture was too bright, especially the sky.

2. Such a long exposure had created too much flare coming off the fire; it had also burned-out the flames completely.

3. The red bag which had contained some logs was clearly visible (oops!) so needed to be removed.

Next step, then, was to reduce the exposure time – and my rule of thumb is always to either double or halve the value, depending on requirements. It was the latter in this case, which gave me 15 seconds at f/5.6.

You’ll notice that I also introduced one additional light source at this point – one head torch was placed in the right-hand tent, switched on in a position which would give the most favourable throw of light. It’s worth noting that by angling the light downwards, you’re less likely to suffer ‘burnout’ of your tent in these long exposures.

So what did I now see? Well, the image was less bright overall, and the sky had darkened down nicely – much closer to what I was after. Still some flare from the fire, and the flames were still burning out, but look at the tent in the background – it balanced up nicely with the sky and the fire, which told me what I could expect in the next, ‘final’ shot (see top of article).

Remember what I said before about the daylight fading quickly? Well, in all, the time between first and third image was just 9 minutes!

Knowing how quickly the light was disappearing, I could rely on several factors for the final shot:

1. The shadow areas would be blocking out, giving nice, rich black areas.

2. The glow of the tents (I introduced a 2nd torch for the other tent) would be accentuated in the lower light levels.

3. The warmth of the light coming off the fire, lighting the ground and log behind, would also be lovely and punchy – and those wispy sparks would stand out more.

What I was aiming for in my ‘camp fire and tent’ picture was to depict the atmospheric location, expressing a warm and cosy feel at the site. I think the image delivers this, but only because I had a clear idea of the final result in my mind well before darkness fell.

This technique is such a great way of visually showing the mood of your nights around the camp fire. And there are many variations – from star trails to painting with light. But at the end of the day, you’ve just got to get out there are try it!

Related: The Active Photographer Jolly events - which give you the chance to try this for yourself, with me on hand to talk you through every step of the way!

Episode #115 – Country Streams And Water Bottles

Giles — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:01:46 +0000

This week: I’m battling the elements in order to create some outdoor product shots.

Some weeks ago, I published a Test/Review feature which talked about the Water-to-Go filtration system. A short while before that write-up went live, I headed out to photograph one of these drinking bottles on the outskirts of a local village here on the south coast.

The conditions were arguably not perfect that day, especially given the sleet and low temperature, but what I came away with perfectly illustrated the product in its natural surroundings.

Some quick links to things mentioned in this show:

Music featured in this episode is courtesy of Matt Stevens. You can check out more of his work here.

Test/Review: Lichfield Deluxe Walking Poles

Giles — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:02:07 +0000

Walking poles are curious things. The more informed amongst us know that there are many health benefits associated with using them (increased cardio workout, pressure relief for joints, improved posture etc) – but they are the sort of things that tend to be a love/hate item.

Myself, I tend to use walking poles mostly a) during the winter months when the ground is prone to being more uneven and with an increased risk of slipping over or b) during longer walks, over rough terrain. The unique problem I have as a photographer, of course, is that I very often need both hands free to operate a camera quickly whilst on the trail; because of this, poles can become an inconvenience.

So when I was asked by Outdoor Megastore to take a look at these Lichfield Deluxe Walking Poles, I knew it would be a matter of picking my moment in order to give them the once-over.

Let’s get the tech bit out of the way first…

Constructed out of T-6061 alloy, with a carbide tip beneath the basket, these 3-section poles each weigh 320g. The grips are pretty standard, featuring as they do a moulded-rubber design; the sales gumph reminds us that these are ’2-tone’, although this doesn’t impact particularly on performance. You also get wrist straps and an anti-shock mechanism – both common features these days.

Now for what that all means in the ‘real world’ environment… All said and done, these poles stack up pretty well compared to higher-priced alternatives you may have seen from other brands.

Those rubber grips sit nicely in the palm of the hand, with their contoured shape nestling in just the right place, and I’ve found the neoprene panel on the straps to be a nice addition – especially on colder days where bare webbing might otherwise cause a sore spot in adverse conditions. Adjustment is quick and easy; my only qualm is the ‘stop block’ strap length-adjustment mechanism, which has a tendency to pop out of position (but is easily corrected). No doubt you wouldn’t have this same frustration with the aforementioned pricier offerings.

Personally, I’ve never been a great fan of the traditional walking pole grip; I’ve always liked a rounded pommel design on which to rest my hand. So the fact that I got on well with these should be seen as a very positive thing.

The anti-shock mechanism does a fine job; a simple little 1/8th turn and you’re good to go. Does it work in practice? It does indeed (although some might say the jury is still out as to whether anti-shock really does make a significant difference to user comfort).

Now, at around 5’8 on a good day, I’m no giant. So I haven’t had a need to extend these poles any great distance close to their maximum length. In fact, to get a 90-degree angle between my forearm and upper arm (from the initial closed-down length of 67cm), all that’s required is 38cm in the middle section and 15cm in the lower.

If you do have longer limbs, keep in mind that these poles extend to a maximum extension of 140cm.

There are no accessories supplied with these poles, as such. You do get the aftomentioned mud baskets (one for each pole), which stay firmly in place at the bottom end, about 6cm above the tip. They are not the biggest I’ve seen, but do the job well enough.

You also get a clip with which to hold both poles together for easy storage. A simple idea, but I would have liked to have seen two supplied – as with one, the poles do have a tendency to sway around a bit (which surely defeats the object somewhat).

Talking of storage, Lichfield also supply a rubber foot for each pole, to stop the tip doing any damage to rucksacks, clothing etc. This foot also allows additional grip on more ‘domestic’ and flat surfaces such as pavements and concourses.

So to conclude…

The set-of-two Lichfield Deluxe Walking Poles are by no means a high-tech product. They’re not even among the most developed poles in their category. But that shouldn’t be taken as a negative thing – after all, not everybody needs or wants high-tech (and besides, just think what a walking pole basically is).

Yes, you could probably spend just a little more in order to get yourself a lighter-weight and snazzier set of sticks – but that’s not going to be everyone’s requirement. If you are looking for a good, basic set of poles that will give you additional support and stability on the hill, these are well worth a look.

Want to take a closer look? Here’s a direct link to the product page on the Outdoor Megastore website.

Episode #114 – Scouting A Local Bluebell Woodland

Giles — Sun, 12 May 2013 23:01:09 +0000

This week: I’m scouting one of my local woodlands ahead of bringing you the chance to join me for an informal photo tutorial.

From the fluorescent-lit confines of an exhibition hall in last week’s show to the bracing elements of the great outdoors – in this week’s edition, I’m talking through some low-key photo walks which I’ve got planned for the coming weeks.

Some quick links to things mentioned in this show:

Music featured in this episode is courtesy of Matt Stevens. You can check out more of his work here.

A Day Of Photography & Adventure In #ThatLondon

Giles — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:51:26 +0000

This week saw me have a great and rewarding time in London. Part business, part indulgence, fully productive.

It all started with a VIP invitation from Kathmandu’s marketing people a couple of weeks back, asking me whether I’d like to attend the opening of their new High Street Kensington store.

This in itself was something that sounded interesting, but the deal was really sealed when I read that there was to be a guest appearance by none other than National Geographic Adventurer Of The Year, Alastair Humphreys. You may remember I made mention of him in this post last year, discussing the fantastic concept of Microadventures.

Anyway, the store opening was at 6:30pm, which meant I had the whole of the day to play with (from about 2pm onwards).

After a few light admin duties in the office, I headed off on the train. As is usually the case, museums factor into most of my trips into the city (unless my purpose of visiting is to shoot images for a client).

First stop was the V&A (Victoria & Albert) Museum. Having taken in one of their current exhibitions, what really got me excited was to see the prints on display in their Photographs Room – which are held within their archive.

Regular readers will know that I have a great love of works by what you might call the masters or classic photographers – people such as Robert Doisneau, Eugene Atget, Camille Silvy. I won’t go into specifics here (have a search around this website and you’ll find plenty of references!), but suffice it to say I came away with a bunch more references and inspiration in my note book, which I’ll be following up just as soon as I get the chance.

From the stately confines of the V&A, I made my way towards Kensington High Street. If you’ve ever taken the route out of the V&A, through the tunnel and along Exhibition Road, you’ll know that at some point, you’ll pass by the Royal Geographical Society. I was fortunate to be able to take in their Everest 1953 exhibition, which celebrated “the legacy of British innovation” – the role which new and innovative technologies played in the success of the 1953 expedition, and the impact they had on today’s mountaineering endeavours.

This was a show which I stumbled upon quite by accident – but I’m so glad I did (for one thing, it ended on 9th May). I never realised that so much cutting-edge experimentation went into the preparation of the ’53 trip! I find it all quite, quite fascinating – the danger now is that I just might have to buy the accompanying book which contains over 400 photographs and descriptive captions!

So then we get to the main event – and I was feeling well and truly in the outdoors/adventure/travel mindset. Which is handy, given that I was about to go into an outdoor shop and spend the evening with likeminded people.

After about half an hour of mingling and checking out Kathmandu’s summer range, Alastair stood up to deliver his words of wisdom. I’ve never heard him speak ‘in the flesh’ before (his videos are worth a look though, I can tell you) and I wasn’t disappointed.

From tales of how he spent four years cycling around the world, to the premise behind microadventures, it’s clear that Al has a passion for the outdoor life – even if he does feel the need to take this love to the extreme!

I had the chance to chat with him in person, too – which was a great pleasure. I mentioned the idea of recording a future conversation for TAP podcast, which he seemed agreeable to, so watch this space, as they say.

All said and done, I returned back to base at around 12:30am! A little tired, but full of ideas, inspiration and energy for the day to come, I was one happy chappy…

… complete with some rather nice gifts from those lovely people at Kathmandu!

My trips to London are always productive, but it’s been a while since I have come away buzzing quite so much. I put this down, completely, to the people whose stories I was able to share that day – whether they be individuals whom I never had the chance to meet, strangers met for the first time whilst enjoying a glass of wine or accidental meetings which nature saw fit to put my way.

Off the back of my London trip, I now have a number of follow-up conversations and meetings to plan in the coming week, all of which hold a lot of promise. Of course, I’ll be updating you as and when I have more news, but for now… I’m excited to think about what’s to come just around the corner.

Episode #113 – Perou: For The Love Of Photography

Giles — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:52:37 +0000

This week: I’m revisiting this year’s Focus On Imaging, catching up with internationally-acclaimed photographer, Perou.

Many of you will have heard of Perou. You might even have seen him at Focus or read his online journal. Regardless, one thing is apparent about this man – whilst he does regularly photograph some of the biggest names in the world, it’s a raw love of photography which drives him to be creative with the camera.

Some quick links to things mentioned in this show:

Music featured in this episode is courtesy of Matt Stevens. You can check out more of his work here.

To Protect The Front Of Your Lens Or Not?

Giles — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:06:09 +0000

Fate can be a cruel mistress at times; just when you don’t need bad luck, she has a habit of stepping up and slapping you with a set-back. Vehicle repairs, unexpected business expenses, kit failure… Take your pick.

A great many of these set-backs we can see coming. However, when it comes to accidents, they are just that – accidents. Unplanned, unfortunate and unavoidable, there’s no way we can predict them and no way we can prepare for them. Or is there?

When it comes to protecting our kit, the obvious initial precaution is to use a decent camera bag or case as storage. But it’s what happens when cameras, lenses, flash guns etc are taken out for use that we are at our most vulnerable.

Here’s a debate which continues to rage amongst us photographers, relating specifically to lenses…

My personal stance on lens protection – or, specifically, front-of-lens protection – is that a clear (i.e. neutral) filter is a must. Whenever I purchase a new lens, I always, always, always also order some kind of protective filter to fit onto the front. Whether it be a UV, a Skylight or a Protector, to me the decision is a no-brainer.

My reasoning is that should I accidentally drop, knock or scratch the front of the lens, damage limitation is most likely going to be set at the cost of a replacement filter. No great shakes – £20-40 is nothing compared to the alternative of an insurance claim or costly repair bill.

Now, some people might say that I’m being over cautious. But believe me, these random acts of destruction do occur.

I can vividly recall one occasion in particular, many years ago: I’d cycled all the way across the Isle Of Wight (20+ miles) with my camera wrapped up in a fleece to save weight (first mistake). This was stored in a rucksack strapped to a rear pannier rack and actually stayed firmly in place until I reached my destination.

It wasn’t until I was unpacking my bag, however, that I discovered the error of my ways. The fleece, to give it its due, had done a grand job at containing all the many fragments of shattered glass which had, at one time (some hours previous), resembled a filter on the front of my 24-85mm lens.

On that occasion, all I could do was give myself a slap on the wrist and pick out the remaining shards from the filter ring before throwing the debris in the nearest bin. The lens itself remained perfectly intact.

The counter argument goes something like this.

Modern lenses are highly-crafted, precision instruments; the glass used in their construction is of the highest quality and resolution. Therefore, to attach a piece of (inferior) glass to the front is like putting budget tyres on a Ferrari – you’re not going to get the best performance out of it. Why would you spend all that money on a premium product, only to not make the most of its capabilities?

I can quite see the argument, but here’s the thing.

None of my clients have ever turned around and said “Hang on a minute! Did you put a [insert type of...] filter on the lens before you took this shot?! Hmm…” Rather, they’ve always been delighted with the results, as have I – and that’s surely all that matters at the end of the day. Besides, in layman’s terms, you’re not going to see a marked difference in quality; only when looking in super-analytical detail on the computer screen would the average viewer see a discrepancy.

No, it really is horses for courses as to where you stand on this debate. Ultimately, the decision falls to the individual to make: protect your lens for piece of mind or take a calculated risk and drive that Ferrari like there’s no tomorrow – it’s your call.

Episode #112 – Reflecting On The First Jolly Of 2013

Giles — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:41:07 +0000

This week: I’m sharing a few thoughts about the very first TAP Jolly of 2013, shortly after everyone headed home.

Convening at an all-new location this past weekend, we all had a fantastic time in the woods, sharing stories, discussing technique and making some great pictures.

Some quick links to things mentioned in this show:

Music featured in this episode is courtesy of Matt Stevens. You can check out more of his work here.

Test/Review: Water-To-Go Filtration System

Giles — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:40:05 +0000

When you consider the statistics, the importance of using and consuming clean water when on location really shouldn’t be taken lightly.

For example – among other dangerous substances, Lead and Chlorine traces can be found in almost all drinking water in Europe and the US. And last year, there were 163,000 UK complaints about water/food illness whilst travelling abroad.*

Very often on shorter excursions, it’s possible to carry enough water to see you through your time in the outdoors. But for longer trips, or when carrying the extra weight of bottled H2O is not convenient, you’re going to have to gather it on-site.

Now, there are many ways to do this, of course – for example, using solar stills or the transpiration of leafy bushes – but invariably the most convenient method of collection is often to gather water from rivers or streams.

Water purification tablets have long been popular, but increasingly, water filtration systems are being adopted by us outdoors folk. One such product currently on the market is a lightweight offering from Water-to-Go.

Weighing just 152g, the first thing you notice is that this product looks for all the world like a regular sports drinking bottle. So straight away, it’s clear that at 22.5cm tall and 6.5cm base circumference, only a nominal amount of valuable space is going to be taken up in your rucksack. Most people would typically use one of their bag’s exterior (mesh) pockets for this – which the bottle fits into perfectly (these pockets tend to be of a standard size, give or take a few centimetres).

Let’s take a look at the finer points.

On the outside of the bottle, you get a rubberised grip which fits nicely in the hand and serves the purpose even when completely wet. Although not ergonomically designed, per se, there is a certain reassurance in the curvy shaping, too. Nicely balanced, it’s never slipped from my hand – even in near freezing conditions when dexterity was not my friend. I would call that a result.

When it comes to the mouthpiece, I’ve found the flip-up/down design really convenient. Why? Well, aside from the inherent benefit that you don’t run the risk of getting it covered quite so much in muck (as can happen when dropping a regular sports bottle, for example), the movement is very positive. It requires just the right amount of force to move into position (up or flat) and once located in either position, it stays firmly in place.

Now to the business end of things… Let’s take a peek inside.

You might expect the patented filter system to be somewhat more complicated in appearance than it actually is. Especially as it borrows from nano-technology originally developed for the American space programme! However, you’d be nicely surprised – and anyway, you might ask what does it really matter, so long as it does a great job?

Speaking of which… The bottle is designed to filter 99.9% of all contaminants found in water (parasites, waterborne pathogens, metals and chemicals etc). The only thing it doesn’t tackle is sea water.

I’m not going to go into great depth about technical specifics here (for that, take a peek at the Water-to-Go website), so let’s get stick to real-world considerations.

As a would-be owner of one of these bottles, a fair question on your mind might be ‘how long does the filter last?’. The simple answer: long enough to treat approximately 200 litres of water, or 3 months. So if you’re heading off on an expedition, you’d definitely get your money’s worth.

The bottles themselves are infinitely re-useable and certainly look/feel like they would stand the test of time. With a nod to eco considerations, you’ll be pleased to know that the filter’s membrane is biodegradable and its ends are recyclable.

Clearly, you want to make sure that the mouth piece is nice and clean before use – in which case the cleaning process is nice and simple – Water-to-Go even have a YouTube video prepared to help you along.

I’ve only used this bottle for a relatively short while, but in that time there have been no performance issues.

Naturally, the best use of any product comes from regular maintenance – and there’s no exception in this case. The difference here is that not only is the upkeep simple but the replacement components are relatively cheap, too. This should be enough to please the majority, and delight all who rank recycling and sustainability issues high on their list.

* Statistics supplied by Water-to-Go

Episode #111 – Introducing TAP Jolly 2013

Giles — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:06:00 +0000

This week: I’m giving you an overview of what you can expect from the first TAP Jolly photography event of 2013, taking place on the 26th-28th April.

I really hope it’s something that appeals to you!

Some quick links to things mentioned in this show:

Music featured in this episode is courtesy of Matt Stevens. You can check out more of his work here.