Great Rocky Mountain photography: we provide the amazing backdrop, you provide the adventurous spirit
by Amanda Follett
From professional photographers to snap-happy amateurs, anyone who comes to the Canadian Rockies faces the daunting task of reproducing the beauty of their surroundings. Whether you prefer to shoot your pics hanging from a rock precipice, slithering through the mud on your belly or walking a popular hiking trail, three locally-based photographers share their secrets for great results.
Craig Richards: Lighting the Way
The word “photo” is rooted in the Greek phos, meaning “light”. Graphia means “to draw”. To “photograph”, explains Canmore-based photographer Craig Richards, means “to draw with light”.
It’s easy to make comparisons between Richards, who uses light to “draw” some of Canada’s most renowned mountain landscapes, and American photographer Ansel Adams, known for his mysterious black and white photographs of the High Sierras and Yosemite Valley. Twenty-five years ago, admits Richards, he would have been thrilled by the comparison. Today, he says, the only real similarities lie in the black and white prints, large format negatives and the mountains the pair recreate. But there is one other, defining element present in both photographers’ work: the overwhelming use of light.
“Personally, I think there are two important, crucial elements in photography,” says Richards, Head of Photography for Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff. “One: light. Light shapes, it gives dimension. It is the be-all and the end-all. It’s everything.”
Any photographer who has visited the Canadian Rockies has, at some point, been faced with the challenge of portraying their enormity. Achieving dimension, Richards says, is done with light, atmosphere and composition. Instead of simply pointing your lens at a stunning, snow-capped peak, watch how the light plays off its stone walls, providing texture through shadow, or how mist and fog drape the rugged peaks in mystery. When everyone else is heading in because of the weather, head out with your camera.
“I do not go out and photograph on blue sky days. When it gets cloudy, when it gets mysterious, when it gets stormy, when the weather is happening, that’s when I’m out there. I want to feel those things on my face and to sense them and watch the play of light,” Richards says.
Photographer Paul Smith happened upon this playful black wolf while driving along the Highway 1A.
The second important element, and one not so easily taught, is feeling your subject. Instead of setting out to shoot a specific landmark, experience the beauty of the mountains with an open mind and the image will present itself. Figure out what you love, what excites you, and follow your heart. If you love landscapes, immerse yourself in them — with your camera ready.
“The technical aspects to photography are some of the simplest,” Richards advises. “The hardest thing is to see. I think the majority of people don’t realize that it’s not the camera that’s seeing, but it’s the heart and mind of the photographer.
“I’m not going out and trying to show people where I’ve been. I’m trying to show people what I felt about where I was.”
And how does Richards, who instructs workshops across North America, teach such an imperfect science? “By just talking about it,” he says. No doubt, if his skill were as contagious as his words, all his students would be the next Ansel Adams, or — er — Craig Richards.
Mark Cosslett: Spend Time Hanging Out
“F8 and be there,” advises Canmore-based adventure photographer Mark Cosslett, quoting friend and fellow photographer Pat Morrow. “Photography is actually quite simple. You stick your camera (aperture) at F8 and, with an automatic camera, you take the shot and it’s probably going to be a decent shot. But you have to be there. That’s the thing.”
Like Richards, Cosslett agrees that capturing the perfect image is far more likely when you increase time spent close to your subject. Learning to take a picture is the easy part — being there at the right moment takes patience.
“Nature basically provides all the ingredients for the magic photo; you just have to be there,” says Cosslett, who shoots for adventure mags like National Geographic Adventure, Outside and Climbing. “I think some of the best photos I’ve seen are very experiential. The person was involved in the experience.”
Being proficient at the sport you are shooting also helps, says Cosslett, a multi-talented athlete who has shot every activity he does: mountain biking, rock and ice climbing, whitewater kayaking, windsurfing, kite boarding, surfing and caving, to name a few. Obviously, for a non-swimmer to shoot surfing or a person with a fear of heights to try and rig an anchor from which to shoot rock climbing isn’t ideal.
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According to adventure photographer Mark Cosslett, it helps to be familiar with the dynamics of the sport you’re shooting. Cosslett goes to great lengths to get just the right angle for his photos.
Having working knowledge of the sport also allows the photographer to know just when to shoot, where to get the best angle and what body movements to watch for in their subject.
Being technically skilled with a camera, Cosslett has learned, becomes more important at a higher level, when you have one day to get the perfect shot for an important client and are stuck working with whatever Mother Nature dishes out. To date, his most challenging assignment was shooting a never-before explored cave in Thailand for National Geographic Adventure. Apart from lugging heavy camera and lighting equipment down long rope rappels, acting as trip leader as well as photographer became “a real juggling act.” It was the most challenging environment, but also the most rewarding, he says.
Along with mastering cutting-edge adventure sports, Cosslett has developed cutting-edge marketing with his website, www.intoadventure.com, which allows him to sell his images directly off the site, so he can get out and take photos.
“That’s the future for me,” says the hot-heeled adventurer. “No bosses.”
Paul Smith: Keeping the “Wild” in Wildlife Photography
Paul Smith will never forget the day he found himself staring a cougar in the eye.
The wildlife photographer was scrambling on Cascade Mountain when he spotted the large feline spinning in circles, dog-style, looking for a comfortable place to lie down. “For some reason, I started moving in to see how close I could get to it, thinking he’d probably run away,” Smith says. On the contrary, the cougar watched Smith move closer, its eyes blinking sleepily as the photographer inched to within 20 feet, took a few shots of the elusive beast and backed off.
“By the time I got up to him, we’d been together for a couple hours. I didn’t just rush in there or anything. I took my time and I actually had to whistle at him to get him to open his eyes and look at me,” Smith says. “I don’t know if I’d do that again. You take your chances sometimes.”
Despite the positive outcome, Smith gives a word of advice about being in close proximity to large carnivores: “Don’t.” Not only is a fantastic shot not worth the personal risk, but getting too close can put the animal in danger. A wild animal that becomes familiar with humans can easily become “habituated” or aggressive. There have been far too many instances of visitors getting out of vehicles to photograph a roadside grizzly, moving close to elk for a family portrait or offering food to potential photo subjects. The first lesson in responsible wildlife photography: keep your distance.
“If you can photograph something without stressing it out or bothering it, that’s okay, but if you have to chase something or move it off its kill or its food source, that’s not a good thing,” Smith says. Experienced wildlife photographers spend days, sometimes months, becoming familiar with their subjects. Not only does this get-acquainted time allow the photographer to understand the animal’s habits, it also allows the animal to become comfortable with its uninvited guest.
Secondly, know your subject. Doing extensive research before heading into the woods will help you better understand the animal and how it’s likely to respond to your being there. Even still, cautions Smith, no two animals of the same species are alike. Last year, driving along the 1A Highway near Lake Louise, Smith encountered a black wolf. The unabashed animal chased Smith’s car, grinning like a playful boarder collie, and Smith was able to get a few shots of this normally shy creature.
“At one point, I thought he was going to jump up on the car window. He wasn’t mean or vicious or anything, he looked like a big, happy puppy with his tongue hanging out.”
Also important is having proper equipment. Chasing a grizzly with your 80-mm lens is not the best way to get a good wildlife shot, cautions Smith, who recommends a 300-mm or higher telephoto (most professionals use 500-600, he says) in order to remain at a safe distance, and a tripod to reduce camera movement on tight shots. Capturing the perfect image can take days of waiting patiently in the woods and is often done using equipment like blinds or floating around on “belly boats” to shoot waterfowl.
For his part, Smith has turned his focus to the less time-consuming, more stationary subject of landscapes, preferring to leave his wildlife sightings to happenstance when he is wandering in the woods. Today when Smith spots an animal at the side of the road, he will often keep driving, sparing the unsuspecting creature the paparazzi.
Amanda Follett is a Canmorite, and all-round outdoorsy chick, freelance writer and avid photographer who has surprised and pleased many an editor with the great images she has provided along with her words.
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