Planning a Photograph

When going out to shoot photos, I keep a few things in mind to create the best possible photo I can. In some situations, I plan out an exact image, and in other cases, I try to work on the fly and shoot things as they adapt and change around me.

Action Sports Photography

My action sports photography and specifically snowboard and ski photography is a little bit more based on the idea of getting out and shooting what presents itself to me. While I have ideas in mind of shots I want to get, this type of shooting is a little bit more based on the conditions each day presents.

This was a time when the day went according to plan. We were able to shoot the jump The Manboys has in mind. I searched around and immediately found this angle, knowing it would be backlit and the riders would be up in the sky. Jody Wachniak, Whistler, Backcountry

A typical day shooting snowboarding in the backcountry goes something like this. Meet first thing in the morning at the sled parking lot with the crew, and unload snowmobiles. Then sled up to the alpine and head to the general zone we had in mind. This might be a specific jump or some lines that riders want to ride. We will then proceed to shoot in that zone until landings get tracked and there aren’t any more feature to hit. Once we’re done with a zone we will usually chill for a bit, then find a zone for the afternoon/evening. After the second zone is done the light is normally gone so we head back home.

However, it’s not uncommon to roll up to a zone to find it isn’t good to go. Either it didn’t snow enough since the last time it was ridden, the wind might have hit it harder overnight and scoured the snow, a feature might not have filled in at all that season, or any number of reasons that make it un-rideable. Based on these factors it makes it difficult to plan specific shots ahead of time. If you have your mind to set on a single image it would be to easy to miss something else that might be good if the original thing doesn’t line up.

With so many factors that lead to zones changing you have to be able to plan shots on the fly.

The first thing I personally look for when trying to find something to shoot is light. Photography literally means “light writing” and having interesting dynamic light is what will create powerful photos. I’ll look for a feature that is catching side or backlight and has features that are creating shadows. The next thing is the feature needs to be something interesting to snowboard. Someone’s not going to ride across a flat slope so it needs to be unique where a rider can get some air or can ride up a bank and slash.

The next thing I do is find an angle. If I can I’ll try and walk 360 degrees around a feature to see where it is most appealing I will. This isn’t always possible, and you need to be careful not to put in tracks in that might appear in a photograph.

This is the same jump as pictured above. Once I had the other image I knew I needed to move to create more value from my time shooting this jump. Without being told you wouldn’t immediately recognize it as the same jump. This is the advantage of viewing a feature from all around before even starting to shoot. Rusty Ockenden, Whistler Backcountry

The next key thing is communicating with a rider to see what trick they were thinking. Not all tricks look good from all angles so this needs to be factored in when finding the angle. If I think a specific trick will look good I won’t hesitate from suggesting it, but usually like to leave this up to the rider as they are often trying to film as well and might have something specific they want to try.

Then you can start shooting. Sometimes you might only have one try as after a track is in, it won’t look the same but on a jump, riders will probably hit it more than once so you have the opportunity to try a few different angles. Once I get a shot I’m stoked on I specifically try to switch angles. There is no reason in shooting the same angle over and over again, as you will only usually be able to do one.

Often times I will have general ideas of photos I am trying to get before going out. I will keep these ideas in mind, and keep an eye out for a feature that they will work on. This way I have a plan of what I am trying to capture but am more efficiently able to work with the ever-changing conditions of the mountains.

This is one of the general ideas I had in mind, a surfy toe-side turn with a scenic backdrop. At this point in the day we were just taking some fun laps. I noticed this open panel while taking a run and was able to line up Austen to do a turn. It turned out just as I had envisioned even though I hadn’t planned it before hand. Austen Sweetin, Whistler, Backcountry.

Landscape Photography

With my landscape photography, I have a different approach. While I still am aware of what is going on around me when I’m out in the field, and willing and able to adapt if need be, I do more planning ahead of time.

The factors that I’m looking for to make a good landscape photograph differ than when I’m shooting action. I’m not depending on a rider performing a trick, and the snow quality is okay. This is more about the location and light.

I knew I wanted to create a landscape of the Pemberton Valley. I had been to this location and scouted it out prior to making this image. I checked where the sun would be and realized it got better evening light than morning. Then it was just a matter of waiting until the weather conditions were ideal and I could line up the photograph.

When I’m planning out a shot the first thing I will decide is what I want to shoot an image of. Am I looking for an alpine lake backed by a mountain, am I looking for a winding river? I often find these locations when out on other adventures, and by looking up different hikes around my area. After I’ve figured out the location I then figure out what time of daylight will look the best. Does it get a good sunset or sunrise? What time of year does it get light? After figuring out these details I start to figure out some logistics.

For a lot of locations, I can hike in before the sunrise, or after sunset, and just do it as a day trip. For this, I normally try to arrive a little before sunrise, cause sometimes that is when you get the best colour. To do this it’s just a matter of checking the sunrise time and figuring out how long it will take to get to a destination.

A day trip isn’t always possible as an approach might be longer and a night of camping is required. One advantage here is that you can shoot both sunrise and sunset from the same location.

I then watch the weather and look for a time when the conditions are optimal. For me, this is often when it is on the sunny side of partly cloudy. I like to have clouds in imagery instead of just a clear sky, and this often leads to more colour and more dynamic photographs.

Once all the logistics are sorted and I’m in the location, I do further scout to find my exact shot. I’ve never been able to sort out the exact framing beforehand, and I need to be looking at a scene to decide. I will often look for something in the foreground to lead into the image and then creating an interesting composition. I will often look for two or three different compositions to try a few different images if there is time, but once you start getting colour in the sky it goes really fast.

I scouted this location the day before, when on a trip to Banff. I pretty much knew my exact composition but wanted to shoot at sunrise. The light was promising the next day and I was able to make it back out and capture the image right away.

One important key to remember when setting up a landscape composition is to sometimes look tighter. It’s easy to get in a habit of shooting wide, but sometimes if you narrow your focus a more dynamic composition will reveal itself. I often shoot landscapes at more than 150mm focal length, but this is all dependent on the exact scene.

Being ready to adapt is important. Sometimes you get to a location and the light doesn’t do what you expect. Maybe there isn’t any colour in the sky, maybe there are a bit too many clouds, perhaps you were trying to shoot a reflection and there was a stronger breeze then anticipated. At this point, it’s good to look around and see what else could be compelling. Use this opportunity to find another photograph you might not have originally seen. If all else fails put the camera away and just sit and enjoy the time outside. I’ve had plenty of times where I went out to shoot and the conditions didn’t align so I just watched the mountains and enjoyed being in nature.