Photography

BEFORE YOU GO

Bum Bag: A "bum bag" is one of the best ways of carrying a camera on landings. It prevents the camera from bumping along on a strap, it can be pushed out of the way when you don’t need it, and it can be worn easily with your life vest.

Digital: Be sure to bring extra memory cards or downloading storage; you will be amazed at how many photographs you take! Rechargeable batteries are also a good idea.

Filters: UV or Skylight 1A filters are the simplest and the most natural means of screening out unwanted light. Polarizing filters can cut through the haze.

Lenses: If you have a choice, a professional’s advice tends towards wide-angle lenses, e.g. 18 or 24mm. A 300mm lens is useful for shooting wildlife from farther distances.

ON YOUR EXPEDITION

Early morning and evening light tends to be the most evocative in the North, and some of the best photographs are taken in the worst weather.

If it is really cold out, your camera will be coated in condensation when you bring it back inside. Carry a plastic bag with you and put the camera inside it before you leave the cold. The bag will trap some of the cold air and allow the camera to warm up more gradually, thereby avoiding the condensation problem.

Low shooting angles, at or below eye level with wildlife, are far more effective than pictures looking down.

When you are taking pictures of birds or animals, move slowly and deliberately so as not to alarm your subject or its neighbours.