High altitude photography

Alike a painter or a calligrapher, the photographer chooses his equipment depending on what he wishes to express and show. But let us not forget that the technique cannot substitute itself for the inspired glance.

The high altitude puts various constraints to the photographer.
The first one is of physical order. Indeed, this environment can only be stepped through by feet, snowshoes or skis. For this reason, it is almost compulsory to have a minimum knowledge of alpinism as well as a good physical shape to go on this ground without taking disproportionate risks.
The second constraint is the weight of the photography equipment : either it limits the possibilities of movement because it is too heavy, or it limits the possibilities if you take to little equipment.
The last constraint is the specificity of the light in the high mountains that requires a deep knowledge of its modulations in the course of hours, days and seasons.

Movements in high altitude environment

The high altitude mountains are a dangerous environment for those who do not have enough knowledge and techniques to step this ground. Even with a solid mountain experiment, experienced climbers and mountain guides would tell you that the zero-risk does not exist. If you have only a little or no experience at all, only adventure yourself with a competent reliable friend or a mountain guide.

Photography equipment

Mamiya 645 AF II and P45 digital back

Canon EOS 1DsIII

Having been for a long time an ardent supporter of the Velvia film in size 24x36 and 6x7 cm and of argentic cameras, I decided to turn to digital reflex cameras in 2003 when buying a Canon EOS 1Ds. Later, I completed the series with a 1DsII and currently use a 1DsIII and a medium format digital back Phase One P45 with a Mamiya 645 AFDII.
The digital technologies offer a incredible creativity space that was kind of lost with the slides which depiction was mainly depending on the laboratory and the film type.

Canon EOS 5D

My range of lens goes from 14 to 300 mm for my Canon Camera and from 28mm to 300mm for the Mamiya 645 AF II.
Even though they sometimes are slightly less successful optics, zooms have the great advantage to avoid changing objective too often in the mountain. They allow you to precisely compose a photograph without having to step forward or backward, which is not always possible or recommended in a high mountain environment.

Three objectives serve 90% of my pictures :

Zoom Canon 17-40L F4

The Canon 17-40 F4 L zoom and the Contax-Zeiss 17-35 F2,8 which has a better depiction of details in angles. Both are indispensable to work with large horizon and to stress lines of flight.

zoom Contax-Zeiss 17-35 F2,8

Zoom Canon 24-70L F2.8

The Canon 24-70L F2.8 is a good choice for its versatility and its excellent depiction of details.

Zoom Canon 70-200L F4 IS

The Canon 70-200L F4 IS and 70-200L F2.8 zooms which can be coupled with the extender x1,4.

Extender x1,4

My objective range also counts a Sigma 14mm F2.8 to stress some perspectives (for example plunging views in climbing), a Zeiss 21mm F 2,8 with excellent depiction of details, a Zeiss 28mm F2,8, a Canon 50mm macro F2.5, a Canon 24-105 F4 L IS zoom and a Canon telephoto lens 300mm L F2.8.
I use a polarizing filter in order to stress contrasts from time to time. However, I never use colour filters, UV filters and other kind of effect filters.

Contax-Zeiss Distagon F2.8

The weight problem

Whatever the equipment being used, weight is always a limiting factor. In fact, the problem is to find out whether you are going out in the mountains to take pictures or you are going to climb and additionally returning with a few pictures.
In the first case, when taking pictures is the main goal, I adapt my equipment depending on the difficulty and the length of the ascent I wish to do. It also depends on my current physical shape. In a difficult ascent, I usually stick to a light reflex camera (like Canon EOS 5D for example) with a wide angle zoom objective (17-40 F4). The whole weighs less than one kilogram and a half. Basically, it is compatible with technical ascents and still offering good shoots possibilities.
In long but less technical routes, I usually take along with me a « pro » reflex camera (EOS 1DS III) with two optics (a wide angular zoom and a 70-200 F4 L Is). The whole weighs three to five kilograms. My rucksack weighs a total ten to twelve kilograms and adds on to the difficulty of the ascent.
On « classical » routes that are technically less difficult, I have less constraints and usually bring my EOS 1Ds III or MFD Mamiya 645 AFDII, a wide angular zoom, a 24-70 or 24-105 zoom, the 70-200 F4 L Is and the extender x1,4. On top of that, I add a light carbon fiber tripod.

The « Gorilla pod » is a very light and versatile tripod.

My whole equipment, including the lightest possible climbing equipment often weighs more than fifteen kilograms. Only my passion helps me bearing such a load!
In any case, the equipment needs to be easily reachable. I usually carry it in a pocket or case attached to my harness for more reliability.
Personally, I use cases from Tamrac or Lowepro brand which allows me a fast access « at hand » to the camera and its lens. This case necessarily needs to have a zip type closure in order to allow a good protection against snow damages. If needed, extra equipment is on top of my backpack in flexible cases.
I occasionally use a specific backpack designed for the transportation of photography equipment (Lowepro photo Trekker), mainly in low mountain ranges. Unfortunately, these bags are heavy in comparison with classical backpack (two or three extra kilos) and they are therefore not adapted to the mountaineers.

Cold

It is part of the high altitude environment.

Rare are the moments when it is possible to benefit from a sweet heat in lees.
It may seem strange, but the equipment does not suffer to much from these extreme conditions. Even with electronic devices and temperature of less than minus twenty or thirty degrees, I have never had any functioning problems due to the cold. However, the batteries suffer. The best solution is to always keep an extra battery in the warmth of a pocket and to change the battery pack at the first signs of weakness.

Lights

Alike high mountain, it is plenty of movement and violent contrasts.

Passed eight in the morning in the summer, it is so strong that it crushes horizons and reliefs. Thus it becomes difficult to make good shoots. All the people used to altitude will tell you that in order to take good pictures, you need to wake up early and go to bed late.
Dawn and sunset are privileged moments to print good lights because mountain dresses itself with yellow, red and purple tones of extreme density.
You will find out with a little experience that some days, light is flat, some others, simply beautiful, and some rare times, divine. Indeed, there are many modulations depending on the season, the height on the sun above the horizon, the weather conditions, and the hygrometry of the atmosphere. Depending on the seasons, certain hillsides of the mountains are not or little touched by the sun. The Northern side of Mont-Blanc, for example, stays in the shade at sunset whereas in the summer it is completely flooded with light.
In autumn and winter, lights are often denser and more crystalline and therefore offer good opportunities to make shoots that are very saturated in colours. Some weather conditions are also more favourable than others. A powerful anticyclone bringing good weather for a few days is not what beautiful lights lovers are looking for as it brings a foggy atmosphere resulting in a sky poor with relief. The beautiful lights can be found a few hours before the arrival of bad weather, or even better, when a depression goes away leaving behind a sky filled with clouds but «washed» from all dusts suspended in the air.
Beyond these precious conditions, there is also the magical moment, the stroke of luck, the «at the right place at the right time» to catch the unthinkable. There are rare moments when light, hosted by dementia, flood the mountain with beauty.

Digital era

Leaving the argentic for the digital is not painless. The basics of shooting such as composition, depth of field, etc remain the same. However, obtaining a quality image or «file» requires much more knowledge and work than before.
While laboratories where taking care of the processing of the images in the argentic era, it is now the photographer that is in charge of this role. You might stick to Jpeg and predefined settings, but it is not sure that the result will be as high as the expectations, mainly because of an unreliable white balance in high altitude and the compression of image.
Quality requires the work with Raw format (more info here...). This format allows more possibilities in the «post treatment» on computers. For example, the white balance can be set manually in order to obtain the desired colour balance, the images can proceeded in Tiff format (without compression), and moreover in Tiff 16bits for a maximum quality in the post treatment. Unfortunately, this pushes the photographer to spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen as each image needs to be treated individually. On the other hand, it allows the photographer to choose his interpretation of the image (just like it was possible with black and white processing), hence enhancing the quality and the creativity gain. White balance, contrasts, saturation, unsharp mask: tools are numerous to express one’s photographic eye and creativity.

Concerning the choice of computers and programs, we have got more and more choice. One thing, before working on any picture (especially on its colours), make sure to calibrate your screen.
Personally, I currently use a Lacie 321 screen with a Blue eye pro colorimeter. I use the Capture One Pro and Capture One 4 programs in order to process the Raw files, and the classical Photoshop CS3 alongside different plug-in (including Neat Images, PTLens and B/W Pro). Other solutions are available on the market for more reasonable prices. It is mainly a question of preference.