LOCALadk Magazine
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Winter 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 49 LOCALadk Frozen in Time: Photographing the Beauty of an Adirondack Winter By Joey Priola Winter in the Adirondacks is truly magical. With rocks and roots buried in snow, vicious flies and mosquitoes a distant memor y, and the thick, humid air of summer replaced with a crisp chill, there are countless benefits to exploring the Adiron- dacks in winter. When it comes to photography, no other time of year allows for such dramatic and other worldly photos to be created. From forested foothills to the exposed alpine zone above tree line, the landscape takes on a special character that beckons to be photographed. If you're going to make the most of winter pho- tography in the Aidrondacks, there are certain techniques and equipment required for a safe and successful experience, not to mention three geographic zones that make for especially stunning winter photography. Gear and Equipment Before heading out to explore and photograph the winter wilderness, gearing up with the proper photography equipment is imperative to achieving the best pos- sible results. There are a plethora of options available when it comes to camer- as, with digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) and mirrorless cameras currently the two most predominant types. Choosing a camera can be a daunting and often confusing task when starting out in photography, and it's easy to get bogged down in the nit- ty-gritty details. While it's possible to take excellent photographs with a wide array of cameras, there are certain attributes that facilitate the creation of high-quality images. These include being able to shoot in manual mode to have full control over aperture, exposure time, and ISO (sensitivity to light), which allows the photog- rapher to modulate each setting for creative purposes. Cameras with removable lenses are also ideal, as they allow the use of a particular lens for a certain purpose. A wide-angle lens of 16-35mm, for example, is perfect for expansive landscapes, but won't be able to zoom in and provide a detailed shot of a snowy mountaintop in the distance. A telephoto lens (200 - 400mm, for example), on the other hand, is per- fect for frame-filling shots of mountain ridges or an owl perched on a snowy tree branch. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a macro lens is specifically designed for close-up and intimate views where the lens is placed mere inches from a subject such as intricate icicles or the snow-covered tips of a tree branch. Aside from a camera and lenses, the most important piece of photography gear for making beautiful winter images is a tripod. A tripod is a necessity in low-light conditions such as dusk and dawn, when a longer exposure time is required and hand-holding the camera would result in a blurr y image. Splurging on a carbon fiber tripod is one of the best equipment investments that can be made, as carbon fiber provides an optimal balance of being lightweight yet sturdy. Topping the tripod with a ball head that can freely rotate, and that the camera will be attached to, al- lows the camera to be firmly locked in place once the desired composition has been framed. A number of accessories are worth the space in your camera bag, with possibly none being more useful than a circular polarizer filter. A circular polarizer cuts glare and helps to bring out the color and saturation of reflective surfaces such as water, and also deepens the color of a blue sky. The effect that a circular polarizer has is dependent on the angle of the light source to the reflective surface, and can be tuned to the desired level by turning the circular polarizer.