Successful photography at high altitudes requires a basic awareness of a few special problems, starting with the light itself. The human eye is a wonder of automation, constantly adapting to ever-changing levels of natural light, and compensating for more subtle variations such as colour temperature and ultra-violet radiation, or UV.

The camera, on the other hand, can have problems in these kinds of conditions, although things are improving dramatically with the migration to digital imagery.

Seeing The Light...

Digital cameras are less affected by the higher levels of UV found in the clear air at high altitudes, not least since the images they produce can be colour-corrected before printing. The same can be said of the exposure until snow is involved, at which point the camera will tend to under-expose, resulting in grey snow and (in sunny conditions) dark blue skies.

“the camera will tend to under-expose, resulting in grey snow and dark blue skies...”

If you have the ability to shoot in manual mode you can often achieve much better results by taking your exposure reading off something approximating to a mid-grey, such as a piece of exposed rock or even the back of your hand. Once you’ve done this you can simply point the camera at the snowy scene before you and take the picture using the settings you’ve just measured – ignoring the apparent over-exposure the camera will now indicate.

Alternatively, some cameras have a special dedicated snow-scene setting or program , which achieves much the same end result. It’s a feature worth looking for if you intend to shoot lots of pictures in ski areas, and simply want to point-and-shoot, without being bothered with technicalities.

RAW Power...

If you’re more serious about your photography you will at least have heard about RAW images, which are simply files which grab all the information recorded by the sensor with no in-camera enhancement or compression applied before saving to the memory card.

“If you’re serious about your mountain photography, then this is undoubtedly the way to go...”

Having all that information to play with maximises the potential for adjusting the images to correct exposure, contrast, colour balance, saturation, sharpness and much more. The results can be sensational; typically flat and unpromising RAW files can become vibrant and razor-sharp. Not what you’re looking for? How about subtle tones or even monochrome? Anything is now possible.

Be warned, though: working this way requires patience and commitment (so it can become addictive), plus a camera with RAW mode capabilities, coupled with a capable RAW-specific image software package like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (right) or Nikon Capture NX. But if you’re serious about your mountain photography, then this is undoubtedly the way to go.

Skiing With A Camera...

If you’re planning to ski with a compact camera then chances are you’ll be able to get by for much of the time by simply tucking it into an inner pocket of your ski-jacket or fleece. This way it will remain warm enough to ensure that the battery doesn’t lose its efficiency due to low temperatures. The only problem comes when you’ve been working hard and take the camera from its warm (and in all probability moist) environment and into sub-zero temperatures to take a picture. Result: there’s a pretty good chance that the lens will mist up and that you’ll drop whatever else was in the pocket too.

A Little Padding...

Enter the padded pouch, usually mounted, bum-bag-style, on a belt. This has the advantages of offering the camera a degree of cushioned shock-protection in the event of a fall, keeping things warm (but not too warm) and dry, along with providing extra pockets for filters, spare memory cards, etc. Even SLR cameras can be carried this way.

If you have to think twice about getting the camera out then you’re bound to miss some good shots....”

Larger and heavier equipment – a professional SLR plus a spare lens, for example – requires a different approach. A specially-designed photographer’s back-pack allows you to carry a complete outfit in reasonable comfort over long distances, such as ski-touring or cross-country (ski-de-fond) skiing. If it’s fully-loaded, though, it won’t do a lot for your balance, and it has the further disadvantage of making access to your camera a rather awkward affair.

If you have to think twice about getting the camera out then you’re bound to miss some good shots.

A Balanced Approach...

For anyone doing any physically demanding outdoor activity a much more flexible option is to divide the equipment you carry into essentials you'll keep with you at all times, and extras you want to have available should the need arise. For me this means skiing for most of the time with a chest-mounted top-loading pouch-style bag. My trusty Lowepro TLZ Pro AW has a forward-opening flap and is designed to carry a pro SLR with a medium telephoto zoom lens mounted. There’s also room for a standard lens, a selection of filters, voice recorder, notepad, pens, grey-card, spare batteries, flash-cards – a good basic kit, in fact.

Better still there’s a pull-out elasticated waterproofing cover and – the killer feature – a clip-on chest harness to replace the shoulder-strap. I've skied - and walked, mountain-biked, etc. - for years like this, often with a brutish Nikon F5 and heavy lenses, etc., with both arms free and no balance problems. Now, with lighter digital equipment, it’s even easier.

When I need to carry further equipment I simply add a well-padded belt-pack bag. I use a Lowepro Orion AW, which can be swung around my waist and even has a small, attachable top bag which turns it into a split back-pack ideal for cycling, ski touring, etc. It also has the same pull-out waterproofing system as the chest-pack. For me this combination provides the perfect system, adapting to whatever I need to do – without compromising my mountain activities or my photography.