Wales features three national parks consisting of the Pembrokeshire Coast, Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) and Snowdonia (Eyri) National Park. They are home to sandy, coastal walks with sparkling, clear waters and white sand beaches out west, and also tall, rugged mountains surrounded by vast forests, lakes and a mass of waterfalls, wherever there may be a river.
This makes Wales an incredibly versatile country to explore as you will always find something of interest to photograph whether that be nature or wildlife. However, Wales, and Britain as a whole, is infamously known for its volatile and ever-changing weather regardless of the season. But, just because the sunny skies may change to a dark downpour at the drop of a hat, it doesn’t mean that you need to put the camera away and run for dry cover. Sometimes this can be the most fun and satisfying time to shoot!
Five fast tips for shooting
1. Always plan ahead
Periodically check the weather forecast and daylight times. Visit the location that you’re shooting early. Consider looking at reference images on social media. Finally, scout the area before shooting so you know what is achievable and then play around using interesting objects in your foreground such as water, grass and rocks.
2. Get warmed up
It may sound strange but when stepping outside, have a quick stretch of the body to get the blood pumping so that you’re ready for your journey. If you’re stiff and achy, then it can take away from the enjoyment of being outside, leading to impatience and wanting to leave sooner, which links into the next point.
3. Have plenty of patience
You'll have heard this repeatedly within the world of photography, but patience really is key, especially given the erratic nature of the weather in Britain. For this shot, we hiked for 30 minutes in the torrential rain and wind, but we knew there would be a break in the conditions for the light to shine through.
4. Wrap up well
It's easier to have patience if you and your setup are protected from the conditions. This means putting on your waterproof clothing and footwear, as well as having microfibre cloths to wipe your lens and camera, even if they’re weather-sealed. You can even use a shower cap or umbrella to protect your gear from the rain.
5. Experiment with settings
Different settings achieve different results. Ideally for a landscape, you’d want a wide angle and to use an aperture around f/11. The aperture may make your image dark which will require a higher ISO, or a longer shutter speed where a sturdy tripod will definitely be needed and could achieve a nice blurred-trail effect to moving subjects.
Beware the highlights
When shooting a moody landscape and having patiently waited for the break in the clouds for the sun to shine through, this may cause bright areas within your image which are overexposed. To even this out, reduce reflections in water and metallic surfaces, and bring natural colour to the scene, use a polariser on your lens.
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If you're out and about in wet and wild conditions you need a rainproof backpack to keep your gear safe, a polarizing filter to enhance the landscape, and a wide angle lens to capture it.
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