[Leica] More High Altitude Photography

[Tom Finnegan <TomF@piengr.com>]

Dave asked:
Can anyone with experience offer some advice on high altitude mountain
photography? I have an R3 with a 35mm, 50mm ,and 90mm - I should
experience a great deal of light if the weather is good as there are
large glaciers.

Should I stick with a 100 ISO? Should I work mostly with the 35mm? Any
tips on composition?

Are there any risks to my camera at altitude (besides dropping it off
the side)?

Sorry, somewhat generic but I want to get the most out of this trip.
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With a single SLR and three lenses I would probably mount the 35 and put the
other lenses in the pack. I would probably only use the 50 and 90
occasionally during the hike in the first day, and at the high camp. For the
summit climb I would be inclined to only take the 35. Something about
fumbling with a couple of lenses in the cold and wind with gloves on while
standing on a steep slab of ice isn't too appealing to me. I can easily
envision  watching my lens bouncing and sliding down the glacier out of
sight.

If I go up Rainier this month I will probably shoot primarily Kodachrome 64
in the m6 and FP4+ in the M3. For E6 films you might want to consider a
slightly warm balanced film like E100SW. If you have good weather, you might
want to take a roll or two of faster film to get some early morning shots.
The sunrise from up high can be spectacular. I'll probably take along some
Kodachrome 200 and HP5+.

The shots taken on the way up will tend to be the most spectacular. Shots
from the summit tend to be a rather bland, unless its a close shot of your
cohorts crouched against a rock with blinding snow all around and a look of
fear on their face. Be sure and get lots of pictures of the people you are
climbing with as well as the other climbers on the mountain. Adding some
human scale really helps to convey the immense size of the mountain.

Make sure that the camera is readily accessible while climbing so that you
can quickly take a picture at any time. I put my M's or R's in padded cases
that I can connect to my hip belt or harness. If the camera is buried in
your pack then you'll end up with a bunch of pictures of people standing
around drinking water and eating energy bars. The same applies to having
water and some food readily accessible so that you don't have to stop and
remove your pack to eat or drink a little. With an electronic camera like
the R3, make sure you have a couple sets of spare batteries with you.

Keep in mind that Rainier creates its own weather and you are probably more
likely to be caught in a snowstorm than you are to have beautiful sunny
weather. And remember, Ibuprofen is your friend.

Tom Finnegan
Seattle