Outdoor photography tips from Krystle Wright

11th October 2016

From free-diving in Vanuatu to Alaskan peaks, Krystle Wright puts her kit to work in some of the world's harshest conditions. Here's her advice on taking great pictures outdoors while braving the coldest and wettest elements whether you are taking action or landscape photographs.

Stay warm

Stay warm! It's hard to focus if you are freezing. Dress correctly for the conditions, pack spare gloves and extra layers. Hand warmers come in handy to keep the fingers warm, as they'll cop the brunt of the cold holding your camera body.

image of krystle wright in outdoor location

Check your histogram

Check your histogram! Shooting in snow is the most delicate situation for exposing correctly. The histogram will be your best instruction on how to expose correctly rather than relying on your LCD screen.

Protect your gear

Canon cameras are tough in the wilderness, but even with consistent wet weather building, it's important to protect your gear.

But If you choose to use the cheap option of a plastic bag, be sure to attach it to your camera strap, or thread through the camera strap - so it doesn't get left behind. There's nothing worse than polluting the pristine landscape you're photographing.

Bright colours help when shooting a subject in a landscape

In many landscapes, the attire athletes wear is a big detail. If you can, encourage athletes/friends to wear bright colours, that will pop against the background. If they were dark, dull colours, it's difficult to work with to make a great image - due to blending in.

Krystle-Wright-Canon-Master-holding-Canon-DSLR-outdoors

Image of Krystle Wright, Canon Master holding a Canon DSLR camera on location

Image of high wire walker in landscape image, wearing red top and black pants to stand out from the background. Image taken by Krystle Wright

Some kit advice from Krystle for photographers of all levels

My current camera is the 1DX Mark II which I can use for both stills and film. My favourite go to lens is easily the 24mm f/1.4. The reason I choose this lens is that its a wide lens but not so wide that you lose the impact and dimensions of mountains. Plus, even though I love to get up close, the 24mm keeps a little distance so that I avoid the distortion that can happen when shooting super wide and up close.

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