|
| |
|
PHOTOGRAPHY |
| |
|
|
| |
Everyone's a National Geographic photographer in Nepal - mountains,
wildlife, temples, ethnic peoples and festivals all make winning
subjects. But beware of experiencing your trip through a lens. The
camera can provide great memories, but don't hesitate to put it away
when it's getting in the way of the real thing
Equipment
The first rule of packing photo gear is to keep it to what you can
realistically carry. For many travellers, this will mean sticking to a
pocket-sized point-and-shoot model with a built-in flash. These cameras
are unobtrusive, lightweight and easy to use, and the digital ones make
it particularly easy to send pictures home by Internet. The drawback is
a lack of versatility, since the lens only zooms so much, and you can't
usually override the automatic functions.
Bringing an SLR (single lens reflex) camera involves a tradeoff between
higher performance versus extra bulk and security precautions. To get
the most out of your SLR you'll want a decent selection of accessories.
Zoom lenses lighten your load, minimize lens changes and give you a
whole range of focal distances to choose from. Two or three should do it:
something in the 35-80mm range, an 80-200mm, and a wide angle (24mm or
even 20mm). On longer lenses, the lower the f-stop available, the more
flexibility you'll have but the greater the bulk (and price). It's also
good to have polarizing or split-density filters to cut down on glare,
plus UV filters to protect lenses. A flash is useful for filling in
shadows, and a tripod for long exposures. And if you're carrying all
that booty, you'll want to make sure it's protected in some sort of bag
- either over the shoulder, strapped to the chest or around the waist -
which you shouldn't let out of your sight.
In some situations a cheap disposable camera (sold in tourist areas) may
be your best bet. On a raft trip, for example, you can take pictures
with a disposable without worrying about ruining it in the water,
whereas a regular camera will have to be kept stowed away in a storage
box most of the time while on the river.
If you're thinking of buying a camera for your trip to Nepal, you might
consider waiting until you get there, since equipment is quite
reasonably priced in Kathmandu. Shops there also sell most camera
accessories - batteries, lens filters, tripods - but it's probably best
to bring these with you just in case they don't have the exact thing you
need. Remember that batteries go flat more quickly in cold temperatures.
Most major brands of film (prints and slides) are easily obtainable in
Nepal's tourist areas, and prices are about the same as or even cheaper
than back home. Off the beaten track, though, the selection is pretty
thin. Have a selection of both fast (ASA/ISO 200-400) and slow (100, 64
or even 25) film on hand to deal with different conditions. If you're
bringing film into the country, pack it in a lead bag (available in
camera shops) or carry it as hand baggage and have it hand-checked - new
airport X-ray machines are coming into service worldwide that are
programmed to turn up the power if they spot suspicious-looking items,
and this can fog film (high-speed film is more vulnerable).
Labs in the main cities and towns process most types of film; they
usually do an okay job with prints, but can't be trusted with slides.
Have important photos processed outside Nepal if possible.
All the comments about bulk and security for still cameras apply even
more so to video cameras . Note that you have to pay a steep extra fee
to bring a video camera into certain parks and signts. Nepal's
electricity is 220V/50 cycles, which means North Americans won't be able
to recharge battery packs without an adapter (available locally).
Technique
People always make good photos, but be sensitive. Always ask first, and
if they say no, don't press it. Try to make photography a fun, two-way
process: let people take pictures of their friends, or of you with their
friends. It also helps if you can show pictures of your own family or
home. Take time to establish intimacy, rather than just barging in and
"taking" pictures. Unless you've got a Polaroid, don't mislead people
into thinking they'll get an instant portrait of themselves. Never offer
money, and if someone demands bakshish for a photo, just put the camera
away - this is a form of begging and should be discouraged. That said,
sadhus in certain tourist spots make their living from the bakshish they
earn posing for photos (and if you try to steal a photo they'll visit
holy wrath upon you). Never photograph masked festival dancers, who are
believed to embody the deities they represent. Don't use a flash in a
temple while someone is worshipping.
Postcard-perfect shots of scenery with clear blue skies aren't always
the ones that stand out when you get home. Clouds, fog and rain often
add more drama. Look for unusual images, things you've never seen
before. Rather than trying to make big, sweeping statements with your
photos, try zooming in on details that capture something essential about
the scene or culture. Go for action shots that will serve as a
springboard for a story.
Light levels and contrast can be very high on sunny days in Nepal -
especially at high elevations. To get around this, plan on doing most of
your shooting in the early morning or late afternoon. Tones are
especially mellow at these times, producing the best results, and in any
case some of the most interesting scenes occur just after dawn. If you
can't avoid midday conditions, use a flash to fill in shadows on faces,
especially if the subject is relatively dark against a bright
background. To get the correct exposure without a flash, walk up close
or zoom in, so the subject fills the frame, before reading the meter.
For snow shots, meter off something of a neutral shade, like your hand
or the darkest part of the sky.
|
| |
|
