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During
their photographic career, many people feel the urge to go
somewhere exotic to pursue their hobby on a more adventurous
scale. Expeditions are made to all parts of the world - Truk
Lagoon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Outer Hebrides, the Norwegian
Hords, Stoney Cove ... the list is endless. They all require
two inputs from those involved - organization and commitment
- and nobody looking for an extended holiday should consider
accepting the position of expedition photographer unless they
are prepared to commit time, both before and after the expedition,
to this type of work.
PREPARATION
Preparation
is of vital importance, and success on the expedition and
afterwards will be directly related to how much time is put
in. First and foremost, establish the exact nature and purpose
of the expedition and your role on it. Invariably you will
be required to do both land and underwater photography, which
requires even more equipment for proper coverage. Establish
who pays for the film and who owns the copyright - avoid signing
away the copyright if possible. Try and persuade the other
expedition members before you go that the photographer needs
freedom to take good pictures and is not just a spare expedition
member with a camera strung around his neck!
The
next step is to research the area / country and the type of
conditions that the expedition is likely to confront. Research
can be through a variety of sources - reference books, the
Royal Geographic Society, people who have visited and dived
that location before. Research for the photographer should
establish the availability and cost of photographic equipment,
materials, film and processing in the host country. How long
long does it take for E6 / K64 to be processed and returned
- is local processing good - (Have test rolls done.) What
facilities will the expedition have for equipment maintenance
and storage" Is there a power source for recharging batteries
and flashguns - Are there adequate freshwater supplies for
cleaning equipment; will there be refrigeration facilities
for film - Research should also look into local diving and
climatic conditions which will influence final choice of equipment.
Equipment
Equipment
is always a problem for the expedition photographer as by
the time he/she has all the equipment thought to be necessary,
he/she is either broke or has only enough room for swim wear
before being clobbered by excess baggage charges. Final choice
probably depends on what camera system the photographer uses
(amphibious or housed SLR), but the following could perhaps
be considered.
Two
camera bodies are a must, both for back-up and for variety
of film, and compact cameras are also useful for shooting
print film. A large plastic ice box filled with foam and a
little silica gel is useful for on site storage and can usually
be purchased locally. Cleaning materials and spares are definitely
required (usually a large number for other members of the
expedition who won't have their own) and can be carried separately
in a BDH box. Spare bulbs can be carried in film pods wrapped
up in cotton wool. A mini tape recorder can also be useful
to record details of pictures as they are taken. A black dark
bag is also a necessity for all those times cameras have a
problem whilst a valuable film is inside. These are just a
few items that I have found essential or useful on expeditions
and most photographers have their own lists. Finally, get
cameras, flashguns and housings checked prior to the expedition
and then test them yourself in a swimming pool.
Film
Film
is a personal choice and it is best to stick to the film you
are used to especially if you are unlikely to see any results
during the expedition. Quantity depends on budget, sponsors
and expedition requirements. It is best to take too much than
to continually have to restrict pictures during the expedition.
Type of film should include print, black & white and slide.
and other films, such as infra red, can produce interesting
results.
Much
of your film and other bits of equipment. as well as finance,
can be obtained through sponsorship. Only hard work and a
lot of time will produce sponsorship but perseverance should
yield results. Always follow letters up by a phone call, its
surprising what a personal touch makes to the end result.
Sponsors normally require some kind of feedback after the
expedition so don't forget them once you have disappeared
to sunnier climes and always follow up an expedition with
an expedition report. A sponsor who doesn't get feedback and/or
publicity is unlikely to sponsor other expeditions.
Marketing
Finally
in expedition preparation, the photographer should be looking
to likely markets for pictures taken on the expedition. It
helps to know what angles and stories different Journals want,
and by trying out the market it is frequently possible to
find people looking for certain pictures who will use material
if it is suitable. This could be anything from marine calendars
to brochure covers.
ON
LOCATION
Once
at the expedition site, it is important to establish an area,
protected from the elements, for the photographic equipment,
cleaning and general maintenance.
Your
role
There
is one particular problem that most expedition photographers
have to overcome. That is that the role of expedition photographer
is frequently not the most popular amongst the other expedition
members, often through jealousy. Photographers are seen as
the person who does no work and spend most of their time getting
in other peoples' way. At the same time photographers are
seen as spare members of the expedition, who can fill in slots
as and when needed. Of course all this should have been sorted
out in the preparation stage, but if the problem persists,
be prepared to compromise and put down the camera and lend
a hand - but make sure its always handy just in case something
interesting happens. Posed pictures for sponsors and newspapers
cause more trouble than any other type of shot, so try and
avoid ordering people around as much as possible. The photographer
who is unobtrusive usually ends up with better results.
Getting
results back during or after an expedition is frequently disappointing
as the images lack something that makes them exciting. The
action that was happening in front of the camera has failed
to be transferred onto the film. There may be various reasons
for this but my experience has been that boring pictures result
because I have not thought enough about the final image. This
could be because I was shooting film indiscriminately (maybe
a fault of having too much film) resulting in a series of
snap shots or that the situation did little to inspire me
and so I didn't looking for alternative angles to capture
the image.
Think
images
When
taking pictures on expeditions, I have found that by thinking
of the following rules I have achieved a far higher rate of
acceptable pictures. These are of course only guidelines,
but they may help create better images.
1)
Be selective and concentrate on detail.
2)
Investigate unusual angles that the picture can be taken from
and use of bright colours for impact (especially underwater)
3)
Think of the end product - what can the picture be used for,
is there a story- Story line and detail are perhaps the most
important factors since a good story line will sell in magazines
and a picture with detail will normally create more Interest.
Photographic
subjects are endless but by dividing up pictures into groups
will enable the photographer to ensure all necessary pictures
have been taken - there's nothing worse than returning home
from an expedition only to find that one particular sponsor's
shot was forgotten. This is where the recording of pictures
taken as the expedition progresses is important.
Photographic
groups could cover the following
1)
Portraits - mainly mug shots for magazines.
2)
Sponsor shots
3)
Training and project work
4)
General coverage of expedition
5)
Abstract and link shots - useful for slide shows.
Divide
the expedition members into groups - are there any who have
particular sponsors or where a good story could be lurking-
BACK
HOME
Post
expedition is when the photographer finds he/she has a lot
of work to do. Once out of the field film has to be developed,
equipment overhauled and reports written up. Each expedition
will have different needs for the pictures taken, but it will
be the photographer who has to record and file away each slide.
This job is perhaps the most important of all, as by filing
- either by film/date/subject order - it can be established
exactly what material is available for promotions and publications.
Slides left in boxes will easily be forgotten and are hard
to view. After a three month expedition I would expect to
have somewhere in the region of 2 -3,000 slides.
Promotion
and publicity should be a coordinated effort by the expedition
team, so that all potential outlets for articles are approached.
The initial budget should have included a small amount for
producing a portfolio of the best or most informative slides.
A well presented portfolio will be much better received by
magazine editors than a handful of slides. Many people also
don't take as much care of slides as the photographer who
shot them, so if you do have to part with slides, pass on
copies first or the originals In glass mounts.
Sponsors
frequently want pictures soon after the expedition has ended,
so they can gain maximum publicity, perhaps in conjunction
with newspaper articles. Always record who has been given
what slides. Project reports should also be completed as soon
as possible after the expedition and the photographer would
normally be expected to make a contribution to the expedition
report.
The
end results will invariably have a direct baring on the amount
of preparation that occurred before the expedition. Foresight
and a knowledge of the subjects to be photographed should
create good images, which can be used by magazines, and hopefully
enable the photographer to participate in further expeditions
on the basis of previous success. To be an expedition photographer
requires dedication (and a silly pair of shorts). |
