Click…click….click….and suddenly you’ve been on “a long trip in a short distance” (Thoreau). This is the way that Claes Grundsten, one of Scandinavia’s top nature photographers, describes his experience of photographing some of the most challenging natural environments in the world. No matter what your experience level, capturing nature through a lens, whether in your back yard or in a more dramatic environment, can quickly take you away from it all and become a rich source of physical, intellectual and emotional engagement. Below we hear from and about Grundsten and the powerful source of wellbeing that experiencing nature through a lens can be.
An Incomparable Landscape
Listening to Claes Grundsten and looking at his striking images taken during treks through Sweden’s rugged northern landscape make you feel like walking on forever. “There is nothing comparable to Sarek (one of Sweden’s highest peaks) as far as wilderness goes,” says Grundsten who has travelled the world photographing in some of the world’s most challenging mountainous wilderness landscapes. “You can drink the water in the streams there,” something which he laments is not possible in many other trekking landscapes that he has photographed.
A Leading Mountain Conservationist
After 15 years of working for Sweden’s environmental protection agency, Grundsten became one of Sweden’s leading experts on mountain conservation and national parks. Since 1993 he has published more than 15 books including his stunning rendition of Sweden’s highest peaks, Sarek and Kebenkaise. A sign of his profound reach and experience is his most recent book which portrays his experience of trekking on six continents in the world’s best trekking environments. Several other books and current ongoing exhibitions attest to a tremendous passion. (see www.fotograf-grundsten.se).
A Universal Language
Despite the fact that trekking in great wildernesses might not seem a particularly social activity, Grundsten says that the most satisfying thing about his work is the contact with people and a wide variety of cultures. The appreciation of nature through a lens is a sort of universal language that people across cultures can understand and communicate through.
A Feel for Diversity
Another highly satisfying result of nature photography, says Grundsten, is a heightened feel for the earth’s fantastic diversity. Science and instinct tell us that diversity is a resource pool for life and survival on our planet. In this way nature photography generates a positive feeling about our world which is increasingly lacking. At the same time, the experience of seeing retreating glaciers creates a heightened awareness of the need to guard the earth’s resources.
A Source of Fitness
Grundsten muses about the “virility” that can be achieved through trekking. An 85-year-old carrier during his first scaling of Mount Kilimanjaro had newly become a father. Virility aside, nature photography can be an excellent source of fitness if it involves any significant walking.
Best Tips for Good Nature Photography
Grundsten provides a few tips for avid nature and landscape photographers:
Be ready for the moments when the weather changes. These can present some of the most interesting light conditions for photography.
For mobility and the ability react quickly, you will need to make certain compromises about what equipment you take along.
If taking photos for your own album stay with a 4 to 5 megapixel camera. For image publishing go for a 7-10 megapixel and for top technical quality you need more than a 10 megapixel. A digital SLR is advisable if you have artistic ambitions.
If you come into an image-rich place try to identify what is characteristic for it. Ask yourself what you like so much about it and then try to visualize these parts.
To find interesting image material you need to keep your eyes open and photograph a lot. The thing that separates good photographers from less good ones is their attitude. The technical capability will follow.
Learn more about good trekking footware under our archived article: Happy Trekking Feet.
Images on this page provided by courtesy of Claes Grundsten.
striking images taken during treks through Sweden’s rugged northern landscape make you feel like walking on forever. “There is nothing comparable to Sarek (one of Sweden’s highest peaks) as far as wilderness goes,” says Grundsten who has travelled the world photographing in some of the world’s most challenging mountainous wilderness landscapes. “You can drink the water in the streams there,” something which he laments is not possible in many other trekking landscapes that he has photographed.
