How to shoot…Magnificent mountains!

Whether shooting up at them or down from them, hills and mountains offer the most dramatic landscapes of all. Edyta Rice shares her top tips for capturing magical mountainscapes

- Edyta Rice

Mountains are one of the most revered features of the landscape. For centuries they have provided inspiration to painters and photographers alike, and served as a common reference point for beauty and its abstract qualities, such as symmetry, proportion and balance.

While mountains provide a great setting for landscape photography, they also present many unique challenges. One of the first things to remember is that an awe-inspiring mountain does not automatically produce an award-winning capture.

In my early experience of mountain photography, I have often been inspired by eye-popping views, only to be disappointed by the images I captured. My work lacked a sense of scale and depth and images appeared flat; the ‘wow-factor’ was missing. This made me wonder – why can capturing mountain images of the type we see in those lavishly produced coffee table books be so difficult to achieve? Is it all down to luck?

Over the years of photographing landscapes, I’ve learned that luck isn’t the whole story, or even the defining element in capturing successful images… You might be fortunate to photograph one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, or witness incredible weather conditions, but if you don’t know how to take advantage of these conditions and seize great opportunities, then your luck simply won’t be enough to succeed.