I Took My Leica to {Photograph} Vehicles within the Arctic. These Are My Professional Suggestions

I just lately journeyed to Sweden to be able to analysis, write and produce a characteristic for CNET on why electrical automobiles are nice for winter driving. It was a giant story, requiring me to journey round a number of components of Sweden and enterprise north into the frozen Arctic Circle. As each a journalist and an expert photographer, it was my job to not simply inform the story, however to seize it on digital camera. That meant touring with simply the proper gear and understanding exactly how you can use it to get the pictures I would want. 

From the digital camera gear I took with me to the difficulties of taking pictures on location and the thought course of behind my pictures, here is how I captured my story on digital camera.

The digital camera gear I used

As I’d be touring round Sweden, hopping on and off trains, planes and taxis, I knew I wanted to maintain my setup light-weight. I did not need to be burdened with a heavy backpack filled with digital camera our bodies and a myriad of lenses and equipment. As a substitute, I took only one digital camera: my new Leica Q3 43. 

I purchased this digital camera for myself late final yr. It combines a high-resolution, full-frame picture sensor with a set focal size of 43mm. I really like this focal size because it gives an awesome steadiness between a wide-angle view and a zoomed-in look. I typically shoot on 35mm or 50mm prime lenses, so a 43mm lens that is completely affixed to the digital camera is a superb candy spot for me. The result’s that I had only one digital camera and lens to hold, conserving my pack load down and eliminating any distracting questions in my head about which focal size to make use of. As a substitute, it inspired me to work more durable to seek out the perfect compositions. 

I introduced a spare battery, together with an influence financial institution to high up the digital camera over USB-C if I wanted to (which I did not). The one addition to my setup was a PolarPro 135 Gold Mist filter. This gives a mild golden haze over the pictures that softens the generally harsh particulars of high-resolution pictures and gives a barely film-like aesthetic that I completely love, and I stored this filter on the digital camera nearly all the time. 

To assist shield my digital camera, I used a leather-based Oberwerth half case, which additionally helped present additional grip — helped too by a PolarPro thumb grip on the again. In order that it was all the time able to shoot, I typically carried the digital camera round my neck utilizing a Bowman Leather-based digital camera strap. For sure for a $7,000 digital camera, I had my very own photographic insurance coverage for it in case something occurred to it. 

When not in use, I carried the digital camera, equipment and different fine details in my Wandrd Prvke backpack, which gives a safe storage part for my digital camera gear together with an expandable roll high for my jacket, hat, gloves or the rest I have to take with me. 

Video gear

I additionally wanted to shoot video on this journey, each for the CNET video that may run alongside my article, in addition to capturing content material for my private pictures YouTube channel. To assist maintain the load down, I made a decision to purchase a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo. This tiny, gimbal-stabilized digital camera captures great-looking, easy footage and was the proper associate for my busy schedule.

I used it for capturing B-roll inside Volvo’s headquarters in Gothenburg, for filming automobiles as they slid round on a frozen lake and for capturing my photographic strolling excursions of Stockholm on certainly one of my days off (seen embedded above). Certain, perhaps the footage wasn’t as cinematic as I would usually attempt to obtain from my regular Canon R5, however it regarded greater than adequate and it was far simpler to hold round with me than a full-sized mirrorless digital camera and lenses. 

Arctic pictures

The primary vacation spot on my journey was Volvo’s HQ, the place I used to be proven varied areas used for the testing of its electrical automobiles. Locations like this aren’t all the time simple to shoot. The principle subject is that Volvo, understandably, is not eager on exhibiting off all of its engineering secrets and techniques, so many areas I visited had been off-limits for pictures. Different spots the place pictures could possibly be taken had been perhaps not that illustrative for my story, so it was vital to work with Volvo — as I do with any firm — to seek out compromises that either side are pleased with. 

That wasn’t an issue, and I am particularly happy with a few of my imagery taken inside the corporate’s battery testing space, which was a key a part of my written piece. As a journalist and photographer, my goal is all the time to rely by myself pictures once I’m visiting an space like this. It provides to the authenticity of the story, exhibiting CNET’s readers that I’ve truly been someplace and seen one thing firsthand. This would not be the case if I merely used pictures offered by the corporate.

Issues bought extra dramatic as I joined Volvo up within the frozen north of Sweden. My journey took me first as much as the Arctic Circle to the town of Kiruna, the place I not solely noticed inside Volvo’s Arctic testing facility, however was additionally given the chance to journey a snowmobile at night time throughout frozen lakes and thru snow-bound forests

It was wonderful, particularly once we stopped and bought a quick glimpse of the Northern Lights overhead. I set my digital camera up on my Peak Design Journey Tripod, framed my picture utilizing the snowmobiles as foreground curiosity and used a three-second shutter velocity and ISO of 800 to seize sufficient gentle. I am happy with the picture I used to be capable of get. 

Frantic pictures on a frozen lake

We then traveled just a little extra south to the town of Lulea, the place we had been handed the keys to Volvo’s all-electric EX90 and given a route that may take us throughout the countryside and to an ice monitor that Volvo had cleared on a frozen lake. I shared the driving with one other journalist on this leg of the journey, giving me a possibility to shoot out of the automobile window, capturing some particulars across the space that I felt would add some additional shade and scene-setting to my story. 

On the lake, issues had been much less sedate. I began off doing a few of my very own driving, going hell-for-leather across the course within the hopes of sending the automobile sideways across the corners — and regularly spinning off the monitor into snow drifts. Nice enjoyable. I would hooked up my DJI Osmo on a small clamp contained in the automobile to movie my efforts from a number of angles, however then it was time for me to do one thing a bit extra harmful. 

I wanted to seize pictures and photographs of the automobiles driving and that required a extra sophisticated setup. First, I wanted certainly one of Volvo’s check drivers to drive the automobile that may be the topic. I’d then be in a automobile in entrance, sitting within the trunk with the tailgate open, permitting me to freely {photograph} the automobile because it drove shut behind us. After I do that on public roads I put on a high-vis vest and I am firmly hooked up contained in the automobile utilizing a security harness. We did not have this on the closed monitor so I simply needed to sit within the again and take a look at to not slide out as we took every nook. 

At one level I almost did, however I stored my foot pressed exhausting in opposition to the aspect to assist me, which helped. Was it secure? No, probably not, and it is completely not one thing I would have accomplished on public roads, if nothing else as a result of it will have been unlawful. Nevertheless it was the one method I used to be capable of get the pictures I required of the automobiles in motion. The freezing situations and excessive speeds on the monitor meant that snow and ice billowed round me, overlaying me — and the digital camera — in snow. Fortunately, my Leica Q3 43 is climate sealed so I wasn’t fearful about any water injury. You may see me sitting with the remnants of snow on me on the high of this text.

I used a slower shutter velocity on my digital camera — often round 1/80 of a second — which barely blurred the movement of the automobile’s wheels and the bottom because it sped previous whereas hopefully conserving the automobile in sharp focus. I used burst mode to extend the probabilities of getting sharp, usable pictures, however even then I solely bought about 10 that I used to be pleased with out of the couple of hundred that I shot. However that is nice, I solely wanted a number of for example my story. I did one other run, this time with my Osmo to seize video. I did some out of the again and a few out of aspect home windows filming each the topic automobile behind and a few footage of the automobile we had been driving to be able to give our gifted video editors extra diverse footage to work with. 

After our final lap, the day got here to an finish, as did my time in Sweden.

Modifying and recommendation

I shot a lot of pictures on this journey utilizing Leica’s built-in Chrome shade profile. I like the colours and tones it gives, particularly when paired with the PolarPro Gold Mist filter. However I shot my pictures in each JPEG and uncooked, permitting me to additionally apply my very own edits to the uncooked recordsdata if I wished to. For some pictures — like those of the automobiles in movement on the monitor — I used my very own edits, whereas for others I merely used the JPEG with the Chrome profile inbuilt. 

I shot many pictures for my very own use on my travels, and nearly all of my favourite pictures are utilizing the built-in colours from the Leica look. Do not be afraid to make use of these profiles as they’ll give you an awesome inventive increase while you’re out taking your pictures. Fujifilm’s cameras (just like the wonderful X100VI) are famed for having a wide range of gorgeous film-like shade profiles inbuilt, so look towards these should you’re eager on utilizing in-camera colours. 

General, I am actually happy with the number of pictures I shot each for CNET and for myself. It actually helped that I stored my gear load to a minimal because it allowed me to be nimble and react rapidly to moments once I noticed them. For those who’re eager on taking your individual journey and documentary pictures like this, be certain to take a look at my full information to skilled journey pictures. 

Editors’ observe: Journey prices associated to components of this story had been lined by the producer, which is frequent within the auto business. The judgments and opinions of CNET’s workers are our personal.