Neil showed Sarah how to set up her camera to help her capture great landscape shots

LIVE VIEW

Neil says… The best shots are rarely taken from standing height, and my mantra is to get ‘low and close.’ The articulating screen of Sarah’s D500 enables images to be shot from a comfortable shooting position. It also gives a live preview of how the shot will turn out before you actually take it.

EXPOSURE DELAY MODE

Neil says… I’ve lost count of the number of remote releases I’ve mislaid over the years, and instea Id suggest using Exposure Delay mode if your camera has it – when the shutter button is pressed the mirror is raised but the exposure is taken a couple of seconds later, enabling any vibrations from ‘mirror slap’ to subside.

MY MENU

Neil says… Over the course of our shoot I’d suggested Sarah tweak many settings found under different menus, such as Airplane mode and Exposure Delay. To keep them in a unified place, set them to My Menu – Select the Add Items option to add oft-used settings, so that they’re easily accessed.

HOT SHOT #1

CAMERA Nikon D500

LENS 16-80mm f/2.8-4

EXPOSURE 1/4 sec, f/8, ISO100

Tomorrow is going to be an interesting adventure with the weather,” cautioned Neil, making the final preparations the day before their Apprentice shoot. “I’m sure we will get some great images; the Dales look terrific with storm clouds moving across the peaks, but given that late afternoon is more than likely going to be lighting and rain photography, an early start would be best.”

Meeting in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales village of Stainforth at the appointed time of 10am, the pair donned their wet-weather gear and walking boots, and set off on the short walk to their first location, the nearby Stainforth Force, a series of cascading waterfalls framed by an old packhorse bridge. The recent rain had followed a prolonged dry spell, so the water levels would be relatively low, but there would be flowing water, promised Neil, adding, “In fact, these overcast conditions are perfect for shooting falls. There will be less contrast in the scene, and on a sunny day glare can be a real problem reflecting off the water. Let’s start with a shot of the falls themselves. Over to you, Sarah!”

Setting the scene

Sarah went about setting up her tripod, adjusting the height of the legs to level the camera on the uneven rocky terrain. But Neil intervened. “It’s looking pretty precarious,” he warned, pointing out that the camera was leaning forward alarmingly. “Make sure the centre of gravity is directly under the middle of the tripod, and as a rule, position the foremost leg so that it’s under the lens – unless you’re shooting at an ultra-wide angle, in which case there would be a danger of the leg appearing in the shot.”