Ladakh Through One Lens

Is it a creative challenge or did it evolve naturally?

The answer to this is both, and it is a long story. In the mid 80s, when I started my first venture, setting up and running a pathology laboratory for over two decades, I had to introduce new technologies and machines to India to maintain the competitiveness of the laboratory. I believe this has become a habit over time and has influenced my photography journey. In the crowded landscape photography genre, I felt compelled to challenge myself with innovative ideas and equipment. Having traveled to the Himalayas over 14 times, I was willing to capture the mountains and their surroundings without the influence of colours.

During my early photography career, I used 600mm lenses with a 1.4 teleconverter. Over time, I discovered the beauty of wide-angle photography and embraced it. I discontinued my 400 and 600mm lenses and limited myself to a 35mm lens and a 70-200mm lens. I referred to these images as “Wildscapes.”

My plan was to shoot at altitudes ranging from 3500m to 5300m. Having decided to use the Phase One XF body and IQ3 100 MP Achromatic back, I was torn between the 55mm and 80mm BR lenses. The impressive pixel count and the wide tonal range offered by the 100 MP Achromatic back led me to select the Phase One 55mm f/2.8 AF lens (not BR). Drawing upon my experience with film cameras shooting in black and white, I anticipated the challenge of achieving near-perfect exposure. Therefore, I decided to incorporate my Sekonic Speedmaster L858D-U light meter into my equipment list.

The Technical Deep Dive

Phase One medium format cameras employ a sensor size of 53.7 x 40.4 mm, which is much larger than full-frame sensors (approximately 36 x 24 mm). This expansive sensor and individual pixel size contribute to a broader dynamic range and improved image quality. The crop factor of a Phase One medium format camera relative to full-frame (35 mm) is approximately 0.64 times. Consequently, a specific focal length lens used on a Phase One medium format camera offers a wider field of view compared to the same focal length lens on a full-frame camera.

Regarding filters, the Bayer colour filter and the infrared cutoff filter, commonly found in colour cameras, have been removed from the Achromatic sensor, rendering it capable of capturing only black and white images. I have consistently utilised a Schneider Kreuznach B+W 486 UV/IR Cut filter to block infrared light. Occasionally, I have employed a 720 IR cut filter to enhance the sky’s appearance.

Working in Monochrome

I must admit that during the initial hours, I was wondering whether I had made an error in deciding on black and white photography in my familiar but difficult territory. The vibrant hues of the mountains were captivating me! This state of mind persisted for several hours. Suddenly, the hues transformed into distinct tonal ranges, and Ansel Adams’ zone system instilled confidence in me. I began perceiving light, shadow, shapes, and patterns in front of me. Having acclimated to this newfound perspective, I proceeded to formulate a composition strategy. I posed myself the following questions: who is the protagonist, who are the supporting characters, and who should not be included in the frame? Once these decisions were made, I focused on arranging their positions within the frame. Subsequently, I entrusted the light meter with determining the appropriate shutter speed, having established the focal length, Fstop (F11) and the ISO (200). In most instances, I opted to shoot handheld. I employed two distinct strategies. If the frame contained a high-contrast element, I recorded the reading for the dark area, which naturally falls within zone five of the system. Subsequently, I brought it to zone three or zone four through under-exposure. Conversely, when the scene presented a wide tonal range, I decided to utilise EV metering. Typically, I recorded readings for the highlight, shadow, and mid-tone, and then employed the average reading to determine the shutter speed. Over the course of a decade, I have consistently utilised Capture One for post-processing. By employing the aforementioned logic, my time spent on post-processing was significantly reduced, enabling me to achieve the desired final effect.

Unlike in colour, where one looks forward to lights of early morning and late evening, one of the biggest advantages in working in Monochrome is that I can shoot for longer hours and the possibility of using IR filters in midday.

Clouds and Mountain Moods

After several hours of shooting, I firmly believed that my decision to adopt monochrome photography in the mountainous regions of Ladakh at that particular moment was the right one. The areas I was traveling through are characterised by shadowy regions with minimal rainfall and abundant cloud formation. One such scene came before me while I was driving from Leh (3,500 meters) to Hunder in Nubra Valley through Kardungla Pass at 5,300 meters (Image 1088). Another vivid memory I have is of shooting in the late evening in Nubra Valley, capturing people riding double-humped camels across the sand dunes. Suddenly, dark clouds descended upon the area, creating a distinct arrangement of dark clouds on one side and lighter clouds on the other, with a break in the rain in the middle of the screen. I had to quickly take EV metering and capture the shot, which I am pleased with (Image 1113).

The Creative Process

It would be an understatement to say that there were instances where the limitations of a 55mm lens posed challenges. I would have preferred a longer lens, ideally 80mm or even better, a 110mm lens, to capture superior images compared to what I achieved with the 55mm lens. However, I had to accept the lack of a better tool and hope that the larger number of pixels would enable me to crop the images to my desired extent. I successfully created a few panoramas by stitching images captured in vertical orientation.

Practical Wisdom

I am a born optimist. I would strongly urge serious photographers to step out of their comfort zone and start experimenting. There will always be challenges and there will always be solutions. It’s all about getting out and taking as many pictures as possible with as many variations that you could think of to satisfy your hunger for good images.

I believe in a lesson I learnt when I was young: “Never be afraid of failing “. I would like you too to start believing in this!

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