Nature Photography How To

When most photographers anticipate perfect weather for shooting outdoors, they’re hoping for a balmy windless day, soft golden light, and a few billowing clouds in the sky. But not intrepid landscape pro Thomas Heaton, who has a totally different take on what constitutes fun and optimum photo opportunities in the great outdoors.

In the remarkable video below, you’d think Heaton was on an expedition in Greenland, or perhaps somewhere in Siberia. In fact, he’s barely two miles from his home in North East England, because fierce weather conditions made the roads impassible and he couldn’t drive to his intended destination.

Despite the frigid, sub-zero temperatures, high winds, limited visibility, and driving snow, Heaton says this (with a grin on his face): “This is the best weather I’ve seen in the last 10 years. It’s brutal, but totally amazing.” And as crazy as that sounds, it’s a rather common refrain among adventurers who feel exhilarated by experiencing (and surviving) the best that Mother Nature can dish out.

While watching the video, you’ll pick up several helpful tips on composition and exposure settings. But our favorite advice from Heaton during the ebbing and intensifying storm is, “Have the patience to wait for the weather to get worse.”

You can find more helpful landscape tips on Heaton’s YouTube channel. And be sure to look at his recent tutorial, explaining how to print photographs to achieve the best possible results.