February 22, 2024Fjällräven Manchester Store
An Interview With Outdoor & Adventure Photographer Brad Thomas
We chatted with our friend and collaborator, photographer Brad Thomas to ask him a few questions about his work and some of challenges he has faced along the way.
1) Can you share your experience of a challenging shoot, how did you overcome the difficulties of the environment?
Last year I explored Iceland in winter on a land rover campaign, the conditions were HARSH and freezing temperatures up to -27. Up until then I had little experience with these kinds of conditions, let alone photographing them! Going out into that kind of weather you need to make sure you are prepared with Warmth, food, and water. We travelled into the Highlands of Iceland to create some Dramatic off-road content. It was incredible but the weather was insane. We had a consistent snow blizzard and being outside in those conditions can be very dangerous. We made a base in one of our vehicles which luckily had heated seats but we waited out the storm inside and thought of strategies to keep the project moving.
Camera batteries need to stay warm in these kind of conditions so we sat on them! You always need to make sure you wear a snood covering your head as your hair would freeze and it would be difficult to breath in the cold air at times. Being out of the truck in short intervals seemed to work best for us, giving us time to recharge, refuel and become warm again before pushing our limits too much.
2) What equipment or techniques do you find most essential for outdoor and wilderness scenes?
Shooting outdoors is always a challenge, living in the UK you are always up against the weather and learning ways to shoot around the rain and wind. A few tips I have learnt is to layer up, check the weather and wind speeds regularly, Camp on location to make the most of early morning light. Always take spare plastic bags to protect your gear with, piercing a hole through and wrapping an elastic band around the lens is one of my favourite ways to protect my camera gear in harsh weather.
Being a landscape / lifestyle photographer I am always looking for new ways to enhance my outdoor experiences. I find that prime lenses are my go to when in the wilderness as I focus on more minimal frames in a big landscape.
3) Fjällräven places a strong emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility. How do you incorporate these values in your photography and ensure minimal impact on the environment during your shoots?
When on location, and during shoots I always make sure to leave nothing but footprints and memories. As a landscape photographer there is very little equipment you need to carry with you as the making of a perfect image is found within nature. Being in remote locations there are occasions where you may need to wander off the path to get the right shot, when doing this I ensure to stick to nature's natural path and to not disturb wildlife. This can often lead to finding materials from other parties that have been left behind for me to clean up and take with me.
4) Fjällräven also values the connection between people and nature. How do you ensure that your outdoor photography captures not just the landscapes but also the human element, conveying a sense of connection to the environment?
It has always been important to me to capture not only a beautiful image, but to also create a feeling through my work, making the viewer indulge into being part of that image to dream of ‘The perfect Moment’. I love to capture the Natural world, creating a Charismatic and Dreamy style of imagery.
5) In the world of outdoor photography, unexpected moments can be extraordinary. Can you share an instance where spontaneity played a crucial role in capturing a remarkable image?
There has been many special moments throughout my career so far, one that definitely stands out for me was a few years back hiking in Tenerife. The conditions were cool and it was a very early morning hike to capture the sunrise at the summit. As we approached the top there was a thick mist we had to hike through thinking we were going to have a very cloudy summit. Little did we know we were hiking into a Cloud inversion! One of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced, the clouds were thick, like cotton wool and the warm sun pierced through. We spent all morning enjoying this beautiful sunrise, and capturing the effortless beauty.
Thank you Brad, it has been lovely to speak with you!
Follow Brad's work at @btphotographyuk
