Climb every mountain
The adventurous Mike Mezeul had promised me several things when I joined him on an extended masterclass (or rather, tagged along on one of his popular photography workshops). We’d learn how to take stunning landscape images, shoot at night, edit, and survive the cold. What I’d need – warm clothing and thermos aside – was the will to face the elements and create great photos.
On our first day of shooting, we meet before sunrise (6.45am) and head out to Vermillion Lake, which was completely frozen solid. Mike chose this spot because of the frozen bubbles that rise up and create patterns in the ice, which would make an amazing element for foreground interest if the light was dynamic. “Generally, it’s safe to walk on ice when it’s a thickness of four inches or more,” Mike says.
When we start talking, I
