SmugMug Films is excited to present Where the Fire Is, featuring Mike Mezeul II. Keep reading to get to know Mike and his tips for photographing the power of nature.
Photographer Mike Mezeul II doesn’t like to take it easy. In fact, he pursues some of the most challenging and dangerous situations to photograph, resulting in images that astound and awe with the power of nature. During a rare, calm moment, Mike shared with us, in his own words, his top tips on what it takes to capture nature at its wildest.
I look for a scene that is more than just “pretty” — finding a frame that tells a story, conveys an emotion, and brings someone into that moment as if they were the one looking through the viewfinder. I’m stubborn, so if I don’t come across that scene right away, I’ll wait and wait and wait for it to happen, even if that means coming back a dozen times.
The biggest challenge in my work honestly comes down to being patient. I have a laundry list of images that I’ve wanted to capture for years but they haven’t come to fruition just yet. It does test my patience, but I know it’ll eventually happen. And that will make me appreciate it that much more when it does. You also have to be persistent. It takes time, hard work, and many failures, but it’s absolutely possible.
I plan my travel very spontaneously. In terms of severe weather, I take every spring off from documenting anything else but severe weather. That provides me with the best opportunities to travel across America in search of the worst, yet best, weather to photograph. When it comes to volcanoes, I have a bag of gear ready to always go in hopes of being able to get on a flight as quickly as possible if there’s an eruption I want to document. If there’s a volcano that’s more consistently erupting, like Fuego, I primarily plan around moon phases and weather conditions. But things can always change in an instant, like with the 2018 Kilauea Volcano eruption in the Lower East Rift Zone.
It was such an extremely dynamic event that provided incredible visuals among horrible devastation. It was challenging to document as each day was quite different from the previous. Roads that were there the day prior no longer existed. New fissures were opening each day, providing amazing visuals but an extremely uncomfortable environment to be in. And the hazards weren’t just from the lava but copious amounts of sulphur dioxide gasses, septic tanks exploding, emotional residents, and more.
I always carry my Nikon cameras and lenses, especially the Nikkor Z 14–24mm, a ton of lens cloths, and a tripod that can withstand being thrown into a volcano. But the best camera is the one in your hand. It doesn’t matter what camera it is, brand, or how new or old. Someone, somewhere in the world, is creating amazing content with less than what you have.
Besides having a deep and understanding knowledge for the subject you are photographing, it’s a must to be able to put yourself and keep yourself in some uncomfortable positions. Where others are running and seeking shelter, your feet are firmly planted on the ground, and your mind and camera are ready to tell a story.
I’m not one to fake skies, color, or warp a scene into one that’s more dramatic than what I saw. I think it’s a lie to the audience to do so, and nature is already amazing, so why is there a need to exaggerate it? I want my audience to see and feel what I saw, not what I wanted to feel. I also think back to those who laid the foundation for photography, like Ansel Adams. How hard he worked to create a single frame. The patience, persistence, the grueling techniques of capturing and developing his images. It would be a slap in the face to guys like him if I faked a scene in post [sic].
My dog is a diva and won’t pee on anything but grass, so when we got backcountry permits at White Sands, I tried to get her to use the bathroom before we went to bed. It was a complete fail. At around 2AM, she’s crying at the tent door, and I knew if I didn’t take her out I’d be waking up in a puddle. So we hopped out for her to go pee and, of course, she wouldn’t. I refused to go back in the tent until she did, then I noticed a flash of lightning off in the distance. I also noticed the Milky Way was out above the storm so I thought I could get lucky with another strike while waiting. I set up my camera and tripod and a big bolt landed under the storm, but I was so excited I must have moved the sand under the tripod as it happened. The frame was a complete blur. I repositioned the tripod and shot again, and again, and again. I was about to give up on both the image and my pup going to the bathroom, but then it happened: two beautiful bolts came out from the bottom of the storm with the moon setting behind the clouds, Milky Way shining above, and the stunning white sand dunes reflecting the ambient light. I remember cheering and looking over at my dog Joplin right as she was peeing. It was a win all around.
I love that I see a career I pursued because I was passionate about it, when so many people told me I shouldn’t. I had people tell me I was making a mistake, that the photography industry is too competitive, or I would never last. Now, when I look at my work, I love that I see my passion reflected in my work and that I didn’t take no for an answer. Think about what you’re truly passionate about and let your creativity fly. It may take time to get that yes, but if you take no as an answer, you’ll never get that yes.
If you don’t know who Bob Ross is, hop on YouTube and watch one of his shows. I refer to him in every workshop I teach. He was an amazing painter, and he would tell you exactly what he was going to paint, what the landscape would look like, where the light would be, and, of course, about the happy trees as well. He would then talk about some of the colors he would use. All of this before a single drop of paint hit the canvas. The point of this was he had a vision for what he wanted to create. So I always teach my workshop students to “Bob Ross it.”
Watch Mike in action in the latest SmugMug Film, Where the Fire Is. Mike takes us along on his journey to photograph Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala. See if you can spot where he’s applied his own photography tips.
Visit https://prints.mikemezphotography.com/ to purchase his prints and follow @MikeMezPhoto on Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr.
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