Can you feel the coldĀ in the ice caves? How smallĀ you are in a majestic place? Shane Wheel (shanewheel) wants you get lost in his photos and feel that special feeling. Based in New York City, Wheel travels around the world and shoots in some breathtaking places so you can look at his pictures and say āI want to go there".
Can you tell us about yourself and your background?
Iāve been around photography for a good part of my life. At the age of 2, I was spending many days and nights in the darkroom while my mother, a photography student in college, developed photos for her assignments and personal projects. As I grew older, I went from watching her work to assisting her as she taught students in the summers at the same college. Much to my dismay, I also found myself the subject of more sunrise shoots than Iād like to remember.Ā As a young boy, the last thing you want to do is get up at 4am to catch the best morning light. Things have certainly changed.
After a long break from photography I returned about 2 years ago. I purchased an entry level Nikon DSLR to make sure I was serious about picking it up again. A few months after I started shooting with the DSLR I was hooked, this interest had quickly escalated from hobby to passion. Not long after I started upgrading my kit to align better with the style of shooting I was starting to hone in on.
When did you first think about becoming a photographer?
In my life, most of my interests revolve around technology. Although I enjoyed shooting with film when I was younger, it wasnāt until the more modern technological advances in phone cameras and DSLRs began changing the landscape of photography that I once again acquired a serious interest in it.
Where do you get your photographic inspiration from?
I get inspiration from being in the wild places that I find myself when venturing into the mountains and out in nature. I grew up in the state of Vermont, where I picked up a great appreciation for the outdoors. After spending the last few years living in New York City, I have an even greater appreciation for any time that I get to spend outside of the city and in the wild. I find a certain inner calm when Iām in nature and canāt help but be completely blown away by the beauty that I discover.
Do you have any influencers?
There are so many talented photographers, but the one that struck me the most was Ansel Adams. When I was younger, I remember seeing one of his breathtaking winter landscapes from Yosemite and getting lost in it. This was the first time I saw a photo and wanted to be in the place I was seeing.
Today there are some truly incredible photographers creating spectacular images, currently Iām finding myself captivated by the work of Marc Adamus, Ted Gore, and Ryan Dyar.
What is your favorite subject to shoot?
Landscapes are my passion and within that I really like seascapes and dramatic mountains. If thereās a chance of getting wet or losing my camera to the sea, Iām even more drawn to shoot there.
What is your favorite gear to shoot with?
I love my Nikon D810, the resolution and dynamic range work really well for me. I also like the accessibility and ease of use the external buttons provide, especially when shooting at night or with the camera covered to keep it dry.
When you go in one of your travels, what do you take with you? Why?
When I travel I like to balance weight vs. necessity. With that said, I like to err on the side of having too much kit with me than missing that one lens or filter because I didnāt feel like carrying the extra weight. Typically Iāll have my Nikon D810, Nikon 20mm f/1.8, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8, Sigma 35mm f/1.4 and of course my tripod. Iāll be adding a Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 and a backup camera to this list very soon!
On my last trip to Norway I was walking away from my composition with my tripod over my shoulder when all of a sudden I felt the weight release. My heart stopped beating as my camera went into free fall, bouncing off a rock, which cracked the housing, and landed in a salt water tide pool. The camera was dead on the spot. I was lucky enough to have good friends on the trip that offered me the use of their backup cameras for the last 2 days in Norway and the following 4 days in Iceland. I would highly recommend travel insurance to anyone thatās traveling with gear, make sure you find a provider that will cover you wherever you are traveling in the world and for any cause of damage or loss. A few extra dollars a month is well worth the piece of mind youāll have during your travels.
How do you educate yourself to take better pictures?
I try to immerse myself in as much great photography as I can, whether that be through online galleries, magazines or books. I like to study the images and figure out all the conditions, settings and techniques required to capture the scene the way that they are represented by the photographer. If youāre into landscape photography, Galen Rowellās book Mountain Light is a phenomenal read which gives an in depth look at the thought processes behind his photography.
I also enjoy watching tutorial videos online whenever Iām trying to learn a new technique or just feel the need for a little inspiration. Ryan Dyar and Sean Bagshaw have some really amazing videos that have helped me progress in my post processing and as a photographer.
What it is you want to say with your photographs?
I really just want people to share in the beauty and magic of the world that we live in. I love it when I look at a great landscape photo and say, āI have to go there and experience this place.ā I can only hope that others can share that same feeling through my photos and that they in turn feel the need to get outside and travel to new places.
How do you actually get your photographs to do that?
I really enjoy shooting long exposure during sunrise or sunset, especially around water. I think this has a lot to do with the feel of the images I create. Long exposure shooting techniques allow me to play with the feel of a scene by adding a sense of motion or action or creating a calm serenity in an otherwise chaotic scene. I always shoot in RAW, which allows me more flexibility when Iām post processing my images.
B&W or color, what do you prefer and why?
I prefer color over B&W 98% of the time for my own photography. Although I do love and appreciate B&W, I feel that color tends to best convey the mood, drama and sense of wilderness that Iām trying to capture in my photographs.Ā Iām laughing as I write this though, I just processed a photo from my most recent trip to Iceland in B&W and absolutely love it.
For more amazing photos and inspirationĀ follow shaneĀ onĀ ViewBug and Instagram.
