Interview with Cliff LaPlant

Hi Cliff! Tell us about yourself in two sentences - who are you?

My name is Cliff LaPlant and I am an amateur photographer based in Alpine, California. Living in this area gives me easy access to a wide variety of photographic possibilities such as mountains, ocean, wilderness, desert, etc. I have an immense love for the outdoors and first began as a mountain climber and then turned photographer in an attempt to capture what I was experiencing.

QWhat's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in while taking a photograph?

AI think probably the strange high humidity and cold weather while photographing Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in northern Washington. My lens and glasses kept fogging up and my clothes became wet with the dampness in the air. It was a real pain keeping the lens clear of moisture.

QWhat do you shoot on? What's your favourite set up?

AI shoot pretty exclusively with Nikon products. I am currently using the incredible Nikon D800 with the Nikkor 16-35mm wide angle telephoto lens for landscapes. I also use a Nikkor 28-300mm lens for wildlife and distant landscape captures. I almost always use a sturdy tripod and mostly shoot at sunrise/sunset. I do not use many different filter types and pretty much stick to a high quality circular polarizer, neutral density, and UV filter.

QWhat's your number one tip for an aspiring photographer?

ABeing primarily a landscape photographer, I would say that shooting scenes that are not commonly photographed by others is a real key. So many photographers flock to the famous areas and locations to capture basically the same images that have been (and continue to be) photographed over and over again. Venture out and discover something different and unique.