Fall photography at Mount Rainier can change in a matter of minutes. On this trip to the Paradise area, we went from clear skies to shooting completely inside a cloud, and then watched Mount Rainier unexpectedly emerge just in time for sunset.

In this landscape photography vlog, I share how I prepare for rapidly changing mountain weather so I can react quickly when a composition appears.

I start by photographing foggy trees and vibrant fall color while Mount Rainier and the Tatoosh Range are completely hidden by clouds. I'll show you the camera setup I use when I want to work quickly without being tied to a tripod, including my saved Sony camera preset, handheld shutter speeds, Auto ISO, burst shooting, and how I balance depth of field against noise.

Then the weather changes again.

The clouds begin to lift, Mount Rainier appears, and I switch from handheld shooting to a tripod to photograph a waterfall, fall foliage, and the mountain in beautiful sunset light. I'll walk through why I used multiple exposures for the high dynamic range scene and how I blended them later in Photoshop.

I also share a few of the biggest lessons from this outing:

• Scout multiple compositions close together before you arrive  
• Set your camera up so you're ready to shoot quickly  
• Don't automatically be afraid of raising your ISO  
• Know when handheld shooting gives you an advantage and when it's time for the tripod  
• Take the shot when the conditions are there because they may disappear within minutes  
• Don't give up too soon when you're photographing unpredictable mountain weather

Which version of the final Mount Rainier composition is your favorite: lots of clouds, a little mist, or the nearly clear mountain? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoy landscape photography, photography planning, behind-the-scenes field videos, and learning how photographs come together in changing conditions, please consider liking the video and subscribing.

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00:00 Fall Photography at Mount Rainier
01:21 When the Mountain Disappears
02:14 My Setup for Fast Handheld Shooting
05:30 Photographing Foggy Fall Colors
07:50 The Weather Changes Again
08:47 Exposure Bracketing the Waterfall & Mountain
09:46 Comparing the Final Images
12:01 Scouting Multiple Compositions in Advance
12:53 The Shot I Missed
13:35 Lessons for Photographing Changing Weather