Tips for adventure photography
Adventure photography is enjoying somewhat of a growing trend. Social media content creation is at peak, coupled with the popularity of climbing and outdoor activities, hence more and more people are taking photos of their outdoor pursuits.
People are more health conscious and organised adventure has made it easier for people to visit places they see on instagram and take amazing photos there- A1 also helps.
But taking pictures in the wilds isn’t always as easy as it looks. The models in photoshoots- hikers and influencers, don’t look manicured either in real mountain life, so if you want to get a shot, in many cases, the subject could be soaking wet and look like a motorcycle courier, not a hiker. I’ve bought my photography gear with me up mountains and am happy to impart my wisdom- from much trial and error about photographing people in hostile places.
Here’s a list of ten things I would like to share about outdoor photography.
When you see instagram photos of people in the internet on mountains, looking great- they’re manicured. They probably didn’t climb the mountain. I’ve heard from fellow hikers that some instagram influencers get at helicopter to the top of the mountain with a team of make up artists ad photographers. When I’m out in the bogs of wicklow in Ireland, I look terrible and so do my friends.
Bring more batteries than you think. I don’t think I’ve ever been in the mountains without forgetting something or something going wrong gear wise. I will publish a gear list in another post with photos, but in the meantime - make sure to bring more batteries than you think you need. I brought two to the Alps recently and they both lost power.. I didn’t bring a charger as it was just one night and I thought to fully charged batteries were enough. Alas they weren’t as the cold makes them die quicker.
Pack light and that includes the gear. I bring my 2.2f 35mil or sometimes I’ll bring a wide angle and a 35 mil. It all depends on how much hiking or climbing I’m doing. I do like the 24-70 lens, but it’s quite heavy and if you’re doing several thousand meters vertical l, it can get a bit much. As for the rest of the items, sun tan lotion and lip protector are a must. I get little minis in shops and keep them close.
If you go into the High Alps, or somewhere you hadn’t gone before go with an expert- in my case my friend Hans Kammerlander below. He’s pretty cool.
When you shoot skiing, go ahead of the skier or boarder. It makes for cooler pictures. Speed is the essence of ski photography. Preferably use it as a waist belt to keep it tight.
Always have a rough idea of what you want to shoot- my 50 peaks project is perfect, as I’m shooting my guides, peaks and the mountains. Thankfully the mountains are stunning so the backdrop is looked after, but see if you want to shoot gear or people up close or in the distance. Ask yourself what your theme is and what message you want to get across.
Tell a story. Adventure is essentially a story so it’s important to get the main protagonists. Mountain guides are great for that- they also have lots of stories. I often go into the mountains on my own too, which means I have more time to take photos.
