Rules + Ethical Considerations For Your Next Session In The Great Outdoors

The great outdoors makes for a great backdrop, but did you know there’s lots to consider when planning an adventure elopement or travel session?

There’s rules + ethics to these wild wonders that we photographers should always be following and encouraging and that clients should be familiar with before the day comes.

The 7 Leave No Trace Principles include:

1. Plan ahead & prepare. A mild/moderate hike can quickly become unsafe if unprepared or unfamiliar with the area you’re hiking in. It’s important to understand the dangers of the landscape, wildlife, environmental concerns, land boundaries, and navigation of the areas we’re accessing.

2. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces. This means you’re protecting the ground and micro environments within the land and waterways we encounter. Soil erosion and foot traffic are huge problems for wildlife and land management agencies when trying to restore populations and plant life. ONLY TRAVEL ON THE TRAIL. It can be so tempting to step off trail for the perfect photo, but it’s something we should never do. It’s important to explain to our clients why foot traffic off designated trails can be detrimental to the land. Only camp on solid surfaces such as rock, sand, and gravel. These are durable surfaces that can handle repeated foot traffic and camping without damaging the earth beneath the surface.

3. Dispose of waste properly. Pack out ANYTHING that you pack in. Yep, even human waste. Did you know that human waste is becoming a huge problem within national and state parks? It’s important to carry proper waste disposal bags and follow waste disposal + storage guidelines in the areas we’re visiting. ( I promise you don’t want to wake up and find a bear grazing on your midnight snack while using the bathroom in the middle of the night.)

4. Leave what you find. Nature has lots of pretties and I know that it can be tempting, but we can create imbalances within the habitats and micro environments. This can destroy habitats for all the teeny little things that are hard to see with our eyes.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts. Burn. Responsibly. Educate yourself on burn risks and safe fire principles. Wildfires are a repeated, growing concern in so many areas.

6. Respect Wildlife. Look at it from a distance. Don’t try to feed things. Even the really cute things. Don’t even think about messing with the babies. Mama don’t play like that and you will get hurt.

7. Be considerate of others. The outdoors is a place everyone should be able to enjoy. This takes effort from all of those who access these incredible places. Be knowledgeable about the considerations you should be taking. Learn about the land. Learn cultural ties. Respect it and those in it. 🌎