Taking Better Photos On Your Hikes

Ten easy tips for taking better photos on your hikes.

I’m definitely more of a hiker than a photographer. Nevertheless, I very much enjoy recording and sharing the scenery I encounter on my walks, and so photography has become an integral part of my hiking experience. This escalated rather when I started my blog.

Me taking pictures. My wife Sophia doesn't take many photos, but she did a good job with this one I think: nicely framed. Looking at this now I think I lightened the shadows too much, but we can talk about that later. 
[Asgard Swamp & Thor Head Track, Blue Mountains]
Me taking pictures. My wife Sophia doesn’t take many photos, but she did a good job with this one I think: nicely framed. Looking at this now I think I lightened the shadows too much, but we can talk about that later.

I definitely wouldn’t classify what I do as landscape photography. Those guys spend a lot of time setting up a shot, choosing the right lighting, and editing the photo afterwards. And they use a lot of gear I don’t have, like lens filters and tripods. The end result is often a work of art, but that’s not even what I want out of a photo. I just want to accurately portray what my eyes saw, and sometimes add a little artistry to a shot.

As I get more obsessed with my photography I am inevitably learning things through trial and error. I’ve compiled some of this learning into ten tips for taking decent shots of your hikes.

  1. Not Too Much Sky
  2. Landscape or Portrait Orientation
  3. 16:9 versus 4:3
  4. Wonky Horizons
  5. Light and Shadow
  6. Scale
  7. Shooting Wildlife… with a camera!
  8. Photography Gear
  9. Editing Your Photos
  10. Have Some Fun

(If you want to look at some galleries of my photos, you can find them here.)

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