You're hoping to take stunning photos while hiking or bring back beautiful shots from your summer trek that will make your friends green with envy? Even if it's just for the selfish pleasure of looking back at them and justifying the 7 hours of walking, the bivvy in the open wind on rocky ground, the freeze-dried food… it's worth making sure you capture your achievements and the beauty of the nature you've encountered. So here are a few tips to avoid common mistakes and genuinely enjoy taking photos while hiking.
Kit and gear
The first obstacle to photography while hiking comes down to gear: some cameras are too heavy, impractical, and often you end up just not bothering to take photos at all. Avoid complex DSLRs weighed down with multiple lenses. Today, there are expert-level compacts or so-called "mirrorless" cameras that are high-quality, versatile, lightweight and compact. Go for a mirrorless, for example, with a single all-in-one zoom lens (such as an 18-200mm). You'll have at your fingertips a camera that handles every subject: wide-angle landscapes, portraits, or zoomed-in details. Camera gear certainly matters, but it isn't everything. Having 5 lenses and a sophisticated body won't automatically make your hiking photos better!
In any case, it's important to keep things light and make the most of your hiking experience: photography should be a pleasure, not a burden! Your camera must always be accessible without needing to take off your pack. Otherwise, you'll lose motivation very quickly! The camera shouldn't be a strain on your neck and shoulders either, and should leave you free to move your legs. I'd recommend keeping your camera in a dedicated hip case clipped to the chest strap of your rucksack: this reduces the load and makes it much easier to access.
Remember to pack spare batteries when heading out for several days, and protect them from the cold: they'll drain more slowly. Also bear in mind that browsing photos on screen at the end of each stage is the most energy-intensive function. Save that for the end of the expedition to get the most out of your batteries.
Composing your hiking photos
To frame your hiking photos, you can follow the rule of thirds: the image should ideally have a foreground, a background, and a strong subject placed in one of the thirds of the frame. Don't be afraid to break this rule, though — otherwise you risk your shots feeling too flat. That said, think more than usual about off-centring your subject: this will add leading lines and dynamism to your image. Don't rely too heavily on zoom — instead, move your feet. The great photographers work at a fixed focal length and in doing so learn the art of finding the perfect position far more naturally.
Also give your hiking photos room to breathe by favouring wide angles with a prominent foreground. This enhances the sense of depth and often better conveys the majesty and grandeur of the landscapes you're moving through.
Use the zoom to isolate specific subjects, capturing an atmosphere and enriching your memories with the characteristic details you encounter along the way. Also bring your photos to life by including people in motion rather than posed and still: not only does this provide a sense of scale, it also gives your shots real energy.
The classic composition mistake in hiking photos is trying to capture the full beauty of a vast landscape spread out in front of you. If you take a generic, slightly flat shot, you'll never recapture the same feeling you had standing in nature. Instead, go for close-ups, series of shots, highlight a detail — in short, bring originality to your image.
Light for hiking photos
Whatever the location, the best times for photography are always early morning and late afternoon: the light is lower, softer, and more beautiful. Be on the lookout at these moments — roughly the first 3 hours after sunrise and the 3 hours before sunset. That's when you'll get the richest colours and the landscape won't be blown out by harsh light. Outside those windows, I'd almost tell you to put the camera away for landscape work. During the middle of the day, always shoot with the sun behind you and use a polarising filter.
Light that's too harsh and weather that's too clear will flatten your subject and intensify shadows and highlights — so don't hesitate to shoot when the sky isn't blue! Overcast and stormy skies often make for stunning hiking photos, as they're far more dramatic.
Camera settings
Without going into the detail of technical settings for experienced photographers, technology has come on in leaps and bounds. Today, autofocus and automatic modes deliver impressive results and it would be a shame not to use them. But you can also use aperture priority mode: the aperture controls the size of the sharp and blurred zones in the image. The larger the aperture (with a lower "f" value), the shallower the depth of field — and conversely, the greater the blur.
For landscape shots, you'll want a large sharp zone to clearly define distant details with a background that stays in focus. To achieve this, set a high aperture value (f13, for example) and focus on your subject. For a portrait or a close-up detail, "open up" to f2, for example, focusing on the foreground. The background will be blurred and the eye will be drawn to the sharp part of the foreground.
Post-processing
Post-processing your photos once you're back home is neither forbidden nor taboo. You simply shouldn't overdo sophisticated techniques or expect miracles. A bad shot will always be a bad shot… That said, your reasonably good photos will be improved, and your genuinely great ones will be optimised. Stick mainly to the crop function to improve framing (removing a distracting detail in a corner, or slightly off-centring a subject), and only use contrast and brightness adjustments. These edits should be applied with a light touch — go too far and you risk garish, unnatural results. Don't hesitate to try converting to black and white either: it can have spectacular effects on shots that feel a little ordinary. On the other hand, avoid flashy edits and over-the-top effects that won't do justice to the beauty of the landscapes you've explored. For this, you can use the software that comes with your camera. There are also plenty of well-known applications out there, but if you search online you'll find some very effective free alternatives too.
You're now armed with a solid foundation — so lace up your hiking boots and head out to take some great photos! But don't forget one essential thing: whatever the camera and its technology, it's your eye that makes the shot. What you need to strive to express is your own way of seeing the landscape — and that's how you'll succeed in conveying the emotion you felt through your image.
