Leave No Trace Aware Photographer

I want to chat about something that is very important to me … Leave No Trace Principles and Ethics!!  I am a big time lover of the planet and all things Nature! This is a big part of the reason I do what I do! 

Clearly with Adventure Elopements we are using gorgeous public lands as our backdrop to create amazing images! I It is very important to me to be responsible about using these public lands so that we can continue to use them in the future!!

Sometimes we do not even think about the impact we leave on an outdoor location. It’s easy to think like “it’s just a little confetti” or  “I’m just one person going off path, it will not effect anything.”  But we need to remember that there are hundreds of thousands of people that visit these public lands every year, if every one of those people think that way it could be very detrimental to those locations! Already there have been hundreds of amazing locations that have now been shut down to Hikers, Elopements, or Photographers because of the negative impact to the environment.

Now I’ve certainly made MANY mistakes in the past, and I will continue to make some because I am only human… but it is a big deal to me to keep these principles top of mind and share them with you as well so that we can work together to make sure that we are leaving minimal impact!

shot through rocks of elopement couple on rock above a Sedona vista

The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace

  • Plan Ahead and Prepare make sure you research your location! Know the rules, obtain the proper permits and permissions! Understand the length and difficulty of a hike and make sure that you are fully prepared with proper gear for weather, hazards and emergencies.
  • Travel & camp on durable surfaces durable surfaces are maintained trails, designated campsites, rock, gravel, sand, dry grasses, or snow.
  • Dispose of waste properly pack out all waste including 💩, flower petals, toilet paper, food scraps etc. 
  • Leave what you find don’t take rocks, plants, artifacts ect. ( I mean we will have photos to remember all these things ;)
  • Minimize campfire impacts   avoid use of open flames, smoke bombs, sparklers, and lighters. Make sure there are no fire bans in operation and beware of the weather, wind, dry conditions.  Only build fires in designated areas and be sure to fully extinguish and disperse cooled ashes.
  • Respect Wildlife   Never approach or feed any wildlife. Make sure food is in secure, sealed containers, and know Bear spray rules for the area.
  • Be considerate of other visitors Remember that other visitors have just as much right to be there as you, even having a wedding or elopement permit does not give you exclusive use of an area. Be patient as we may have to wait for others to leave a spot before we can use it, and also be sure to be polite if you do ask someone to move!

For more information about all of this please visit : Leave No Trace website

Keep in mind that these are all just suggestions and a sort of code of Ethics that if followed by many can help keep these public lands available to all of us for years to come!  I would absolutely love if you would join me in this effort! I am not at all about shaming anyone for not using these principles but hope to educate more people on their importance and the difference it could make for all of us!

I am super proud to have taken the “How to Leave No Trace for Wedding and Elopement Photographers” Course and earned the ability to put this badge on my website!

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