Taking the Best Outdoor Pictures

Last month I took my youngest daughter on an adventure vacation to Zion National Park. I had so much fun that Saturday I decided to sneak another quick trip down there before the snow arrives and I occupy my leisure time with skiing. I announced my idea on the Sunday before to get a count of who would be able to go with me to hike Pine Creek Canyon. I then checked with the National Park Service (NPS) to see if I could get a hiking permit for the group. Once I got it, I made hotel and equipment reservations. Friday night we drove down, spent the night, and then began the adventure the next morning.

One mistake I made with the trip a month ago is that I didn't take enough pictures. I have a really high-end waterproof camera and so I made sure to bring it on this trip and keep it in a place where I could easily get it for pictures. This time I brought my wife, youngest son, and his wife. We had a great time doing the various rappels (technically, there are 7 of them). There are 2 very spectacular drops: the first one into the Great Cathedral and the second one being a 100-foot free rappel (meaning it is just you and the rope with nothing around you but air). I took a lot of pictures and think they look great.

At the end of the hike, I hitched a ride back to the car and then came back for my crew. As we drove out of the park, a large group of people assembled on a bridge with cameras to catch the magnificent red rock perfectly lit at sundown. The picture everyone was trying to get has been recorded thousands of times in other photographs and can be purchased inexpensively in the form of calendars and post cards.

We got home and I passed around my camera so everyone could select the photos they wanted me to send them. Interestingly enough, nobody cared about the various landscapes that I worked hard to frame. Instead they wanted the pictures with people in them. My wife wanted the ones with my son and his wife while my son wanted the pictures of his wife hanging from a 10 mm rope 100-feet off the ground. In the end, it is the people that make the surroundings special not just the scenery. So when you go someplace exciting and new, don't worry about the setting. Make sure you include the people in your group. It will make your pictures that much better.