Leave No Trace Photographer | Samantha Rose Photography

Why I’m a Leave No Trace Aware Photographer

Something I have always been passionate about is taking care of our planet. In my day to day life, I practice a low-waste lifestyle. My love and appreciation for the outdoors has continued to grow over the years and now that so much of my job if focused around being out in nature — Leave No Trace is at the forefront of my business. I want you to be able to get married (and visit) all the beauty this world has to offer. In order to keep these places clean, accessible, and around for years to come though — we all have to do our part.

What’s important to remember: Leave No Trace does not mean that you can’t walk on trails, visit areas, and enjoy the outside. There’s often a big misunderstanding with LNT principles that leads people to believe that you’re supposed to practically “float on air” in the areas that you go. This is not the case. These are principles — not laws. We all mess up sometimes and we all have messed up in the past, what’s important is acknowledging what we can improve on in the future to better protect the places we go.

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We all get to use this beautiful place we call earth as the backdrop for everything. We get to see and explore all different types of nature — it’s only fair that we do all that we can to leave it as beautiful as possible and maintained for years to come. This includes: educating myself, educating my couples, and educating other photographers.

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The Seven Leave No Trace Principles

1. Plan Ahead & Prepare

   Take the time to prep yourself and your group for what to expect at the places you’re going. Know regulations, special concerns of the area, permits, and other restrictions. Plan for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies. Avoid going to areas during times of high use/visitations. If possible — visit in small groups. Repackage food to minimize waste. Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

2. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces

   What are durable surfaces you might ask? They include (already) established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow. Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams. Take time to find campsites — not make them. Headed to popular spots? Even when it’s busy — make sure you’re using existing trails and campsites. In tight spaces, walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy. Keep your campsites small and stay in areas where there is little to no vegetation. Avoid spots that harmful impacts are just beginning.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

   Pack it in, pack it out. Whether you’re eating cake, snacks, or lunch — don’t leave anything behind. Fruit peels still take at least 6 months to decompose, so take it all out with you. Inspect rest areas and campsites for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter. Deposit solid human waste in cat-holes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cat-hole when finished. Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products too!

4. Leave What You Find

   No matter what it is — leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them. Preserve the past, it’s totally fine to examine things, but do not touch cultural or historical structures and artifacts. Avoid introducing or transporting non-natives species (this includes bringing flower bouquets that can fall apart or leave traces behind). Do not build structures (this includes stacking rocks), furniture, or dig trenches.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

   Not only can campfires cause lasting impacts to the backcountry, fires can be deadly to environments and people when not handled properly. Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires and keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand and approved firewood. Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes. Fires not permitted? Use a portable stove for cooking and use a candle or battery operated lantern for light.

6. Respect Wildlife

   Do not under any circumstances follow or approach wildlife — especially not to try and take a photo or video. Observe from a distance and never feed animals. This can cause damage to their health, alter natural behaviors, and expose them to predators and other dangers. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely. Control pets at all times, or leave them at home. Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

   Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail (those coming up the trail have the right of way). Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock (ie. mules, goats, llamas, yaks, etc.). Avoid loud voices, noises, and playing music loudly — enjoy the sounds of nature!

Resources: LNT 7 Principles Information sourced from LNT.org

These are ethics to keep in mind when traveling and visiting places. As already said, the reality is — we all mess up sometimes and we all have messed up in the past. It’s perfectly fine if you’re still learning and discovering how to take better care of this earth. These seven principles are not put into place to shame you or anyone else, but to act as a guide on how to better educate ourselves and bring attention to the fact that we can have a big impact on the places we go (both good and bad).

So how can you be better about your impact? Take time to familiarize yourself with these principles and do your best to follow them the best that you can.

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Bringing your pet along on an adventure? Check out the LNT Center’s guide for bringing your furry friends along here.

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So why does all of this matter?

By following the LNT Principles and taking the time to get proper permits — this ensures that we will be able to photograph these places for years to come. The reality is, when places are trashed, rules are broken, and people try to find loop holes in systems, it can cause areas to close down indefinitely (if not permanently) because it’s easier to close them off to photographers than it is to try to manage the problems that are being caused.

Sedona, Arizona is a one of the most popular elopement destinations in all of Arizona. For elopements and weddings permits are not required for groups of less than 75 people on non-wilderness land, but there must be NO arches, NO tables, NO flower petals, and NO set up of any kind.

Styled shoots require a commercial permit through Red Rock Forest Service.

What this means for your elopement & sessions with me:

• Beforehand I’ll prep you and your partner about how we’ll approach the Leave No Trace Principles the day of your elopement or session (and how to prep any family or friends that will be there as well).

• I share an official LNT Guide with you so you have easy access to tips, info, and everything you need to know about how to prepare ahead of time.

• I’ll share location suggestions for areas that are legal to have your elopement/session and help secure proper permits for any and all locations that require them.

• I avoid geo-tagging in specific locations and trails — this isn’t about gatekeeping, but about minimizing overcrowding and the harmful impacts social media can have on nature.

• Afterwards, I will continue to do my part to share helpful information about LNT and protecting the environment and I am always here if you have any questions.

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Certified Leave No Trace Aware Photographer

In 2020, I took the online course: How to Leave No Trace for Wedding & Elopement Photographers. It covered an overview of LNT, integrating it into my business, and talking about it with my clients. I watched videos that showed specific examples of how to take photos while leaving no trace, proper location scouting, and how to approach marketing and social media. At the end, I took an awareness quiz to become a Certified Leave No Trace Aware Photographer.

I will continue to educate myself, my couples, and others in the community on how we can keep these places beautiful and leave as little impact as possible. Everyone has a right to experience the outdoors, but we have to do our part to maintain them and visit them respectfully.

Are you a photographer?

Take the How to Leave No Trace for Wedding & Elopement Photographers Course. Let’s all do our part to protect this place we all call home.

Looking for more resources? Visit LNT.org

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Check out my blog post: How to Plan an Eco-Friendly Elopement

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How to have an eco-friendly elopement

Planning an eco-conscious elopement

From Samantha Rose Photography - Arizona Elopement Photographer

One thing I’m equally as passionate about as elopement photography is caring about the environment. Although it’s easy to argue that small efforts don’t make much of a difference, I like to believe that they do. There’s no harm in leaving the planet better than we found it. When choosing to have an elopement, you’re already making a more sustainable decision than a traditional wedding. These are just a few more practices to take into consideration to go the extra distance in protecting our planet.

1. Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

   Better known as the “leave no trace” principles. We are so lucky to have access to so many beautiful places, throughout all of Arizona, the United States, & the entire country. It’s important to be respectful of these areas so that they can be around long after we are gone & be enjoyable for anyone else that may visit them.

   The seven principles of “leave no trace” include: plan ahead & prepare, travel & camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, & be considerate of other visitors.

   When you’re having your elopement, wherever it is, choose a location for your ceremony site that you can stay on a trail. Avoid going off trails where you could risk stepping on plants & damaging the natural habitat. If you’re bringing any props, including flowers, be sure to take it all back out completely.

   This is part of the reason why it’s so important to hire a photographer that you absolutely trust to capture your day. You want to be able to remember all the details about your location, ceremony, vows, & in between moments.

   I am certified Leave No Trace Aware Photographer — keeping the LNT Principles at the forefront of my business so that I can continue to educate myself & my couples to protect the places that we go.

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2. Go Paperless

When it comes to elopements, you may not be inviting any guests anyways, but if you’re still wanting to send something out to your friends & family to let them know about your day - consider going paperless. Create a digital download version of a ‘save the date’ or ‘announcement’ that lets people print it out if they’d like the keepsake. If you want to stick with the more traditional route, choose stationary that’s made from recycled material & completely recyclable and/or compostable.

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3. Choose local, in season flowers

Many people don’t think about flowers not being sustainable since they come from the Earth. The truth is, many cut flowers are imported from all over the world - creating a large carbon footprint. I’m not telling you not to include flowers in your elopement day though because not only are they beautiful & add details to the day, but I love supporting florists (specifically local ones!)

There’s a few things you can do though to ensure you’re at least following good practice:

• Choose to get your flowers from local growers or find a florist that uses sustainable practices.

• Choose arrangements that have in-season florals & try to include as many native flowers as possible.

• Make sure you’re choosing florals that will not leave seeds, pollen, or even insects out in the areas that you’ll be in.

  Even though flowers are seen as “natural” - when you leave behind petals or remains that are not usually in that environment, you can cause damage. Invasive plants can cause damage to the native flowers - which is why even if you want to use flower petals or other ‘natural materials’ they need to be picked up afterwards.

*Most National Parks DO NOT allow flowers of any kind inside of the parks. If you’re thinking about eloping in a National Park, but still set on having a bouquet - consider having a silk bouquet created!

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Camille purchased this wedding dress & her white Dr. Martens from Goodwill AZ.

4. Attire - Sustainable Brands, Renting & Second Hand

This might be one of the hardest because there are sooo many wedding dresses out in the world to choose from. The reality of it is though, a lot of the dresses that we see online & in magazines aren’t sustainable & are created unethically.

On the bright side, there are other options:

• Purchase or rent from a sustainable brand - this article from The Good Trade shares a lot of eco-friendly dress companies.

• This may not be for everyone, but consider shopping secondhand for your wedding dress! If you have the time, looking at vintage or thrift stores, even for a dress that could partially be used & altered, is a great alternative.

• Consider renting or borrowing a dress (and/or tuxedo/suit)! Even if you can’t find a completely ethical brand, by renting a dress and/or tuxedo/suit - you’re allowing that piece of clothing to be used multiple times & carry a longer life span than a new dress that will only be worn once.

• Shop small & local - one of my favorite options. There are SO many amazing designers & seamstresses that create custom dresses for a living.

  I’ll be creating a blog soon that features some of my favorite small shop dress designers!

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5. No Plastic - Water bottles, confetti, balloons

• Reusable Water Bottle: When it comes to elopements, you’re more than likely going to be hiking at some point during the day & you’re going to need water - plan ahead & bring your own reusable water bottle (I also make sure to bring extra for my couples if it’s needed).

• No Confetti (of any kind): I know it’s a fun idea to throw confetti in the air at the end of your ceremony to celebrate being married, but even ‘biodegradable’ confetti is bad for the environment. Any type of material that you bring in, if it’s non-native to the area, can cause harm to the area.

• No Balloons: I wouldn’t say balloons are a very typical thing to be included at an elopement, but on the off-chance you had considered incorporating them into your day - it’s better to just stick with focusing on the natural beauty around you. In the event that you, or someone you know, is considering including balloons at any type of event, be sure to dispose of them properly. Releasing balloons into the area may seem like a cute idea, but the truth of it is, what goes up must come down, & balloons are extremely harmful to wildlife & the oceans.

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6. Practice ethical tourism & reduce your carbon footprint

You may be asking what exactly is “ethical tourism”? The definition from the Sustainable Stuff website states: Ethical tourism attempts to redress the balance, with its proponents doing everything possible to ensure that, when they (e.g. tourists) go on holiday, their impact on the local environment, culture and people is positive rather than negative.

If you’re traveling for your elopement, shop local! Whether it’s where you eat, stay, or shop. When you shop small & local - you’re helping those businesses in so many ways. Be respectful of the environment around you & those local to the area. One of the biggest aspects of ethical tourism is going back to our first point of take only pictures & leave only footprints. With lots of tourists coming in & out of places, it’s easy for areas to get trashed. Pick up after yourself & others around you. Do research before you go to a new area & respect the customs & local traditions. You are coming into their home, treat people as your equals. Taking public transportation as often as possible will also help reduce your carbon footprint.

Consider traveling during the off season to avoid contributing to over-tourism.

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The truth of it all is…

We only have one planet & it is so important for us to try & take care of it as much as we can. No matter your views on climate change, there is no harm in working on creating a cleaner Earth.

Leave it better than you found it & obey the rules.

By having an elopement, you’re already creating far less waste by not serving meals, having favors, using decorations, hosting hundreds of guests, & so much more. These steps just help you take the extra effort to create even less waste & be protective of the environment. We’re so lucky to get to have adventures & capture memories in such beautiful places all across the world - let’s do as much as we can to protect it.

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Samantha Rose Photography is a Phoenix, Arizona based elopement photographer. She’s passionate about helping couples plan their dream elopement focused completely around themselves.

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