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.
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.
The Seven Leave No Trace Principles
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bringing your pet along on an adventure? Check out the LNT Center’s guide for bringing your furry friends along here.
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.
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
Check out my blog post: How to Plan an Eco-Friendly Elopement
