Celebrating Earth Day: How to Minimize Your Impact on the Environment when Eloping, Getting Married, or Having Photo Sessions Outdoors

If you are reading this, there’s a high chance that you are like me and love the outdoors, and if you don’t, well, maybe you came here because you are hoping to learn to love it.

Either way, the outdoors is an amazing place, and deserves to be treasured. The earth is a finite resource, and as the human population keeps inflating, there becomes less and less land per person. Which basically means there’s less of the nature for each of us to enjoy, unless we properly try to save it.

So if you are eloping, having a traditional wedding, or even just going out for some pictures, there’s 7 huge ways you can help minimize your impact, so these beautiful places will be here for 5, 10, 50, or hopefully 100 years to come.

These seven rules (or more properly, suggestions) are known as the Leave No Trace Principles. As a certified Leave No Trace Photographer, I am trained in how to minimize my impact on the environment while working or playing, and I am here to help those who both hire me, and those who don’t, help save our precious landscapes too.

Leave No Trace Principle #1: Plan Ahead and Prepare

The better you know where you are going, the easier it is to prepare to travel and spend time in the location. Things such as is there toilets? Are fires allowed? How many people can gather at a time? What kind of walking paths? When is the best time of year to visit?

There are so many questions to ask yourself while preparing for a wedding, or even just touring. If you have a photographer hired, they may have a Leave No Trace Guide that you can consult to ensure you have all your bases covered. I send this to my couples after they book.

Leave No Trace Principle #2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Different types of ground cover recover much easier than others, which is why it’s important to be mindful of where you step and where you set up camp or any other decorations you may use for your photos. Some types of grass bounces back quickly, while alpine vegetation can take days, months, or sometimes even years to be brought back to its previous state if damaged. Do your best to stay on the trails, and if you are camping or will be at an area for a while, consider setting up on rock or durable ground.

Leave No Trace Principle #3: Dispose of Waste Properly

No one wants to see plastic, poop bags, toilet paper, or any other waste in the beautiful pristine wilderness. So this one is very simple, if you brought it in, take it out, or use proper waste receptacles.

Leave No Trace Principle #4: Leave What You Find

You may think “It’s just one flower” or “There’s thousands of rocks, I can take one”, but the reality is, if everyone thought just like you, high tourist areas such as Banff or Jasper National Park would have nothing left in one tourist season. Have you heard the saying “Take only pictures, leave only footprints?” Yeah, do that.

Leave No Trace Principle #5: Minimize Campfire Impacts

If you choose to have a campfire, there is several things to keep in mind to minimize your impact on nature. If there are fire rings installed, or rock rings already made, use those instead of lighting a fire in a new area. Burned vegetation takes a while to grow back, so why hinder its beauty? If allowed in the area, only cut deadfall to burn, and burn only the amount needed. Never cut live wood for your fire, or any other recreational reason. And always make sure that your campfire is put out when you leave it. Forest fires are never welcome.

 Leave No Trace Principle #6: Respect Wildlife

Just as you don’t want someone coming into your home and making a mess, the wildlife don’t either. Respect them, you are entering their home. Give them a wide berth, don’t feed them, don’t throw things or try to pet them, and take pictures from a distance… Chances are, they are likely scared of you, so unless you feel an actual threat(bear, cougar, etc), it’s best just to leave them alone.

Leave No Trace Principle #7: Be Considerate of Other Visitors

I assume you are escaping to nature to see the beautiful sights, relax, and take in everything? Likely so did the other people there too. We all just want to be able to enjoy this beautiful planet we call home. So don’t hog the best picture spot, keep any noise (music, speaking) at a conversational level, and be polite. Common courtesy goes a long way.

While these are just the basic 7 principles, they are a great starting foundation for helping to minimize your impact during your wedding or photo experience. We all only have one planet, let’s ensure we are able to enjoy it for many more years, while we capture these amazing experiences.