Adventure photography is capturing images, usually during a sport or exotic travel, that are unexpected and unplanned. The reward can be a stunning photograph that was not imagined, an image that may have appeared only briefly and may never appear again. These are images of opportunity.
Ansel Adams and Edward Curtis roamed the American west and had careers that were filled with adventure. Their iconic photos are some of the very best in photography.
However, for me the seminal moment in adventure photography occurred in 1981. Galen Rowell was in Lhasa, Tibet when he saw a distant rainbow. He grabbed his camera and started running across a Tibetan plain to see if he could get to a point where the rainbow appeared to shine directly on the Potala Palace, the traditional home of the Dali Lama. As he ran, the rainbow was getting brighter and seemed to move into position. It reached its brightest moment as it beamed directly on the Potala Palace. He took the shot. Now, THAT is adventure photography!
Galen Rowell did not plan or pre-imagine this shot. He saw an unexpected and extraordinary opportunity. He leapt into action and captured what many regard as his finest photograph, "Rainbow over Potala Palace." It may also be the greatest adventure photograph ever.
We may not be able to capture a great photo that would compete with Galen Rowell's "Rainbow," but we can embark on adventure and seek the new and surprising image that is also unimagined and unplanned.
There is also more to a photograph than the image itself. There is often a story embedded in the image, maybe about the content, maybe about the photography itself. Seeing and understanding that story is a key unlocking a deeper experience with adventure photography. The quality of reflective light is a natural topic. Images can also present a broader range of subjects: quantum physics, astronomy, philosophy, religion and even the making of cheese. The images here are accompanied by their stories as best I understand them. That is what makes this website unique.
There are no trips for sale at this site. There are no books for sale. I am not seeking employment. This site is for sharing adventure photography in the hope that others will seek adventure and discover new images.
If you have a comment, let me know. Tom@thefleetinglight.com