I’m not a camper. I don’t run to the mountains or desert with the intentions of camping for days on end. I don’t long for extended periods of time in nature just for the sake of it. Rather, I camp when necessary. When the occasion requires me to pitch a tent under a tree or sleep on a rock, I will.
Don’t get me wrong, I love nature. I’m in love with the sights and sounds and solitude. The reason I love photographing wild areas is because it gets me away from everything, if only for a bit. My point is that – there are folks who love camping just for the sake of it. They relish the art of cooking over a fire, and setting up their tent, and everything that goes into it. But, I simply don’t have a novelty affair with that part of my experience. I do it because I must.
Many of the locations I’m photographing are quite a long way from civilization. It makes better sense to hike in the day before, then set up camp and be already present for sunrise, rather than waking up hours before sunrise and hiking in the dark. Unzipping a tent and setting up a tripod for an image is a fluid motion that, early in the morning, is quite appreciated.
Sometimes, the back of the truck is camp enough.
If all goes well, the images that I capture that morning will give me the adrenaline I need to pack up camp and make the hike out, or further in. If the conditions in the morning aren’t worthy of an image, then perhaps the thrill of the chase will keep me going for the next opportunity.
As far as gear goes. I’ve learned that laying on the rocky ground of Utah without a sleeping mat will lead to some pretty sore hip bones and shoulders the next morning. I sometimes have to forgo some luxuries like sleeping mats if I feel like I’m already hauling too much gear, or there are other circumstances, like a long hike ahead. When I don’t have room for a sleeping mat, or a pillow, I use the spare clothes in my pack to pad the ground. There’s usually a jacket in my bag, so I’ll use that as a pillow. Repurposing the items you already have with you is almost a necessity. With the camera gear I have to pack, there’s really no room for anything more than a tent, sleeping bag, a pot, and first aide kit – in addition to the clothes on my back.
My reason for being out is to make photographs. Everything else is secondary.