5 Ways to Prepare for a Family Photoshoot in Mountain Locations like Estes Park
Often people forget what it can be like to be in the mountains and focus on the photoshoot more than preparing for the trip up in altitude. This is especially true if you are a visitor to Colorado. You don’t know what to expect entirely in the mountains. And this is why I am preparing this blog post. I want you to have a successful family photoshoot, be safe, and know what to prepare for. That is why I have compiled five aways to prepare for your family photoshoot in the mountains. Because, even in larger towns like Estes Park, things can go awry pretty easily. And this is especially true if you venture into Rocky Mountain National Park for your family photoshoot. So see below five ways I recommend you prepare for your family photoshoot in the mountains.
Way #1: Plan Your Photoshoot with Altitude in Mind
Be mindful of your comfort with altitude. Rocky Mountain National Park has altitudes ranging from just below 8000 feet to 14,000 foot peaks. The Alpine Visitor’s Center and trail ridge road break records at 12,000 feet. And, if you’re driving up from Denver, that is a quick ascent to high altitude, which causes even more issues. If you haven’t been to high altitude lately, realize that your body may not be fond of it. Dizziness, headaches, and much more can happen at altitude when your body isn’t used to it. And moving around at altitude can be quite tiring.
So how should this be addressed in your planning? Here are two ways:
Choose a Photo Location with Altitude in Mind
If you aren’t comfortable with altitude or you have little ones that might not do well with altitude, you should choose photoshoot locations that don’t require much walking and are at the lower elevations. These locations could be Lily Lake, Moraine Park, or Sprague Lake. If all in your party is comfortable with altitude, you can choose to do a photoshoot along Trail Ridge Road. But make sure that altitude is not an issue at all, because, at 12,000 feet, that is very high altitude.
Be Aware of Signs of Altitude Sickness
It is so important to know what to look for in altitude sickness, as it should be taken seriously. Altitude sickness can be fatal, if it gets severe enough and goes without treatment. Familiarize yourself with altitude sickness, so that you know the signs and what to do. WebMD has a great article of what to look out for when at altitude.
Way #2: Get Successful Photos with the Essentials
There are certain items that I recommend all people bring along with them to photoshoots in the mountains. They are essentials in making sure that your photoshoot doesn’t have to end early or be interrupted by a bout of altitude sickness.
Mountain Photoshoot Packing List:
A bottle of water for every single person in your party. Altitude causes dehydration.
Jackets for everyone. The weather can turn quickly and without notice in the mountains.
Sunblock. The sun is very strong at altitude.
Bug spray during the summer months. The mosquitoes and bugs can be pretty ridiculous in the warmer months.
Winter essentials for any months that aren’t June and July and maybe even then. Winter is year-round at the higher altitudes.
A map and directions on where to go. Cell services can be spotty in the mountains. In Rocky Mountain National Park, it’s non-existent.
Way #3: Have a Photoshoot Plan B
Having a plan B is especially important in the winter months, December - March, and if your timeline is limited. Snowstorms are rampant in Rocky Mountain National Park and its neighboring towns, Estes Park and Grand Lake, during the winter. This can mean that certain locations in those areas, including popular and beautiful photoshoot locations, can be inaccessible for months on end. So, if you have a limited timeline, make sure you have a back-up location in mind. You might have a limited timeline if you’re visiting Colorado and are only here for a week(end) or you’re doing a maternity session. In that case, make sure you choose a back-up location that is in another part of the mountains or, better yet, is at a lower altitude and won’t be effected as much by snowstorms in the mountains. A location I often offer up for my clients as a back-up to Rocky Mountain National Park is this one right here.
If your timeline isn’t restricted, then your plan B can be another date. Just know that if you’re in those winter months, plan B might be months later. Some photographers cannot accommodate that and you may not want to delay that long.
Way #4: Watch for the Camera and the Weather
Above you’ll notice that I recommended you bring a jacket to your photoshoot in the mountains. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in the middle of a photoshoot, especially in Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, and the weather has turned on us when the forecast had 0% chance of precipitation. Forecasts are notoriously incorrect in the mountains. It can be hard with so many microclimates to know what the weather is going to be like at every point in the mountains. So you always want to be ready. Be ready for rain. Be ready for snow. And definitely be ready for the worst of it all, hail. Hail is horrible in Colorado and can be large and plentiful.
Way #5: Go With a Skilled Photographer
Make your life easier and go with a skilled photographer, who is familiar with photographing in the mountains.
First, this helps when it comes to all the points above, as they can guide you through it all. And they can tell you more specific advice for the specific location you have chosen.
Second, this helps because photographing in the mountains can be tricky. The sunset times are all over the place, depending on your location. The sun sets behind mountain peaks as early as an hour and half before actual sunset. A photographer that is familiar with a location will be able to plan better than one that is not. The lighting in the mountains is also tricky. There is a reason we photograph close to sunset/sunrise. That is when the lighting is the most optimal. When you’re not photographing at that time of day, it becomes more tricky. Only skilled photographers know how to navigate that.
Third, skilled photographers will know the best locations in the mountains, how to navigate the permitting systems for each location, and how to make sure your session goes off without a hitch. Logistics are just as important as photographic skill when making a photoshoot a successful one. Not knowing how to navigate the logistics could mean not a single photo getting taken.
Sara Herkes is a maternity, newborn, family, and senior photographer based in Longmont, CO. She serves the the Denver Metro Area, the Colorado Rockies, and the Northern Front Range and captures your pregnancy amidst the Colorado wilderness. Learn more about her services here.
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