Landscape photography is more popular than it’s ever been and with the high quality of smartphone cameras, it’s also more accessible than ever before. While I’m happy that more people show their love and appreciation of nature through this medium, there’s a darker side to the boost in interest as well.
In my eyes, it seems that more and more aspiring landscape photographers aren’t in it for their love and appreciation for nature but for a moment of fame online. Both photographers and non-photographers alike are bombarding the so-called Instabangers or trophy shot locations, largely thanks to social media and the knowledge that a shot from these places will give you some extra likes.
Sure, many of these areas are incredible and well-worth visiting but the unfortunate truth is that not all of them are prepared for the sudden influx of tourists.
Social Media’s Impact on Nature
What happens when one of your favorite photographers posts a beautiful shot online? Most likely, you want to visit that place for yourself. Now think, that photographer has over a million followers; how many of these also want to go? When this spirals and more influencers copy the same shot, the location goes viral and is prone to a large increase in traffic.
Now, I don’t blame this on one single photographer or a group of influencers but certain locations tend to go viral over a short period of time – most visitors want to copy the shot taken from their favorite photographer.
Horseshoe Bend is one of those locations that has gone viral and now become one of the most popular nature attractions in the world. A few years ago it barely had a thousand visitors a year but last year more than 1.5 million came to see this beautiful place for themselves.
Trolltunga in Norway is another location that’s gone viral the past few years. It might not be facing numbers as large as Horseshoe Bend but the 22km hike now sees more than 85,000 visitors a year compared to 800 five years ago (keep in mind that it’s only accessible from June to September). Tourists literally stand in line for hours to capture a shot of themselves on the 700m high cliff.
The increased amount of tourists to such locations brings along several challenges. While many are concerned that the parking lots aren’t large enough, the bigger question is how does this impact nature?
What happens when thousands of people walk on the same path each day? What happens when thousands of people need to use the toilet but they’re hours away from the nearest?
The Dark Side of Iceland
I’ve heard horror stories regarding the last question from my Icelandic family; certain locations in Iceland have had an influx of tourists but there aren’t any amenities… which leads people to go to the bushes. These bushes are the same ones where local children have played for years but, needless to say, cannot anymore.
With the quick tempo of increasing visitors, I fear what some of these locations will be like in only a few years time – there are already many of them that have been forced to close, some vandalized while others are simply broken beyond the point of repair.
However, it isn’t only the increase of tourists and damage to nature that worries me. With current trends and the chase for temporary fame, there are more consequences that can be seen as harmful to landscape photography as a craft and may, quite likely, change its entire definition in the future.
Misrepresentation of Nature and Deceiving the Viewer
The second challenge with social media’s impact on landscape photography is how reality often is misrepresented due to heavy manipulation in post-processing.
Now don’t get me wrong, post-processing has its place in photography and I’m a big fan of several digital artists. I don’t care about landscapes being processed into something they’re not, as long as it’s disclosed.
My problem is when artists heavily manipulate a scene by warping, adding elements, adding a sky or whatever else, while claiming it’s a real photograph.
Deceiving viewers like this not only leads to it being harder and harder to separate reality from digital art but also misrepresents the landscape and gives viewers unrealistic expectations when traveling to new locations.
An example I’ve used several times before is the stunning mountains in Lofoten, Norway. The entire archipelago is picture-perfect and you’re guaranteed to leave it with several great images, regardless of the weather.
However, a while ago several tourists shared their disappointment when they realized that the mountains were only 700 meters high, not a couple thousand as it looked like in their tour guide’s advertisement. The images used by the travel company were heavily manipulated and the mountains were stretched beyond reality.
We’re stepping into an era where both the technology and the artists are so good that it can be hard to distinguish composites from reality. What does this mean for landscape photography in a world where every shot needs to be more impressive than the last? It’s hard to say but things are changing.
Of course, this topic opens a whole new discussion: how much can you process before it no longer represents reality?
My Plea to Landscape Photographers
I have no problem understanding why people want to visit the iconic locations, it’s not for no reason that they’ve become popular. If you travel across the globe on a photography trip, I understand that you want to play it safe and at least get a few good shots but isn’t part of landscape photography also the adventure of exploring nature? Doesn’t it feel good to go search for something that hasn’t been seen a million times before?
Even if you have no desire to search for unique locations and would rather just go chase the trophy shots, be respectful of nature. Don’t leave anything behind; bring your trash back down. Treat the place in such a way that the next people can enjoy the scenery as well.
Lastly, be honest!
What do you think? Does Social Media have an impact on landscape photography as we know it? Is it damaging to nature? Leave a comment and let us know your opinion!
Thank you for the thoughtful article, Christian. This post describes the reasons we decided to stop writing location guides. I could make an excellent income writing location guides and I think I would really enjoy it but after seeing how Iceland has been abused (along with some places in Death Valley), I don’t want to feel responsible for these impacts. In the first edition of our Iceland ebook, we included an off-the-beaten-path spot that required walking across rocks and moss to get to some small pools. It is easy to stay on the rocks if you care about leaving no trace. Well, a few years later, we returned to the spot and it was heavily damaged. A good portion of the people visiting probably started with information in our ebook. We learned the hard way that you can’t teach values through an ebook, as many people just want the information to GET THE SHOT with no regard for their impact. Now, our ebooks only include information about accessible, reasonably well-known places and those that cannot be easily damaged (like sand dunes). Given the beauty and solace I find in landscape photography, it is so depressing to see what our field is doing to the places many of us cherish and want to see preserved. This is a big reason that I am not visiting as many well-known places. I want my own impact to be lighter.
Hi Sarah!
I’ve read your Iceland guide and it really is a excellent location guide sharing what used to be lesser known areas. That being said, I respect your choice to stop writing them. As you say, teaching values is hard through eBooks and signs and the “get the shot” mentality is a big problem. There are so many ‘photographers’ these days that don’t care if they need to cross a fragile landscape in order to get a shot.
So, choosing not to share the locations of lesser known places is a good way to go. I’ve stopped sharing exact locations on most of my shots now and will only include it if it’s taken at an already famous spot which most people know off.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Sarah!
But just think of the money pouring in from tourism. Who the hell gives a damn about the environment as long as you can sell who few mugs and tea towels and get the cash to build a bigger road into the beauty spot and put up a “environmentally friendly” visitor centre explaining what the area was like before the fools decided to build a runway even closer. Stuff nature think of the money is the main line of thinking. Probably followed by new housing estates for people to live the dream.
As for social media these people are desperate for likes and up ticks. There is a site come reseller I belong to, some people have say 20 pics , mostly crap but have apparently have 10,000 followers, all pretty meaningless.
Access for all, the destruction of the planet.
Definitely a huge issue, and thank you for writing about it so eloquently, Christian. Last year, I visited an arch in Canyonlands National Park that I had never been to, and I had heard it was crowded, but I was there and wanted to see it, to experience the light of sunrise on this great place. Unfortunately, 45 other people wanted to ‘experience’ it, too. Many with smartphones or point and shoots – and while I don’t begrudge them their camera choice by any means, I am just saying that there were a lot that were there to ‘trophy shoot’ as you say, and post on social media. I saw it happening all around me as I tried to fine tune my composition, elbow-to-elbow with 8 other ‘serious’ photographers. It sure wasn’t the peace of nature that I was experiencing that morning. I observed how party-like the atmosphere was, and was sad.
As nature lovers/photographers, we have to consider the consequences of sharing places, now. But it’s a very delicate line we walk; those of us that are workshop instructors depend on the popularity of places to fill our classes, although I am working on off-the-beaten-path locations for a series I’m putting together. We just have so many people that have the ability to travel to these remote destinations, and the minute anyone posts a smartphone shot there’s the potential for the GPS coordinates, so even if someone doesn’t say ‘where’ exactly, it can be found out, as some pictographs in ____ were ‘found’ by that method! I don’t have the answers, but I do feel the pressure that Nature is feeling with so many people that are not really connection and protecting, just using the location for ‘like’. of course not all of us out there are like this, but all my favorite places have been forever changed by the influx of tourists clamoring to do a selfie or something in that spot. Better stop now, before I get more sad!
No doubt Christian. The easy to get to iconic locations are being inundated. These locations are sacrificed by the government agencies who manage them to save other places that are more ecologically sensitive, like many of these places once were.
As a licensed guide I’ve had this discussion with my local US Forest Service contact.
As someone who grew up in Oregon mountains and forests it’s totally counterintuitive to destroy that which were love. It seems that many of those who go to these locations today do not have the understanding of how fragile some of these places are. They can justify their footprints and disregard that their footprints contribute to the aggregate.
My solution is to generally avoid iconic locations and to shoot landscapes that are non location dependant and state a non specific location. Not only does this make your photos unique, it will push your creativity. A further bonus… no crowds. 😉
Thank you for your comment Elizabeth!
Personally, I don’t reveal every location that I’m photographing, especially if it’s a place I’ve spent a long time researching and is away from the typical areas. Quick google searches will bring you rather detailed lists of most classic places, though 🙂
Oh the irony…so it’s unfortunate that the masses see photographs as a call to copy those shots of a location, and yet (as you suggest), photographs should cater to those visitors’ expectations so that they can easily get what they came for?
Hi Erin,
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Perhaps I didn’t express it well enough but I’m not referring to photographers expectations. Lately, there have been an influx of tourists becoming disappointed when visiting the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway as reality doesn’t look like the images used by travel agencies. A much-discussed case here in Norway was a travel agency that used an image of a iconic mountain that was stretched beyond recognition. It’s one thing if you as an artist create a artwork like this but it’s something else when it’s used to sell a location.
So yes, I do think it’s sad that some tourists aren’t able to appreciate such majestic landscapes because they expect something else.
I understood this article to be about landscape photography, not commercial travel photography. I spent five years moonlighting as an assignment photographer, specializing in travel and archaeological photography before transitioning away from commercial photography. So I feel that there is a big difference between the genres, and I guess I’m confused by what the second half of this article is intended to address about landscape photography as an art. I’m totally on board with the first half, however, and I have written about it myself. And for what it’s worth, I’m not one to go hard on the manipulation with stretching mountains beyond my experience of them or whatever, but I hold absolutely nothing against any artist who wants to do that. Oh, and that shot of the Geisler range…looks pretty much like what you see there (towering peaks at the end of the valley)…did you stretch them…is that the point of the caption? If so, it’s not noticeable to me, someone who knows those mountains like old friends.
At any rate…the first half is a very good and important message, and I hope that articles like this one can reach the right people.
He is saying in the second half that people manipulate photos beyond what they really are and pass it off as real. He is not against manipulating photos if it is disclosed as being manipulated. He stated he is not against artful photos, just do not pass it off as it is real as in some of the photos who’s skies have been replaced with some awesome sunset. He is right about it not being fair to the location for travel companies to use overly manipulated photos and pass them off as real to lure tourists to a location. It is deceitful, unethical and bad for the location when over-used. How can you not see that?
I see exactly what you’ve just described about travel companies and commercial use of photography. I also see commercial travel photography as distinct from “Fine Art” photographs, and that’s a different discussion. Travel companies are in the business of representing locations in order to draw visitors there. Fine Art photographers are communicating ideas, creating impactful images, evoking emotions, etc., and they owe no explanations to anyone. People who want to produce creative photographs are not the problem; it’s just the opposite…the people causing the real problems are the ones who don’t want to be creative and simply want to copy others.
I think that the confusion lies in the fact that, at times, these travel agencies use “Fine Art” (<– parentheses) or manipulated photos in their adverts. It would be different of Travel Photography (documentation) photos were far separated in their styles. I've seen travel photos with huge composited moons before.
Something that I've come to realize is that, as crazy as it seems to those of us who are total photographers, there's a HUGE segment of clueless viewers of online photography who believe these images are real.
Again, the issue of commercial use (and where responsibility lies there) is a different discussion, but for what it’s worth, I believe there is a shared burden for both the travel company and the person licensing a photo to ensure that nothing is misrepresented. The topic of social media and copycat behavior is a separate matter, where the crux of the problem is locations getting ruined by a culture that rewards sameness and repetition. Creative photography is not the problem.
I do agree Erin. And it’s fueled by the vanityographers. 😉
A very thoughtful, timely, and compelling article Christian. I echo the below sentiments in my agreement with you. I recently led a small private tour in Iceland, after many years’ hiatus from visiting that beautiful country, and was astounded by the hordes of seemingly clueless tourists clambering atop one another to get trophy shots, exactly as you related. What’s far worse though were the piles of litter and toilet paper along trails. I really don’t know how Iceland will deal with the explosion of tourism of late, as they need the economic input but it appears as if things are becoming dire in terms of crowding and environmental impact in some spots. I was lucky in that my student was disinterested in trophy shots, and was there to learn, hone her craft, and enjoy the experience. Many around us, however, were not. Like you, I am wary as a professional photography educator of exacerbating this problem by leading folks to scenic spots, but I think that as long as we convey to our students the importance of enjoying the experience, learning a thing or two, and thus being empowered to achieve their own vision on a subsequent adventure, all will be well. Beauty after all can be found everywhere, not just at the “trophy” spots. Thanks again for the article!
Thank you for the comment, Grant!
Iceland does have a lot of challenges but they are starting to get better at handling them. I think the main challenge for Iceland was the sudden boom of tourism and they weren’t able to keep up with it. Now, some of the popular locations have toilets, a small kiosk, trashbins and also paid parking in order to maintain the area – which is great.
I agree with your final statement as well and I think part of what we can do leading workshops is educating common sense and how to do our part in protecting nature.
Excellent article. I could not agree more. I would say a lot of the trophy hunting is all about ego and even a level of emotion illness. Living for the constant attention of others! Once in awhile I get this type hiring me (Private Workshops) to help them get the shots. I always try to help them see all the beauty around them. Occasionally, they just can’t. They just want the shot, and then off to the next one. My dad was a mountain guide and, in his field, he called them “peak baggers.” It is sad to me really. Luckily most of my clients are not that way! 🙂 Thank you for the thoughts on the matter.
Thank you Mark. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Ego is definetley playing a role in this and, as someone pointed out on Facebook, it’s also a case of validation. The trophy shots will give you a few more likes and some followers, so there’s your validation that you’re a skilled photographer. I understand the urge to photograph certain locations (I think most of us have a trophy shot or two in our galleries) but it’s like you say, adventure is part of the game – explore the beauty around. I for one enjoy a quiet hike alone in nature more than standing next to hundred other photographers at an epic waterfall.
Peak baggers… I like that one!
I share the same kind of worries about the impact social media is having on landscape photography. I think one of the problems
Is that many people now come into contact with nature as a result of exposure to “amazing” looking images on social media. I for one did it the reverse way, I became interested in photography because I wanted to capture the beauty I saw in my hiking trips. However, I think this seems to be a trend of these times, people seem to take an interest or opinion on things as a result of over exposure to social media while I think it should be the other way around, first hand experience and then share your love for things.
You’ve got a valid point, Alfonso! Thanks for sharing it. Many are exposed to nature through these amazing images. I think it’s great that they are and that they value nature but ethics isn’t always something you learn through social media.
Beginning as backpacker I would think that you already knew ‘how to behave’ in nature when you began photography and hence have the views that you now do.