Adventure Photography With Corey Rich

Watch this video to go behind the scenes on an outdoor shoot with Corey Rich as he photographs climber Beth Rodden.

Preparing for a shoot in the outdoors is similar to preparing one in a studio. The light has to be just right, the model and the photographer have to communicate well, and the correct lenses and cameras should be prepped and ready to go.

What I like about this video is that Corey Rich breaks down his thought process and gives an inside look at how he shoots an adventure scene. For me, part of the fun of shooting outdoors is discovering locations for the first time and shooting models reacting to these places for the first time too. But on a professional set, scouting the location is crucial. You need to make sure your main light source, the sun, is going to align with your vision. If not, bringing your own external lighting is a must.

Scouting an outdoor location for a shoot is important also so you can get an idea of where you will and won't be able to take pictures from. Especially in climbing, the locations you're able to stand can be quite precarious. If you know the area and where the person is climbing, you'll be able to determine the need for extra safety equipment and gear.

Watch the video to learn more about how Corey Rich works an outdoor adventure shoot. What other aspects of shooting adventure sports do you think are important when on set? 

Tim Behuniak's picture

Timothy Behuniak is a Salt Lake City-based landscape and outdoor adventure photographer who's passionate about getting lost in the woods with his camera. Tim's hope is that his viewers, like him, will one day love and fight to protect the beautiful locations he is fortunate to photograph.

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4 Comments

I've been familiar with Corey's work for years. Really respect him as an adventure photographer (though his studio and post production could use some work). What is really surprising is how cheesy these commercial promos can feel and makes you second guess the level of their expertise. I can guarantee this is now how he does his typical shoot.

I agree ! The whole set is very average, as the pictures shown. Considering how both Corey and Beth are both legend in their respective fields, it's very surprising how not impressing they made this video. Any climbing magazine have better pictures, on any subject nowadays ! The best to learn the standards is to pick up the magazine of the subject (climbing, rock and ice, outdoor, grimper, klettern), or see some field expert (Sam Bié).

Yup, this. I get better photos of my buddies climbing 5.6 routes. These two are supposed to be pro's at the top of their fields. The whole thing felt staged poorly and was overall quite lazy.

Lol, I'm pretty sure this IS a 5.6