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What Photos Do I Need?

A picture is worth a thousand words, which is why we want you to include some awesome photos when creating your Adventure. The images you choose will be the first thing Explorers see when they view your Adventure and will entice them to read more. This section can make or break your Adventure, so we’ve put together an in-depth guide on how to choose your photos, what type of shots you’ll want, and what level of quality we look for.

People, People, People…

We can’t stress that enough. People want to see other people enjoying your Adventures! They want to imagine themselves exploring that canyon, enjoying the sunset from a mountain top, or skiing in knee-deep powder. Stunning panoramic shots are beautiful, but we recommend you try to include guests in as many photos as you can.

Quality, Not Quantity

The most important thing when selecting photos for you Adventure is that they are of high quality. High quality photos show professionalism, and let’s be real — they look awesome!

It’s better to have fewer photos of higher quality, versus many mediocre ones. Here are some indicators that your photos are not up to par.

What to Watch for

  • Size & Type? Your photos should be a minimum of 1400px x 800px. We recommend using landscape (horizontal) photos as these display best on our platform. Photos will be automatically cropped to fit the placement, so we recommend previewing the Adventure to check the focus of your image hasn’t been cut out before you publish.
  • Is it blurry? Photos that are out of focus are not only hard to look at, but also look unprofessional. Details are lost when you don’t focus the shot — so take the time to do it properly, and retake photos if necessary.
  • Is the lighting bad? A photo that is too dark or too overexposed is hard to see, drowns out otherwise vibrant colours, and won’t do your Adventure justice.
  • Is it over-edited? Filtered photos are not allowed for a couple of reasons. Overly filters photos are obvious when applied to photos and often result in odd colours, they distort reality and don’t give an accurate portrayal of what’s been photographed. Our Locals are all about authenticity, and there’s nothing less authentic than a filtered photo.

Tips for Taking Higher Quality Photos:

  • Don’t use the flash. Most of your photos should be taken outdoors where the sun provides all the natural light you need, even when it’s overcast. If you really want to photograph like the pros, try to organize your photoshoot for the morning or late afternoon to avoid bright sunlight, and utilise the softer, more even natural sunlight. 
  • Focus before taking the photo. By simply tapping your point of focus on your smartphone’s screen, you can make sure you have all the details you need in focus. Tap, wait until the image focuses, then shoot away.
  • Take multiple shots. Not every photo will turn out well, which is why you want to have multiple versions of the same shot so you can pick the best ones later.
  • Shoot in landscape mode. When you hold your phone horizontally to take photos, you can capture a wider scene which is perfect for sweeping scenic views and action shots. It also gives you the freedom to crop your photos into a vertical portrait style image if you want. You can still use the vertical camera, but think about the type of shot you want and what will work best. 

How Many Photos Do I Need?

You are required to upload a 4 photos on your Adventure.

What Type of Photos Do I Need?

We want your Adventure to be as appealing as possible to potential explorers, which is why we have made some recommendations for what type of photos will take your Adventure profile to the next level! 

There are 4 categories of photos that we recommend you take. Ideally, you want to include at least one of each.

1) Action Shots of the Guests

The goal of action shots is to highlight people participating in your main activity. Get Explorers excited by showing them images of others having a great time. For these shots, it’s important to feature people — after all, there’s no action if there isn’t anyone to carry out the activity.

2) Scenic Shots

People are motivated by beauty, and it’s hard to beat a wide, sweeping view of towering mountains or tranquil ocean. You can entice Explorers by including a photo that illustrates nice views or interesting areas in a landscape shot.

3) Personal Shots

Don’t forget to get some photos of you leading the Adventure! As a Local, you have a huge influence over the experience, and this is a chance to get your friendly face out there and show you having fun doing what you love. If you can, get shots of you interacting with guests or nature. As we know, these type of action shots are eye-catching and do a great job of describing your Adventure without

4) Show the highlights and details!

Close up shots of interesting details will help showcase what is unique about your Adventure. They show subtleties that might not be obvious, like plump blackberries growing alongside a trail or interesting animals tracks. The easiest way to get these shots is just by going on your Adventure and taking note of a few little things that catch your eye – if it caught your attention, it’s worth taking a photo.

A tent glowing under a starry night sky, with a mountain and trees in the background.

PRO TIP:

Show, don’t tell. When you provide high quality, engaging photos, Explorers don’t have to rely on the Adventure description alone. Let your photos tell a story, so your Adventure description can handle the itinerary and logistics. 

How Do I Choose My Cover Photo?

One last thing to consider before you move on to the next step, is which photo you want to display when people are scrolling through the Adventures. This, coupled with your title will be the first thing people see, and will determine whether they click on your Adventure. Which photo you use is up to you, but we recommend using one of the action shots to demonstrate your activity. As beautiful as a mountainous ridge or a tranquil lake is, it doesn’t tell people anything about what they will be doing – which is why an action shot is perfect for giving a quick glimpse of the activity.

PRO TIP:

Once all your photos are uploaded, you can see which photo is your cover photo by the label underneath. Change your cover photo by clicking on the desired photo. 

Is there a maximum image size?

Having high quality photos is important, but our system requires images to be 10MB or smaller. If you try to upload a photo larger than this, you’ll get an error and the photo will not load. 

Quick Checklist

☐ Use landscape (horizontal) photos
☐ Minimum dimensions = 1400px x 800px
☐ Photo size less than 10MB
☐ Check for quality
☐ 1 action shot
☐ 1 personal shot
☐ 1 close-up
☐ 1 scenic shot
☐ Cover photo is an action shot