December brings in a white winter in the mountains. This time, we saw the first winter groups of Kedarkantha, Brahmatal, and Dayara Bugyal open in December. They brought in some stunning snowscapes with them.

On the other hand, treks such as Sandakphu Phalut, Kuari Pass, and Deoriatal-Chandrashila witnessed dramatic changes in the landscape. The scene transitioned from autumn to winter.

This set a perfect platform for picture-perfect frames and we were flooded with entries for the December 2021 Trek Photographer Of The Month.

We received over 800 nominations in December. Going through these pictures was a delight. The variety of landscapes that these treks depicted was immense.

Interestingly, this time entries chosen for the Trekker’s Choice Award coincided with our choice of winners. With that, we announce the winners of the Trek Photographer of the month December 2021 and the Trekker’s Choice Award Winner:

Winner

Guhanesan Sivalingam – Brahmatal

We’ve seen several pictures of Mt. Nanda Ghunti but none like this one. The photographer has taken this shot from a smart angle that makes it feel like Mt. Nanda Ghunti is just three steps away from where he stands. Congratulations Guhanesan Sivalingam! You have won the first prize, a Trek Voucher of Rs 5,000 along with this great day pack by Adventureworx!

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/400, Aperture – 11, ISO – 100, Focal length – 18mm.

First Runner up

Ramshesha N- Kuari Pass

Here’s a picture-perfect frame that captures the great composition of Kuari Pass trek. We love it when photographers go the extra mile to capture such a shot at the right time. Congratulations Ramshesha! You have won the first runner prize, a Trek Voucher of Rs 3,000.

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/320, Aperture – 11, ISO – 100, Focal length – 16mm.

Second Runner up

Faizan Shaikh – Brahmatal

A lot of our trekkers go through a humbling experience on reaching the summit. But having an opportunity to capture it on camera is rare. To capture such a picture, the photographer had to step into an intimate frame. That requires building comfort and trust.

It’s a perfect photograph that captures the journey of the subjects as well as that of the photographer. Congratulations Faizan Shaikh! You have won the Second runner prize, a Trek Voucher of Rs 2,000.

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/460, Aperture – 1.8, ISO – 100, Focal length – 6mm.(Captured in mobile)

Trekkers Choice Award

Darshil Shah- Dayara Bugyal

It’s difficult to make out if this is a picture or a painting. The photographer has taken a huge benefit of capturing this shot in the morning glow of sun. The way the sun rays have turned the white colour of snow into an orange shade is a sight to behold! Congratulations Darshil Shah! you have won the trekker choice award.

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/3000, Aperture – 1.7, ISO – 100, Focal length – 10mm.(Captured in mobile)

Sumit Dutta – Sandakphu Phalut

Winter has arrived on the Sandakphu-Phalut trek, covering the landscape in a white blanket of snow.

In our November Photography Contest, there was a picture of the Molley campsite taken from the same angle. The setting was totally different then.

In this frame too, the picture justifies why the setting makes for a great capture!

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/50, Aperture – 1.8, ISO – 1000, Focal length – 10mm.(Captured in mobile)

Chermanna Achappa – Kuari pass

This rare black and white picture is taken from the section between Khullara to Kuari Pass summit. Its wide-angle beautifully captures the elegant mountain views from the Kuari Pass trek.

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/400, Aperture – 11, ISO – 100, Focal length – 18mm.

Abhra Sengupta – Deoriatal Chandrashila

It takes a creative mind to capture sunlight like this. Notice how the sun’s rays are illuminating the finer aspects of nature. This detailing makes the picture stand out. It feels like a celebration, lit up with sunlight.

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/2000, Aperture – 5.6, ISO – 100, Focal length – 59mm.

Krutanjali Deore – Brahmatal

Bekaltal is a hot spot for photographers. This season presented a great opportunity to capture the season’s first snowfall.

The beauty of the photo is that it is difficult to figure out whether it’s a monochrome or a coloured photo. Look closely, and then imagine the amount of snow it took to bring out such a dilemma!

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/2000, Aperture – 2.4, ISO – 50, Focal length – 10mm.(Captured in mobile)

Chermanna Achappa – Kuari Pass

The scale of this shot made us go – wow!

Photographs like these make you realise how tiny we are in front of these huge mountains.

We love the composition and the timing of this shot 🙂

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/640, Aperture – 22, ISO – 100, Focal length – 135mm.

 Krutanjali Deore – Brahmatal

This picture underlines the struggles of a winter trek.

Trekking in winters is not just about the stunning mountain views or large landscapes covered in snow. These mules play an important role in making a winter trek successful.

This photograph beautifully captures their presence on the trek.

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/1300, Aperture – 1.6, ISO – 100, Focal length – 10mm.(Captured in mobile)

 Vasudev Sharma – Kedarkantha

The setting of all campsites on the Kedarkantha trek is picture-perfect. This picture is a testament of that.

We love how flawless the Julota campsite looks in this shot!

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/250, Aperture – 1.7, ISO – 100, Focal length – 5mm.(Captured in mobile)

Ramshesha N – Kuari Pass

This picture is all about the varied colour tones. The photographer has done a great job composing this picture.

Notice how the way sunrays are trying to seep in through the oak tree, spreading their golden effect on all the leaves. It is truly magical!

Camera Settings: Shutter – 1/250, Aperture – 7.1, ISO – 100, Focal length – 35mm.

Thank you for participating! We’ll be back with more.