Announcing Winners of October 2018 Trek Photography Contest

Autumn is the best season for photography. You can’t get such clearer skies and warm colours in any other season. It was a delight going through all the photos that truly brought out the autumn colours and transported us back to the mountains.

Our judges have selected the winners and trekkers have voted for their favourite photo. Here are the results:

Winner – Trek Photographer of the Month

Higher – Abdul Raoof, Phulara Ridge trek

This is a brilliant photograph from the Phulara Ridge trek. It easily conveys the excitement felt on the ridge walk. The photographer has placed the trekker perfectly to show the scale of the landscape while  carefully capturing the mountains and the clouds.

First Runner Up

Waking to the Sleeping buddha- Pranav Kaushik, Sandakphu Phalut Trek

This is a good example of a trek photograph. It conveys the scene of a trek- the morning colours, the tents,  the clouds, trekkers getting ready to watch the sunrise while the Sleeping Buddha rests in the background.

Second Runner Up

360 degree view of the Annapurna range- Rupam Kirtaniya, Annapurna Base Camp trek

Trekkers walking towards the mighty Annapurna range is always a beautiful sight. Yet the photographer has captured an amazing image by adding three layers in a single photo: brown meadows, snow clad peaks and the blue sky that one can only see in high altitudes.

Trekkers’ Choice Award sponsored by AdventureWorx

A quaint night at Labouche-Anubhav Saxena, Everest Base Camp Trek

Such a grand view of Mt. Nuptse from the Everest Base Camp trek! As the photographer says, the mountain is well lit by the moonlight. The clear, star spangled night sky makes for one beautifully captured image.

Other Nominations

Mother nature and her lovely creations- Shibayan Kayal, Beas Kund trek

This photograph plays with the background and foreground to being out the natural beauty of the Beas Kund trek. Light falling diagonally on the horses to add details to the subject while the mountains act as a great background.

River crossing- Vinay Anantha, Buran Ghati trek

One does not see autumn colours mixed with winter snow quite often. But it makes an amazing combination as seen here. The snow patterns on the rocks and grass add a nice contrast to the photograph.

The end of Phulara Ridge- Brian Van Dijke, Phulara Ridge trek

One more photograph from the Phulara Ridge trek. Such a majestic photo that captures the beauty of this landscape. The photographer has exercised excellent light control over here. The rocks in the foreground add drama to the photograph while you can spot the trail in the distance.

Mesmerising Swargarohini- Anirban Roy, Har Ki Dun Trek

The photographer is telling a story through this photo. He creates a glimpse into a moment form the trek where the trekkers take break to soak in the autumn colour and mountain view.

Near Chandanahan Lake- Chetan Walia, Buran Ghati trek

This frame captures the majestic beauty of the Buran Ghati trek. The photographer has made an intelligent choice by including the silhouettes of the two trekkers in the photograph while using the darker shades of autumn.

Winter is here- Ashwin Srinivasa, Kedartal Trek

Predicting snowfall is always a bit tricky on high altitude treks. In this photo, the photographer captures a landscape showered with fresh snow. The colours of the prayer flags add to the visual appeal of the photograph.

And, that were all the nominations and winners for this month’s photo contest. Congratulations to all the winners! Tell us which one you liked us the most by dropping a comment below. We would love to hear your thoughts!

What you should do now

1. If you’d like to see a few great photo stories from our treks: You’ll find our photo stories on this page.

2. If you’re a professional photographer: Perhaps we could sponsor your trek! We take photo trekkers on our treks if they can showcase our beautiful Himalayas with their skills. To apply, send your portfolio to hari@indiahikes.com and tell us why you want to be a photo trekker with us.

3. If you would like some tips on photography specifically for treks: Click here, or here or here.

4. If you want to see some videos on how to manage camera gear: Watch this video.

5. If you ended up here by chance and were actually looking for treks to do: Then head over to our upcoming treks page. You’ll find all our Himalayan treks there.

6. If you want to see the 13 best treks of India: Then get our guide here.