Through our adventures, we’ve learned that working together makes things better! This is a sponsored post by Sticker Mule. All opinions expressed in this post are that of Sun & Ski Sports.
How do you want to remember your adventure? Picture this. You get up before the sun even thinks about rising and gear up and head out to your favorite trail. The air smells fresh and undisturbed as you navigate through the darkness with only your headlamp showing you the way, and the only sounds are of your feet on gravel and brush. After some time, you make it to a clearing at the end of the trail…and wait. The stars slowly disappear and a light hue creeps out from the darkness. You can now faintly see the rolling hills, boundless trees, and a lone car’s headlights meandering a winding road. Then, it happens. The sun bursts out from behind the hills filling the valley with its warm glow. Everything goes from a dim haze to a magnificent shade of orange and yellow.
How would you like to remember this moment? Some people associate memories differently. Some prefer images, while others prefer scent, sound, or even touch. Whatever your preferred method, here are some other ways you can use to remember your adventures.
Photograph
One way to remember your adventure is the tried and true method of photography. They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but to some, a picture is worth well more than any words printed on a page. Photographs are timeless and can be preserved for generations. Today, many people carry around high-resolution cameras on their cell phones and even digital cameras are becoming increasingly affordable. Here are some tips to help you remember your adventures.
- Avoid the Blur – While many cell phones have image stabilization technology built-in, don’t be afraid to use the environment to keep your image steady. Or, there are some neat gadgets ranging from the selfie stick to a cellphone tripod to help keep your images stable and shaky-free.
- The Rule of Thirds – A basic rule of photography is the rule of thirds. Basically, your subject or focal point should take up a third of the image and not centered. This creates a more aesthetically pleasing image.
- Keep it Simple – Whether it’s you or a group of friends, avoid having busy backgrounds. While the background is important, you or your group are the focal point of the photograph.
Sketch
Another way to remember your adventure is by sketching it out. Even if you feel that you are not “artistic,” give it a shot. By sketching out what you see, you not only have a visual representation of your experience but also a physical connection as well. You can reminisce about the time you sat down and sketched out the fog-covered valley, or a time when you and a group of friends saw a herd of cows in a pasture. Sketching your experience also takes very little space in your pack. A carrying case for your pencils and a sketchbook is all you need. Here are some tips for beginner sketchers.
- The 70/30 Rules – This is the sketcher’s version of the rule of thirds from photography. In this case, your composition should focus on 30 percent of the sketch while the other 70 percent is the background or filler.
- Experiment with Pencils – Not all pencils are created equal. For beginners, maybe start off with a smaller set of pencils instead of buying a whole kit. As you develop your skills, you may find that you favor certain pencils based on your style. A basic sketching pencil everyone should have is a 2B pencil. This has a broad use and can especially help you outline what you want to sketch. Other pencils for consideration is an HB, 6B, and 9B. Experiment!
- Lines Matter – As a beginner, your focus may be to simply draw what you see. However, details can drastically improve a sketch. By using varying lines and different shading techniques, your simple sketch can develop depth and personality. A lot of the sketching process is all about experimenting and figuring out what you like and how to execute it on paper.
Collectibles
A great way to remember your adventure is through collectibles. Collecting items such as rocks, leaves, or even stickers from a gift shop can help remind you of the experience you had. Maybe a unique rock from the outlook can remind you of the amazing sunrise. Or, a weird leaf can remind you of the vast forest you and your friends hiked through. Even something from a gift shop can help remind you of your trip to a National Park. When you start collecting items such as rocks or leaves, check local laws and regulations as some areas prohibit the removal or disturbance of such items. While all of these are great collectibles, let’s dive deeper into a particular one- stickers!
What’s the Best Sticker?
This depends on your application. Ask yourself, how do you want to remember your adventure? Some love displaying their sticker collectibles on their gear, in a car, or even a scrapbook. For durable stickers that have eye-popping color and resist the elements, a weatherproof sticker is your best bet. As for a car, a bumper sticker or a front adhesive one is the ticket for a fun and creative display. If scrapbooking is your thing, a simple die cut sticker will help your memories go for pages to come.
Custom Design
Can’t find the perfect sticker? Design your own! You can get stickers made from almost anything including your own photographs or sketches. Manufacturers such as Sticker Mule have tools available to allow anyone to create a custom design. Remove backgrounds with their Trace tool or use Upscale to scale up images up to 2x their original resolution. They even have a scalable vector graphics tool called Redraw which is perfect for Photoshop users. The great thing is that Trace and Upscale are free to use, even if you don’t use Sticker Mule.
There are plenty of other ways to help you remember your adventure. But whether you take a photograph, sketch out a scene, or collect stickers, the most important thing is to go out there and make these memories. Check out our other blogs to help you on your next journey including our Introductory Guide to Buying a Bike or How to Choose the Right Trail. For more info on outdoor gear for your next adventures, visit us online or in-store at your local Sun & Ski Sports.