Adventure photography is a special kind of photography that started from the need to portray the events in adventure sports such as mountaineering, alpine skiing, adventure motorcycling, water surfing, and much more. A key difference is that the photographer is usually an athlete in the sport he decides to portray, and always present in the field. Only a climber can climb Mount Everest to photograph the climbers who have just climbed the peak. The photographer is the hidden hero who often has to perform a larger task, as he has to physically perform as all participant athletes, but additionally, carry heavy and very expensive equipment.

One can study photography in any school, but adventure photography is something that you instinctively learn. It takes an athlete's point of view to understand what needs to be portrayed, and only an athlete is able to be present during serious adventures. Perhaps the most striking example is the case of climber, photographer, and cinematographer Jimmy Chin, now a legend in mountaineering circles, with material featured in world-class magazines such as National Geographic.

Engaging in amateur or professional adventure photography requires relatively expensive equipment but does not require special studies. It requires basic knowledge of your camera equipment, an understanding of photographic composition, but what is particularly demanding is a lot of love, passion, dedication, and a lot of practice time in the sport/hobby that you decide to photograph.