Photographer Jimmy Chin is best known for taking extraordinary imagery while climbing and skiing in extremely high-risk environments. Check out his recent work and find out what he is doing next!

Career

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Think about something you've always wanted to try and decide to commit to pursuing it without knowing what the outcome will be.

Commit to something and figure it out.

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Get a glimpse into what goes into one of photographer Jimmy Chin's ski mountaineering projects. Is this something you dream of doing one day? 

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Photographers

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects, using digital or film cameras and equipment. May develop negatives or use computer software to produce finished images and prints. Includes scientific photographers, aerial photographers, and photojournalists.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

First Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Second Interest High-Point

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Media and Communication Equipment Workers

Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.

Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.

Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.

Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.

Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.

Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.

Review sets of photographs to select the best work.

Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.

Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.

Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly.

Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.

Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.

Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.

Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.

Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.

Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.

Direct activities of workers setting up photographic equipment.

Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.

Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.

Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.

Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.

License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.

Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.

Photograph legal evidence at crime scenes, in hospitals, or in forensic laboratories.

Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.

Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.

Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.

Board reflectors

Bubble machines

Camera cleaning brushes

Camera flash attachments

Camera positioning tripods

Computer inkjet printers

Computer laser printers

Contact print frames

Darkroom thermometers

Darkroom timers

Digital pens

Digital photo printers

Digital still cameras

Dimmers

Dye sublimation printers

Electric print dryers

Film cameras

Film drying cabinets

Film scanners

Flash memory data storage devices

Flatbed scanners

Focus assists

Fog machines

Force film washers

Global positioning system GPS devices

Graduated neutral density GND filters

Graphics tablets

Haze filters

Image enlargers

Incident light meters

Label printers

Lamp reflectors

Laptop computers

Large format printers

Macro lenses

Magnifier loupes

Mobile adapters

Negative proofers

Neutral density ND filters

Optical media printers

Optical viewfinders

Personal computers

Polarizing lens filters

Rapid photo print washers

Reflected light meters

Ring flashes

Snoots

Softboxes

Sound blimps

Special effects projectors

Studio strobe flashes

Tablet computers

Telephoto lenses

White balancing lens filters

Wide angle lenses

Wireless flash triggers

Zoom lenses

Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects

Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects

Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign

Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Apple Final Cut Pro

Blinkbid

Cradoc fotoBiz

Email software

Facebook

Genbook

HindSight InView

Intuit QuickBooks

Light Blue Software Light Blue

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

ShootQ

ShootZilla

Simplifi pixifi

Simply Studio System

StudioCloud

StudioPlus Spectra

SuccessWare

Tave Studio Manager

Twitter

Web browser software

WordPress

Photographer

[Jimmy] How's it going? Nice to meet you. [Roadtripper #1] Hello, nice to meet you, too. [Jimmy] You know, I grew up in a family that put a lot of emphasis on education and career and, you know, for the longest time growing up, I thought I had three options. It was like doctor, lawyer, businessman. Like I literally thought there was only three options, you know? And I did a lot of different things. I swam competitively and I played the violin for a long time in like a symphony, and there's all these things that I did that my family, my parents wanted me to do. But the one thing I found for myself was skiing. And then I also found climbing, uh, in college. And those are things that really moved me. And it wasn't like I even had a choice; I had to do it. So I finished college and I was, you know, I was like, "All right, Mom, Dad. I'm gonna take a year off "and climb and ski and, you know, just throw myself "at it just 'cause I can't, I feel like I have to do that "for myself." And I ended up living out of a back of a little blue Subaru for seven years on the road, just like climbing and skiing and doing odd jobs, like waiting tables and like, you know. I'd have to say that that in some way sounds like idyllic, but it comes with a lot of challenges. 'Cause when you do something like that, it goes against the grain of everything that you've been brought up to think and do. It was challenging for me every day. It wasn't like ev-, you know, everyday I was like, "Yeah, this is such the right decision, "I'm so psyched!" You know, it was like, every day I was like, "Oh my god, am I totally botching this? "Like, I'm living out of the back of a car, "I have like a degree that I'm never gonna use." You know, there's, those are totally natural, you know? [Roadtripper #2] Just, yeah, it's mind-boggling, it's so cool to see that like, I like the idea of going after one thing and then just following the doors that open after. [Jimmy] Yeah. It's kind of interesting. Like, my friend was trying to be a photographer, and he showed me how to use his camera, and we were climbing, and I took this one shot with it. And then he tried to sell his photography, and this one company bought one photo, and it was the one that I took with his camera. And at the time, whatever, I could, whatever, I lived off of nothing, you know? And they paid $500 for the photo, and I was like, "I could live on $500 a month "easy living out of the back of my car!" I was like, "I only have to take 12 photos a year! And I could live, like, on the road forever!" [Roadtripper #1] During those years when you were living in your car, could you see yourself here? Was this the ultimate goal, or were you kind of like, "I have an escape plan just in case this doesn't work"? [Jimmy] No idea where I was going. I was running blind. [Roadtripper #1] And were you like, "If this doesn't work out in ten years, I'm out"? Or were you just like-- [Jimmy] Nope. [Roadtripper #1] "I'm skiing and I'm happy"? [Jimmy] I'm goin' for it. And I'm gonna see where it goes. One of my mentors, I love it. I mean, it's a simple idea. He's just like, "Commit, and then figure it out. "Because you can't get anywhere unless you commit "to something." And never think that you won't be questioning your decision, 'cause you will. I still do, you know. It's like, "What am I doing?" You know? It's like, I'm filming up in the middle of some gnarly face in the Himalayas, and I'm...you know, in a 10-day storm just like... hunkered down. You know, you're like, "I'd kill to be waiting tables right now." You know? Or anything, really. I mean, there's always questions. [Roadtripper #3] What do you, like when you made that decision ultim-ultimately to like... go out and just explore-- [Jimmy] Uh-huh. [Roadtripper #3] What, since your parents want you to be like a lawyer, doctor-- [Jimmy] Oh yeah. [Roadtripper #3] What'd they do? [Jimmy] They were freaking out. I mean, I think it's natural for parents to like, you know, want the best for their children, so when your child decides that, "Hey, I'm gonna move into the back "of my car and rockclimb full-time," they're like, "Uh..." Like, silence, you know? [Roadtripper #2] At this stage in the game, are your parents stoked? [Jimmy] Yeah. I mean, my mother passed away four years ago, but when she, you know, by that time, she was very, very excited. You know, I think once they saw that I was making a living and that I had some momentum, they were really excited about it. And of course, my mom had like, you know, I first published a photo and she had the little catalog on the coffee table. After like eight years of being in the business and, you go to the house and I'd be like, "Mom, really? Come on." And there'd be like a pile of magazines like this big, and every photo I had published or every picture that was taken of me or every interview was like bookmarked with a sticky thing and like, you know? I'd just be like... [Roadtripper #3] 'Cause I'm like, I feel like I'm kinda like the golden boy for my parents. [Jimmy] Right, right. [Roadtripper #3] Like I did really well-- [Jimmy] That pressure. [Roadtripper #3] Yeah, it's a lot of pressure. They have this ex-expectation of me. [Jimmy] Yeah. [Roadtripper #3] And I'm just like, I'm just sittin' there like, "Oh my god, like, I wanna do something "totally different." But, like, what I wanna ask you is like, how do you-- [Jimmy] Justify it? [Roadtripper #3] Just-, yeah, kinda like just like, you know, "This is where I need to be, and this is what I wanna do"? [Jimmy] Just like that. You just did it perfectly. "This is where I'm at. This is what I wanna do. "I don't have a perfect plan. You're gonna have to let me "run with it for a while." [laughing] [Roadtripper #3] Yeah, but then it's just like, I don't want them callin' me like, "You're still on the road. "You haven't gone anywhere." [Jimmy laughing] But you are going somewhere. I mean, every day, every experience you get, you're moving forward. You know, all these little stepping stones kind of just... built, led me to all these different places. In some ways, I don't feel like I ever had control of my life, but I-I would throw myself at climbing, and then climbing produced photography. And also out of climbing, I put together really complex expeditions to like really remote places. And I couldn't have done that without my education. You know, you pick up skills you don't even know you have in college, and then all of a sudden, you just start to apply different things that you've picked up. That really helped launch my kind of climbing career. You know, a lot of people would talk about making a trip happen, but actually to make it happen, go out there, do it, come back, that's a different story. [Roadtripper #1] Is there anything that scares you? [Jimmy] [scoffs] Yeah. [Roadtripper #1] Like what? [Jimmy] Everything. [laughs] [Roadtripper #1] Like, I can't imagine being so high in the air. [Jimmy] I'm human. I get scared all the time. I'm scared, whether it's like my ego or whether it's like... thinking I'm gonna die or fall, or whether someone likes my photo, or whether...I mean. [Roadtripper #1] Yeah. [Jimmy] Yeah, but...I think everybody has a discomfort level, a level of like doing something that's outside of their comfort level, so. Fear is healthy. 

Interview

While in St. Louis, the team lets their imaginations run free at the City Museum, an architectural marvel and playground made out of found objects from the city. Afterward, they sit down with founder and creator Bob Cassilly to learn what inspired him. In Idaho, they speak with sought-after expedition photographer Jimmy Chin, who opens up about his fears on failing and the dangers of extreme missions. "Fear is healthy," he reminds the Roadtrippers.

Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway

My friend was trying to be a photographer and he showed me how to use his camera. And we were climbing and I took this one shot with it, and then he tried to sell his photography and this one company bought one photo, and it was the one that I took with his camera. And at the time, whatever, I could, I lived off of nothing, you know, and they paid $500 for the photo. And I was like, "I could live on $500 a month easy living "out of the back of my car! I only have to take 12 photos "a year.  And I could live, like, like, "on the road forever." One of my mentors, I love it, I mean, it's a simple idea, he's just like, "Commit, "and then figure it out." Because you can't get anywhere unless you commit to something. And never think that you won't be questioning your decision when you're like, doing that... 'cause you will. I still do, you know. 

Jimmy Chin Highlight

How is it going? Nice to meet you. >> Hello, nice to meet you, too. >> I'm Jimmy. >> Nikki. >> I grew up in a family that put a lot of emphasis on education and career. And for the longest time growing up, I thought I had three options. It was doctor Lawyer, business men, I literally thought that there's only three options. And I did a lot of different things. I'd swim competitively and I played the violin for a long time and like a symphony and there's all these things I did that my family, my parents wanted me to do. But the one thing I found for myself was skiing. And then I also found climbing in college, and those are things that really moved me, and it wasn't like I even had a choice. I had to do it. So I finished college and I was like, all right, mom, dad, I'm gonna take a year off and climb and ski. Just throw myself at it just cuz I have to do that for myself. And I ended up living out of the back of a little blue Subaru for seven years on the road. >> Woah. >> Just climbing, hiking, doing odd jobs like waiting tables. And I'd have to say that in some way that sounds idealic, but it comes with a lot of challenges, cuz when you do something like that, it goes against the grain of everything that you've been brought up to think and do. It was challenging for me everyday. It wasn't everyday, I was, yeah, this is such the right decision. I'm so psyched. Everyday I was, oh my God, am I totally botching this? I'm living out the back of a car: I have a degree that i'm never gonna use. Those are totally natural. 

Education

Family

Pressure

I Had To Do It

I feel like I'm kind of the golden boy for my parents. >> Right, right. >> I did really well. >> A lot of pressure. >> Yeah it's a lot of pressure. They have these expectations of me and I'm just sitting here like, oh my god. Like I want to do something totally different. But what I wannna ask you was like how do you. >> Justify it? >> Yeah, just like, this is where I need to be and this is what I wanna do. >> Just like that. >> [LAUGH] >> You just did it perfectly. This is where I'm at. This is what I wanna do. I don't have a perfect plan. You're gonna have to let me run with it for awhile. >> [LAUGH] >> Yeah, but it was just like, I wanna comment that you're still on the road, you haven't gone anywhere. >> [LAUGH] But you are going somewhere. I mean, every day, every experience you get you're moving forward you know. 

How Do You Justify It?

Like when you made that decision ultimately to go out and just explore, what did your parents want you to be like Gloria Doctor? [CROSSTALK] >> Oh yeah, they were freaking out. >> [LAUGH] >> I think it's natural for parents to want the best for their children, so when your child decides that hey, I'm gonna move in the back of my car and rock climb full time, they're like like silence, you know? >> At this stage in the game, are your parents stoked? >> Yeah, my mother passed away four years ago. But by that time, she was very, very excited, and I think once they saw that I was making a living, and that I had some momentum, they were really excited about it. And of course, when mom had like, I first published a photo and she had the little catalog on the coffee table after eight years of being in the business. And you'd go the house and I'd be like Mom, really, come on. And there'd be like a pile of magazines like this big and every photo I had published or every picture that was taken of me or every interview was like bookmarked with a sticky thing and [LAUGHS] 

They Saw I Was Making A Living

During those years when you were living in your car, could you see yourself here? Was this the ultimate goal? Or were you kind of like I have an escape plan just in case this doesn't work? >> No idea where I was going. I was running blind. >> And were you like if this doesn't work out in ten years, I'm out? Or were you just like- >> No. >> I'm skiing and I'm happy. >> I'm going for it. I'm going to see where it goes. One of my mentors, I mean, it's a simple idea. He's just like, commit and then figure it out. Because you can get anywhere unless you commit to something. >> Yeah. >> And never think that you won't be questioning your decision cuz you will. I still do. It's like, what am I doing? It's like I'm filming up in the middle of some gnarly face in the Himalayas and I'm in a ten day storm just like hunkered down. You're like, I'd kill to be waiting tables right now, you know. >> [LAUGH] >> Or anything, really. I mean, there's always questions. 

Doubt

I Was Running Blind

It's kind of interesting. My friend was trying to be a photographer and he showed me how to use his camera and we were climbing, and I took this one shot with it. And then he tried to sell his photography and this one company bought one photo, and it was the one that I took with his camera. And at the time I lived off of nothing. And they paid $500 for the Photo and I was like I can live on $500 a month easy living out of the back of my car. I was like I only have to take 12 photos a year [LAUGH] and I could live, like on the road forever. 

Chance

He Showed Me How To Use His Camera

All these little stepping stones kind of just led me to all these different places. In some ways, I don't feel like I ever had control of my life but I would throw myself at climbing, and then climbing produced photography. And also, out of climbing, I put together really complex expeditions to really remote places. And I couldn't have done that without my education. You pick up skills you don't even know you have in college, and then all of a sudden you just start to apply different things that you've picked up. That really helped launch my kind of climbing career. A lot of people will talk about making a trip happen, but actually to make it happen. Go out there, do it, come back, that's a different story. >> Is there anything that scares you? >> Yeah. >> Like what? >> Everything. [LAUGH] >> I can't imagine being so high in the air. >> I'm human, I get scared all the time. I'm scared whether it's like my ego or whether it's thinking I'm gonna die or fall or whether someone likes my photo, yeah. But I think everybody has a discomfort level. A level of doing something that's outside of their comfort level so fear is healthy. >> Yeah. 

Fear

Fear Is Healthy

I think what we're talking about here is doing things that are outside of your comfort zone. It's really easy to kind of hang back and do what feels safe. But the thing is is that never changes. Like even for me today, I still face a lot of the same kind of struggles that I faced when I was your age and that you're talking about right now. It's like, I'm getting pretty comfortable in my career where I'm at right now, do I wanna keep pushing it, what's something new? I feel really comfortable landing clients in this zone. And it's like I still face that kind of feeling. 

Courage

Struggle

Courage & Comfort Zones

It's gonna be pretty awesome just going around the world for. >> Yeah, I mean it is. It's exciting. I think what people don't understand, though, that is like all of these things sound really glamorous and in some ways when you first start it is, but it is like any job. I mean, I feel like it's important to really go after what you want and what your passionate about what's in your heart. But you also need to temper that with the realization, cuz sometimes you think you can just do that and it's just gonna be all great and fun all the time but it's like anything, I mean, if you want to make something work and you want to be doing it at a high level it just takes a lot of time and hard work. Ultimately, it just takes plain hard work. 

Hard Work

Passion

Passion Takes Work

Three of my heroes called me to ask me to join them for an expedition. Cuz they knew that I had this kinda special skill set and they were like we need you to film the trip. It's a National Geographic trip and we need you to film it. And I was like, well, I would love to do it, but I've never picked up a camera before. And they were like, no problem. You'll figure it out. And literally, they like handed me a camera. I read the instruction manual on the airplane. It was to cross the chain thing put a tow into that. It's like this really epic story but, and one of them had been a director before and he was like, commit and figure it out. I'll help you out. And literally that was my first time filming and I've filmed the one hour documentary for National Geographic over the course of two months. 

Opportunity

Have To Commit

I think I spent a lot of time in my childhood trying to make my teachers happy, my parents happy. And then I wanted to do something for myself and I decided that I'd make a better contribution to the world if I was doing something that I was passionate about or that meant something to me, you know? Otherwise, I just felt like I was gonna wallow through the rest of my life, half awake to the world, and so, I just wanted a lot of intense life experience. Like I said, it's not for everybody just to constantly try to always head off the beaten track. It isn't for everybody, but if you have that sentiment, it's, I always felt like what do I have to lose if I'm not doing what my heart is telling me to do. 

Individualism

Personal Passion

When you start to get caught up and like, well I'm already 22, or I'm already ready 25, or I'm already 38, and, am I where I'm supposed to be? And that's really hard to put on to yourself, that kind of pressure cuz some people don't hit their stride until their 50s. Some people are destined to wander forever. And some people know what they want when they're three. >> Yeah. >> It's, I think trying not to put yourself up against a lot of other people. I mean it's important I think to have role models for sure. You're like, wow that was amazing. And I definitely look up to people and I still compare myself to other people all of the time. I'm not saying that I don't, but, at least being aware of that. Like, oh, okay, I am who I am. I'm where I'm at and having faith it'll all work out. [LAUGH] You just have to have faith. [LAUGH] 

Jimmy Chin

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