Becca Skinner - Pursuing Her Passions in the West

Becca Skinner is a Bozeman-based photographer, writer, and adventurer whose work has taken her to some of the farthest corners of the globe. Growing up between Colorado and Wyoming, Becca was raised by adventurous and supportive parents who nurtured her love of the outdoors and her artistic endeavors. As a young woman, Becca's genuine interest in social work and helping the less fortunate led to her winning grants to photograph post-Katrina New Orleans and post-tsunami Sumatra. Those experiences, and the body of work they produced, allowed Becca to pursue her passion of photography full time, and her career continues to grow and evolve in exciting ways. • As you’ll hear, Becca has been willing to be single-mindedly focused and take calculated risks to “make it” as a professional photographer. When she did not win a National Geographic Young Explorers Grant the first time she applied, she dusted herself off, re-focused her efforts, and was successful on her second try. After saving enough money, she struck out alone on a 32,000-mile road trip through the American West, living in her car, honing her craft, and continuing to build her portfolio. She has devised methods for staying positive in immensely uncomfortable situations, such as a cold, wet expedition in Vancouver’s coastal backcountry, which we discuss in detail. Despite her success, Becca remains humble and down to earth, and we had a very fun conversation. • We covered a wide range of subjects-- we discussed her childhood in the West and how her family played such a formative role in shaping her career and life. We chatted about her experiences in New Orleans and Sumatra, and how the disaster victims' attitudes toward the catastrophes varied so widely. We discussed her first road trip throughout the West and how she handled being alone for such long stretches. We also talked about the importance of having solid expedition teammates and the challenges of integrating back into day-to-day life after an intense trip. And of course, we covered favorite books, films, and the best advice she’s ever received. • If you don’t already, be sure to follow Becca on Instagram and other social media. Links to everything are in the episode notes. Enjoy! ••• ••• Topics Discussed: 2:50 - How Becca describes her work 3:25 - How Becca describes her photography 4:00 - Growing up in the West 5:15 - Early experiences in the outdoors with her parents 7:30 - First interest in photography 8:40 - Interest in social work and outdoor therapy 11:15 - Post-Katrina New Orleans and takeaways 16:00 - Nat Geo Young Explorers Grant 20:00 - Experience in Sumatra 21:30 - Different attitudes between New Orleans and Sumatra crisis responses 24:00 - Considering photography as a career 25:00 - Leaving on the 32,000-mile road trip 26:15 - Becca’s supportive parents 28:00 - Solitary time in Yosemite 33:20 - Early career 36:30 - End of the road trip 39:15 - Settling in Bozeman 41:20 - Wolves and Yellowstone 44:10 - Spending more nights outdoors than indoors 46:45 - Keeping a positive attitude in tough conditions 48:30 - Picking expedition partners 50:15 - Hardest expedition 53:20 - Being Here film 55:20 - Importance of public lands 57:50 - Favorite books 59:45 - Favorite films 1:00:50 - Unexpected hobbies 1:02:45 - Most powerful outdoor experience 1:04:15 - Favorite location in the West 1:06:00 - Request of the listeners 1:07:05 - Connect with Becca online