Adventure Photographer Scott Markewitz on his career and how to get in the Outdoor Biz [EP 254]
My stepping stone in, was, as a skier and becoming a professional skier and then moving onto the other side, from one side of the lens to the other, basically. I was a freestyle skier for oh three or four years competing on the pro mogul tour and then skiing in various ski movies and skiing for various photographers in the day.
Intro to PhotographyI always had an interest in it growing up. I remember when I was really young, I had one of those box cameras and always enjoyed just shooting. But I guess my first, SLR cameras probably, I got just out of high school, and I would take photos of friends and just carry a camera with me just as a hobby and, make prints and things like that.
That was my first camera. And then my first First real pro camera, I think one summer I decided, I was going to move into this profession a little bit after spending a lot of time in front of the camera, I figured I had a pretty good eye for it. And I thought it would be some fun to try and keep me skiing. So I bought a camera and started shooting and then, spent that a winter kind of half being a pro skier and half being, trying to start to shoot. And, that was kinda how I got into this business.
First outdoor commercial shootActually, my first outdoor commercial shoot was for one of my ski sponsors for Elan Skis. So at the time, I was skiing competitively for Elan. And I had a small portfolio of images. So I basically went to them and said, Hey, here's some of my photos that I'm shooting myself and they're like, Oh, great. Do you want to shoot something for us? So it was a natural progression because I already had my foot in the door and had good connections in the industry. It was a pretty easy move for me, fortunately, so that was, having like I said, having the connections in the outdoor industry and in the ski industry definitely helped me move up pretty quickly.
AdviceI think If you're going to get into it, you really have to develop your skills and become an excellent photographer, not just a good photographer or videographer for that matter. I think you have to be really on top of your game, try to develop your own vision.
Don't just copy what's out there, think about what it is, why you want to be a photographer, and what it is you want to photograph, and really try to develop your skills to a high level. And try to find a niche that's gonna work for you. Cause it is a challenging business and definitely not getting any less challenging.
I would say also, as a photographer, I think it's important to shoot photo and video to have those dual skills, especially if you can develop good editing skills. I think that's important as well. But yeah, if you can have, a good overall package you can offer to a client, that's definitely a bonus.
BooksI'd say growing up one series. I liked to read was Carlos Casteneda. I always liked his books growing up. And I think that definitely influenced me.
One book I heard recently that I thought was really good was Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. It's really good, it was an audiobook and he was reading it. I just enjoy him so it was cool to hear him read it.
Favorite Piece of Gear under $100Dakine wind stopper gloves. Someone gave me a pair as a Christmas present and I use them for trail running, mountain biking, I just use them all the time and they've held up really well.
F-Stop DealFor the first 20 people who, want to pick up a new F-Stop pack. There's a 20% discount that F-Stop is offering and the way they can do that is contact me directly at my email, which is Scott@scottmarkewitz.com. And then I'll send them a code, which they can use on checkout on the f-stop website.
Connect with ScottInstagram: @scottmarkewitz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.markewitz.9
Welcome to a podcast dedicated to outdoor enthusiasts looking to elevate their outdoor careers while embracing the freedom and joy of outdoor adventure. We dive deep into outdoor recreation, adventure travel and outdoor activities, helping you find the best outdoor jobs that fit your ideal outdoor life. Whether you're seeking career growth or just more time to get outdoors, we've got you covered.
Snippets
01:15 - 1:44 Intro to Outdoors
25:42 - 25:26 Favorite Books
27:19 - 27:42 Favorite Gear
20:35 - 22:02 Advice