Elliot Ross: Where Landscape, Justice, and Storytelling Meet
Elliot Ross is a photographer and writer whose work focuses on the intersection of landscape, identity, and justice in the American West. His images have appeared in Time, National Geographic, and The New York Times, and he’s known for deeply researched, long-term projects that combine striking visual storytelling with a journalist’s rigor. Whether he's documenting water access on the Navajo Nation or tracing the contours of Glen Canyon as it reemerges, Elliot brings a rare mix of artistry, empathy, and precision to every assignment.
Born in Taiwan and raised on the eastern plains of Colorado, Elliot grew up between cultures and landscapes—an experience that shaped both his worldview and his creative path. He picked up a camera early, inspired by his grandmother’s family albums, and later earned a full-ride to the Savannah College of Art and Design. After college, he cut his teeth in New York City, assisting some of the most high-profile portrait and fashion photographers in the industry. All the while, he was quietly dreaming about building a career on his own terms—one rooted in storytelling, purpose, and the landscapes he still called home.
In this episode, we talk about the early experiences that shaped his artistic voice, the evolution of his career, and how he’s learned to navigate the demands of both commercial and documentary work. Elliot shares the backstory of his recent Time magazine cover story on water equity in the West, a project that involved years of reporting, deep community ties, and even a return to the classroom. We also discuss his thoughts on creative endurance, working across political divides, and the role of photography in fostering empathy and connection.
I’d encourage you to visit Elliot’s website and dig deeper into all of his work, especially his project A Question of Balance, which became the Time magazine feature. You can find links to everything in the episode notes. Thanks to Elliot for the inspiring and timely conversation, and thank you for listening.
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- Elliot Ross
- Time magazine piece
- A Question of Balance
- Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/elliot-ross/
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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation.
To whom much is given, much is expected. This value guides the philosophy behind the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation today.
Committed to its cause and infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mighty Arrow aims to invest in solutions that take action on climate change to build a more vibrant future, repair relationships from farm to market to table, heal our connection to the lands and waters we call home, and demand a more just and equitable society.
To learn more about Mighty Arrow’s forward-thinking, optimistic, and visionary work here in the American West and beyond, please visit www.mightyarrow.org.
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- 3:05 – Elliot growing up in Taipei and how his parents met
- 6:00 – Few but vivid memories of Taipei
- 7:09 – The culture shock of moving to eastern Colorado
- 8:25 – How photography came into Elliot’s life
- 10:29 – Reading influences
- 13:16 – Travel bug
- 16:22 – Savannah College of Art and Design
- 18:07 – Parental pressure
- 19:49 – Credit to high school art teachers
- 20:54 – Figuring out photography
- 27:47 – No wavering
- 29:54 – Moving into independent business
- 33:29 – Pitching Carhartt
- 37:03 – Nat Geo ups and downs
- 42:10 – Near-death experiences
- 45:44 – Approaching long-term projects
- 49:35 – Pulling on threads
- 51:45 – Humans and landscapes
- 56:35 – Curiosity as the most authentic de-escalator
- 58:05 – Writing and shooting and doing it all
- 1:02:45 – Response to the Time story
- 1:07:35 – A tale of two places
- 1:13:45 – Using water in the West
- 1:16:35 – The Desiderata creed
- 1:17:05 – Book recs
- 1:23:05 – Parting words
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