A typical day for Colorado adventure photographer Tyler Stableford finds him outside before the crack of dawn, bearing whatever weather the day has offered. Stableford, named by Men’s Journal as one of the seven "World's Greatest Adventure Photographers,” travels the world photographing people engaged in adventurous pursuits.
Whether the subject matter is rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, biking, exploring ice caves, a wildfire fighter battling the front of a raging wildfire or a pilot pushing 7.5 Gs in an F-16 fighter jet, Stableford’s adventure photography brings the moment back to life.
Adventure and Outdoor Photography for a Competitive Market
After college, Stableford moonlighted as a photographer while working as a photo editor at Climbing magazine and later an editor at Rock & Ice magazine. An athlete in his own right, Stableford spent hours shooting friends as they attacked the outdoors. Ten years later, his ability to capture distinctive, well-lit images in challenging outdoor situations has clearly earned him a spot in an extremely competitive market.
Stableford has been published in several major magazines and dubbed one of Canon's Explorer of Light. Recently, his image of a Colorado wildfire fighter graced the cover of American Photo Magazine, earning top spot in the "extreme" category of their “2009 Images of the Year.”
But in 2009 Stableford discovered a new outlet for his work that changed his life and, as he explains, the lives of many, many others. Stableford and his wife Megan were about to adopt a ten-month-old orphan boy from Ethiopia, a country faced with unbelievable poverty, hunger and illness. In his words, “I had pangs of guilt over our decision. We were spending thousands of dollars to haul a child to America when, one could argue, the money could go much further keeping at-risk parents alive.”
The couple knew that more preventative measures were needed to keep families healthy so that they could stay together.
Humanitarian Aid as a New Market for an Outdoor Photographer
Stableford was impressed with the work of their adoption agency, Wide Horizons for Children, whose secular, humanitarian aid programs build health clinics and schools, administer clean-water projects and sponsor destitute children and orphans to help them thrive in their communities, rather than be placed for adoption. The agency, however, lacked the modern marketing materials it needed to gain significant monetary support.
So the week prior to bringing their son home, Stableford poured his efforts into shooting still images and capturing video in the villages throughout Ethiopia. His portraiture skills allowed him to capture the stories behind the faces of the many people lacking proper health care, nourishment and clean drinking water.
Stableford came home with piles of images and video and a story so compelling that it garnered the interest of Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, one of the largest ad agencies in the country. CP+B agreed to produce, pro bono, Stableford’s footage. The resulting seven minute video debuted at a Wide Horizons for Children fundraiser in Boston and New York, where it won pledges for over $300,000.
Wide Horizons For Children Humanitarian Aid Programs in Africa
The support will help Wide Horizons For Children purchase much needed ambulances, build schools, and construct a new health clinic that will literally serve thousands of people in several villages in Ethiopia. These are grassroots, proactive humanitarian aid projects that make a difference and change lives for the better.
Stableford was thrilled to learn the potential he and other photographers have to make a difference. He quickly went on to do similar work for the Wide Horizons in Guatamala. In total, he estimates that eight of his work weeks last year went to the South American and Africa charity efforts.
The photographer is quick to point out that he does not pitch this work as a charitable act. To him it is a route to personal happiness. He just hopes that in the process it helps someone in need to live a better life. For Stableford, it is a momentous contrast to and expansion from, his day to day life as an adventure photographer.
Source: Personal correspondence with Tyler Stableford and TylerStableford.com Adventure Photography
Join the Conversation