#070: 

For some of us, it takes a little while to get our feet under us as conservation visual storytellers. And for others, it's a path of lightning-speed progress that is is just unfathomable to watch.

Ryan Wilkes is the latter. 

Ryan picked up his camera as a way to both cope with and escape from challenges he was navigating during his Ph.D. research in New Zealand. 

Just two short years later, he was already freelancing around the country. Fast forward five years, and he has a feature length adventure documentary under his belt along with an impressive career ahead of him. 

Um… HOW?!?

In this wide-ranging interview, Ryan talks about his path toward visual storytelling, then conservation.

He talks about powerlifting, paragliding and project planning. 

He talks about being Black in a mostly white field, and the difficulty of finding mentors. 

And his hopes for the field of conservation visual storytelling.

Told you it is wide-ranging. And oh, so very good. 

Get the full show notes + links at https://ConservationVisuals.com/70

🎓 Get the Mini-Course: 6 Must-Have Shots for a Photo Story
https://conservationvisuals.com/6Shots

📸 QUIZ: What's your hidden visual storyteller personality?
https://conservationvisuals.com/quiz

🗺️ Guide to Conservation Photography
https://conservationvisuals.com/guide