So how did Jimmy Chin go from being simply an outdoor adventure junky to a world renowned outdoor adventure photographer? He said in an interview, “ I never studied photography; I didn’t take any classes in photography. I actually had a friend who wanted to be a photographer show me how to use his camera while we were on a climb in Yosemite. I took a photo with it and he was trying to sell his photos, which were slides at the time. He sold one photo and it happened to be mine, for $500.00. He still says, I started Jimmy’s career, which is true.

So I picked up photography then and was very fortunate to start shooting right away for commercial clients. I started shooting for Patagonia and the North Face right away because they wanted someone they didn’t have to worry about when they were up climbing. Galen came into my life when I started looking at a lot of different photography. He embodied this form of adventure photography that was very participatory.

I walk in the office, and the receptionist is there and she’s like, can I help you? I'm like, yeah, I'm here to see Galen. And she’s like, and you are…? I'm like, well, I'm Jimmy Chin. She’s like, okay. She goes upstairs. She comes back.

She’s like, he just came back from this huge shoot and there’s all these photo editors there; he doesn’t have time to see you today. So I was like, well, that’s cool; do you mind if I hang out and look around a bit? She’s like, that’s fine. So I sit in the lobby that day, the rest of the afternoon, kind of like moping around and looking at pictures. The place closes and I leave. I come back the next day and same thing. They’re like, oh it’s you again. I'm like, yeah, is he around? And they’re like, not really.

So basically I do the same thing on Tuesday, do the same thing on Wednesday, do the same thing on Thursday and by then, they’re kind of like: dude, what’s your deal? And one of the guys there, a little bit younger, was like, man, what are you doing? And I'm like, I just want to meet him. I just need ten minutes of his time.

They were like, maybe come back tomorrow. So I show up on Friday, same thing. And at 4:00 on Friday afternoon, Galen comes down and he just looks at me and he’s like, so you must be Jimmy. And I said, yup. And he was like, okay. Well, you have my undivided attention for the next two hours; what can I help you with?

I walk in the office, and the receptionist is there and she’s like, can I help you? I'm like, yeah, I'm here to see Galen. And she’s like, and you are…? I'm like, well, I'm Jimmy Chin. She’s like, okay. She goes upstairs. She comes back.

She’s like, he just came back from this huge shoot and there’s all these photo editors there; he doesn’t have time to see you today. So I was like, well, that’s cool; do you mind if I hang out and look around a bit? She’s like, that’s fine. So I sit in the lobby that day, the rest of the afternoon, kind of like moping around and looking at pictures. The place closes and I leave. I come back the next day and same thing. They’re like, oh it’s you again. I'm like, yeah, is he around? And they’re like, not really.

So basically I do the same thing on Tuesday, do the same thing on Wednesday, do the same thing on Thursday and by then, they’re kind of like: dude, what’s your deal? And one of the guys there, a little bit younger, was like, man, what are you doing? And I'm like, I just want to meet him. I just need ten minutes of his time.

They were like, maybe come back tomorrow. So I show up on Friday, same thing. And at 4:00 on Friday afternoon, Galen comes down and he just looks at me and he’s like, so you must be Jimmy. And I said, yup. And he was like, okay. Well, you have my undivided attention for the next two hours; what can I help you with?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kevIQubzqwmCjitXMpyZc?si=gKEiAM5SR6yu5b5DhoqzLw

https://youtu.be/FSdim3HDlOo

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