Ryan Shanley, Shanleystudio

My mission is to create images that allow a greater audience to experience wild places. My hope is to connect people to the great outdoors and inspire them to fight for its future. I am driven by curiosity, by an intense need to keep moving, to take risks, to work smarter, and push farther. I'm an explorer in my bones and I’m most inspired by harsh, rugged environments. I worked in tropical climates for my first few years, completing assignments in countries I could afford long-term while developing my storytelling skills. Yet, despite how beautiful these places were, I was always drawn to the Polar regions and knew I wanted to work in places like Greenland, Svalbard, and Antarctica. I like challenging assignments that require complicated logistics and multiple backup plans. Those are the jobs that require creative thinking and end up with the best stories, professional and otherwise 🥴. I feel most connected to narratives driven by purpose, with a mission to empower, protect, or give back. I believe in a balance between commercial, editorial, and personal work and hope to build a career where they all support one another. I like to work hard with great people, and I hope that’s you!