PUC Alumni Grant Ordelheide Shares His Ardour for Photography

Growing up within the Colorado Rockies, Montana-based nature and out of doors photographer Grant Ordelheide was immersed in stunning landscapes and in a household that took each alternative to be outside. This publicity instilled a fireplace inside Ordelheide that was past a ardour for nature. Ever since then, he has been chasing each scene to seize not solely in reminiscence, however on digital camera to share with the world.

One of the facets that introduced him to PUC was the accessibility and proximity to so many nice locations across the scenic Northern California area. “As an aspiring nature photographer, there were so many amazing landscapes that provided the perfect setting to hone my craft. Within a day’s drive from PUC, you could be in Yosemite, Tahoe, or the Redwoods. That was a huge factor in why I chose to attend PUC in the first place.”

After he graduated from PUC in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science diploma in pictures with an emphasis in enterprise, Ordelheide has labored as a contract out of doors and journey photographer. He has taken pictures for most of the magazines within the out of doors business, together with Backpacker, Climbing, Outside, National Park Journals, and extra. Ordelheide additionally started educating photograph workshops together with his pal and mentor, Jerry Dodrill, a 1997 PUC alumnus and former adjunct teacher of pictures who has taught a few of Ordelheide’s lessons.

Looking again, Ordelheide pays his gratitude to his professors and pals within the artwork division who’ve helped form and mould the best way he approaches pictures and artwork. “When I arrived, I felt like I had a grasp on photography, but over my time at PUC, I really came to understand design and composition in a really deep and meaningful way,” he stated. “I think that the basis and application of my education have helped me throughout my career and given me the foundation to continue to grow and get better. I am grateful for my mentors, specifically Tom Turner and Jerry Dodrill, who have always encouraged and challenged me.”

Currently, Ordelheide nonetheless shoots for a couple of journal tasks a yr and sells print and licensed pictures, however is usually educating pictures for a photograph workshop tour firm known as Backcountry Journeys. He has led journeys to 6 continents and plans to finish an Antarctica journey to mark his seventh continent this December. “I am driven by all the wild places around the world, but most of all, I am motivated to always be chasing that perfect photo,” Ordelheide stated as he recollected how lucky he has been to witness and {photograph} a few of the world’s most unimaginable wildlife, together with seven of the world’s largest cats.

“Photography has brought me to some incredible encounters with wildlife,” expressed Ordelheide. “The most memorable have been swimming with humpbacks, hiking with gorillas, and being mere inches away from wild pumas on foot. The best experiences are always when you can photograph a wild animal fully in their environment and on their terms.”

A motto he lives by is that it is never over until it is over. There have been many times when he has given up on an animal appearing or the sun breaking through the clouds, only to see it happen at the last minute. Ordelheide enjoys moments like these where nature lives out its course at its own time.

“I love the entire process of coming up with an idea for a shot, planning, and executing. The pursuit of the next photo is what keeps me wanting more.”