Meet Alex Rubenstein | Freelance Videographer, Wildlife Photographer, Video Editor, and Naturalist Guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Rubenstein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m currently writing this in a windowless cabin aboard a 60-person passenger expedition cruise ship in southeast Alaska. This is my third of three 3-week contracts this summer as a Naturalist and Photo Instructor – teaching guests natural history, guiding hikes and Zodiac tours, learning about local native cultures, and searching for wildlife with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic.

I’ve been so lucky and fortunate to find a job that combines so many of my interests and hobbies into a single position. From being a nature day camp counselor in Portland, OR in my teens to an outdoor adventure guide in college. From being a resident advisor to a documentary film editor and wildlife photographer. Or even a segway tour guide in Washington, DC. The skill sets I need for this position ended up being the most unexpected combination of every single job I’ve ever had. Even my summer a busboy!

That’s the takeaway I’ve been reflecting on lately. I’m filled with gratitude that I’ve been able to use all the strengths and perspectives from my past experiences to make me a better person and professional. It makes it all the more manageable and makes me all the more proud.

It’s work for sure. Long hours, often 15 hour days, spent interacting with guests, guiding hikes in the forest or tours on the water, teaching photography skills, working on presentations, searching for whales on the bow. and anything in between that our team needs to run smooth operations. And every bit is so worth it. I’ve surrounded myself with people that are experts in their fields, be it whales or birds or plants, and have chosen to be inspired by them – rather than overwhelmed or intimidated by them. Seek out people that are better than you in their field and absorb all you can with giddy eagerness. It has made me a better naturalist and person.

I’m still financially anxious and constantly looking for video and photo work to fill the gaps when I’m back home in Boulder off the ships, but I have to continue to put in the work and trust the process. It’s gotten me this far.

As of right now at least, it’s that trust in myself, those around me, and in the process itself that I feel has been most important for my “success.” Whatever that means, of course. And who knows, that might change. I’ll trust it when it does.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I get most excited about wildlife photography/videography and using visual media as a medium to spread awareness of our changing world. As my work has evolved and worldview expanded, I have learned more about our changing climate and global loss of habitat. Now, my storytelling and filmmaking goals are to use my art to communicate more effectively about the climate crisis and conservation. It’s a slow process and I’m still in the early stages of finding my voice and style, but hopefully I can educate others and inspire more people to protect wild places.

There’s something truly entrancing about sharing the world with animals, especially birds and marine mammals, that have evolved and adapted for millions and millions of years and still thrive today. My work as a Photo Instructor with Lindblad Expeditions has allowed me to photography bald eagles, puffins, hummingbirds, humpback whales, killer whales, bears, penguins, and so so much more. I’m so grateful and lucky my path has taken me here. As a Naturalist on the ships, I have an opportunity and responsibility use my platform to present to and educate our guests about climate change and ways we can take action for our planet. A lot of our guests are wealthier and engaged with nature; they care about wild places and want to help but often don’t really know how. This is one of my current short term goals and it feels like I’m having an impact; hopefully it grows as I gain for confidence and credibility as a climate communicator.

My photography path has been years in the making and at no point did I expect that I’d be where I am today. What started as borrowing a friend’s camera on a camping trip turned into a college graduation camera present that turned into a hobby for birding and nature photos, occasional photo shoots for friends, and eventually an actual “career,” or whatever that means. My film path started several years earlier. After doing stand-up comedy and sketches with friends I made a few short students films and fell deep into performing/directing student theater in college. After a summer documentary film program in Florence, Italy, I pivoted my focus to documentary film and started as an assistant editor role out of college working on short explainer-style documentary films after graduating. It wasn’t easy by any means but I took it one step at a time, trusted the process, and was propelled and inspired by so many great mentors and friends. I’m still extremely passionate about theater and directing comedic and non-fiction content and I hope the pendulum swings back in that direction one day on my journey.

I think one thing that sets me apart me is how truly deeply I cherish the personal connections that I form in my work. I thrive off meaningful interpersonal relationships. It makes all the down time between the actual work so rich and fulfilling. I wouldn’t be nearly as consistently mentally sane without joyous people in my life, coworkers and passengers and teammates, etc. I will always prioritize hiring and working with competent, trustworthy people who bring me joy and confidence than with someone who might have a RED camera or amazing Drone skills but chooses negativity over positivity.

P.S. Perhaps the projects I’m most proud of are the three (so far) fan-made music videos I make with my best friends (available on my website lol). These are completely comedic passion projects and are simply just wonderful time capsules of silliness and joy from different stages in our lives together. No one but ourselves made us create these videos and it’s that self-motivation that makes them all the more cherished. We just made our third music video at a reunion this spring and it’s possibly my magnum opus 🙂

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
People watching on Pearl St, Trident coffee, maybe a Sanitas or Chataqua hike, some food at Mountain Sun Pub, a mountain bike ride, maybe some Trivia at Full Cycle, end watching the sunset near NCAR. BUT I would absolutely need to take them to the Korean restaurant just north of the Rayback, it’s a small little spot but full of so much character and an adorable older gentleman with amazing Bibimbap. Other stops would include the Boulder Farmers Market, birding at the Boulder Reservoir, another sunset at Wonderland Lake, food at Ashkara, maybe even karaoke at the Dark Horse if we want to get rowdy 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Huge thanks to one of the most talented filmmakers and cinematographers in Colorado, Roo Smith! Roo has been a great friend for over 10 years and was a huge factor in my freelance success and in getting me to move out to Boulder. Love you bud! Check out Roo’s work on his site at https://roosmith.com/

Website: alex-rubenstein.com

Instagram: @thealexrubenstein