Meet Justin Green | Nature Photographer

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

Hi Justin, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As far back as my memory can serve, I was always inspired (and mesmerized) by nature. I had the privilege of growing up in a beautiful area that put me in touch with the outdoors, and a neighborhood safe enough for a 6-year-old to wander alone. I also had an obsession with cameras, leading to my first at age 9. I’m sure I annoyed some family members!

Time moved forward, and as happens, I put the camera down and became more of an indoor person. I hadn’t thought twice about that change, finding other ways to entertain myself through college.

Post-university, my professional career took me in the directions of Economics, and eventually, the Financial Technology industry. As one can imagine they are rather dry fields in terms of artistic expression – because of that, I needed something to keep me active. Like earlier in my life, hiking and my camera became my friends once again.

My increased reliance on nature as a way to cleanse from long, tiring days also meant pushing my photography skills further and further. At first it was just a hobby, but after some time I began receiving praise for the images I captured. Praise turned to requests for commissioned scenes, and as time went on, inquiries on how to buy my work.

This brings us to today, where I spend as much time outside with my Canon as possible, capturing every angle that speaks to my soul. Knowing I can inspire others to do the same brings me great joy; hearing that I have fills my soul.

Sanity is ultimately the answer to this question. And when earlier my life experiences in photography and nature were already woven into me, creating a secondary career in them became paramount to wellbeing. That, and it’s fun!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I am not out capturing Colorado’s beauty, I can be found writing code, executing scripts, and performing data analysis/transfer for a leading payment technology company. As a co-creator and current lead of my team, I spend a good portion of my time interfacing with other payment companies, business owners, chief technology officers, and internal leadership. It’s challenging work, but I enjoy it.

It certainly was not easy to get there – from performing Economic research in the intense environment of D.C., buying and selling investments in a Finance career, to building databases for an insurance company – there have been many phases of learning the experience and expertise needed to perform my current role. Late nights, teaching myself over the weekend, and soaking up every bit of knowledge possible were needed.

I believe the urgency I feel in my work as a photographer is directly-correlated with the intensity of my primary professional career. A work hard, play hard mindset in a sense. A need to balance what I do behind a screen with what I can do in front (or on top) of a mountain. I feel it has paid off…today I find myself not only shooting nature, but working with an awesome company called SkyView Tents, capturing their gear against the Milky Way.

If there’s one thing I want others to know about my brand, it’s that it was born of a genuine love and need for nature. When you hold something so closely, you pour your authenticity into it – and that is what makes TheHikingBeard genuine.

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.
So you’re coming to Colorado? Well, I have the fortune of living in a very beautiful mountain town – Buena Vista. Here’s an idea of where we’ll be going!

For breathtaking scenery: St. Elmo Ghost Town, the village of Twin Lakes, and the summits of Independence and Cottonwood Pass.

For Food: Wesley & Rose for some amazing New-American food, Panchito’s for a great take on Mexican dishes, Pizza Rio in Salida for an authentic NY slice, and the BV Roastery for the best coffee around (shout-out to Cool River, can’t leave them hanging).

We’ll definitely find ourselves hiking, and if you’re more novice to Colorado, the BV Bridge-to-Bridge trail is an amazing way to get acclimated to local elevation. The Midland Hill trail serves a great route for someone more advanced.

A loud night out will find us at The Lariat or Surf Hotel, two venues bringing wonderful mountain music to town, plus some bigger names. A relaxing night will find us at none other than Mount Princeton Hot Springs. Cheers!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As a northeastern photographer early in my career, experts such as John Entwistle in New Jersey served as a North Star of sorts in developing my perspectives. We don’t know each other personally, but his impact is very much worth shouting out.

I certainly couldn’t do this without Joe and Kimmie Randall of DigitalArtColorado here in Buena Vista. The Randall’s and I have forged a loving, supportive, and adventurous friendship that has brought me to more views of Colorado than I can possibly count. Their insight, rallying behind my work, and companionship in photography have meant the world to honing my skills. Here’s to 6 years so far, and many more Wednesday dinners together!

A final shoutout goes to an incredible man who the photography community unfortunately lost early in February: Steve “Grizz” Adams. Steve was an early (but loving) critic of my work. He gave me tips and tricks to make my photos better at a time when I was still figuring out the West. He was also a social glue for many, with his humor and wit bringing us together each Fall in the San Juans, or each Spring watching the Sandhill Cranes in Monte Vista. We miss you, Steve!

Website: https://thehikingbeard.wixsite.com/thehikingbeard

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehikingbeard/

Facebook: The Hiking Beard Photography

Other: You can also find my work in physical print editions at SkyView in Buena Vista

Image Credits
All images captured by myself, Justin Green / The Hiking Beard Photography. Final image containing the camping tent is a product launch photo for SkyView Tents.