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

Hi Justin, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I am extremely lucky in that the many types of work I do compliment each other and enable me to do the things I love. I started as a photographer taking pictures of my climbing adventures both close to home and in wild places like Alaska and the in the Canadian arctic on Baffin Island. My love for photography and adventures as well as sharing information about wild places led me to start creating guidebooks for the area around Leadville, Colorado. This in turn has led me to explore more of the quiet corners of my backyard in a fun cycle of climbing, running and hiking all activities that bring balance to my life.

Several years ago I started working on creating apparel prototypes for adventure clothing that I always wished I had over the many years in the high country. With friends and designers I have brought a line of pearl snap shirts to production to suit those that live the mountain and river lifestyle. For me balance is about being creative in my work and creating work that literally makes me get out and play. The many facets of art and design that go into my work mean that I always have new exciting challenges and am always open to new projects that bring richness and balance to my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would describe myself as a mountain adventure and landscape photographer and I think that what makes my work interesting is that it features almost exclusively areas right around Leadville, Colorado. Leadville often gets lost among the other more flashy mountain towns of the American West, and it’s true the mountains aren’t as dramatic and the town isn’t quite as lively but capturing the raw often subtle landscapes and people has been my passion for the last ten years. I see my photos, adventure guidebooks, and photo books as a way to inspire others to come check out the mountains surrounding Leadville.

Aside from the summer months Leadville doesn’t get much traffic so the scale of the photography business is quite small which is definitely a challenge. The upside to being small scale is that I have had more time to branch out to making Leadville focused guidebooks and now designing pearl snap shirts that I have made in Denver and put the snaps on right in my gallery/shop.

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.
Leadville is a great town and in addition to my gallery/shop “Galena” I often take people to visit “Harper-Rose Gallery and Goods” and “Leadville Outdoors.” For food “Treeline” and “High Mountain Pies” are my favorite places to take folks. Of course a trip into the mountains for a walk, hike, run or climb is a must.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have helped me get to where I am today. A special shoutout to all of my adventure partners, editors and my dad who introduced me to photography as a kid.

Website: https://www.galenamountainprojects.com/

Instagram: @justintalbot

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