Meet Noah Westbrook | Wildlife Photographer

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

Hi Noah, what inspires you?
I am inspired by nature. More importantly, I am inspired by God, the creator of nature. All the time people love to praise creation, but fail to acknowledge the creator. Every time I go out and spend time taking pictures I feel like I get to know God just a little bit more. Those experiences inspire me to spend more time getting to learn the heart of the creator.

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 am a wildlife photographer, specializing in large mammal and landscape photography. What sets me apart from other photographers is that I have found a way to travel to the best locations in the country with little money. Wildlife photography is the most expensive kind of photography and if you aren’t sponsored or wealthy to begin with it can be challenging. After graduating college in Philadelphia with no money and a desire to move West, I discovered seasonal work in national parks. This gave me the opportunity to live in a place like Yellowstone national park for 6 months, using my off days for photography. Everyday I took pictures along side people who spent tens of thousands of dollars to have the same opportunities I had just by working in the park. I used the excess money I was able to save to upgrade my photography equipment along the way. It was not easy getting to this point. I said goodbye to everyone I knew and moved across the country to a place where I knew no one. I turned down a career opportunity near my friends for a job that paid half as much and had no chance of career advancement. Constantly I was asked “when are you going to actually use your business degree?” To overcome these challenges I had to reprioritize what I thought was important to me. Did I want to live the white picket fence life and satisfy the desire of my peers, or did I want to live a simple life full of adventure? I went back to my hometown in Maryland after living in Yellowstone National Park for 6 months. After a few weeks of being home, my choice was evident. No amount of money or sense of security could outweigh a life of doing what I love. Since then I have learned that doing what you are passionate about comes at a cost. I love what I do, but it meant leaving the ones I love most. I miss my family and friends everyday, but I know they will always be there for me.

I am most excited about the opportunities that are to come. Until this point, I have taken jobs in retail, cleaning toilets, or whatever was required to get to the best locations for photography. Now, I have a large enough portfolio and experience to be in consideration for photography and tour guiding positions in these locations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friends were to visit me today, we would get in a car and drive to Rocky Mountain national park. They’ve never been out West or seen a wild animal larger than a white-tail deer. I’d show them the animals and mountains that made me fall in love with this area. I’d take them down every dirt back road and show them how different life is compared to the busy East Coast. We would find some rustic town and stop in the most rustic, cowboy bar we could find. Eat some good barbeque and just sit enjoying the silhouette of a Rockies sunset. Hopefully they would get a better understanding of why I don’t come home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my family who supports me to pursue my dreams of being a professional wildlife photographer. I left home and gave up the safe life of a 9-5 business career to explore my love of national parks. I would not of had the courage to do so without the constant encouragement from them.

Website: https://www.noahwestbrook.com

Instagram: @noahwestbrook.photography

Linkedin: Noah Westbrook (Vail Resorts)

Facebook: Noah Westbrook Photography

Youtube: @noahwestbrook.photography