11 Jun Q and A with Adventure Photographer Rick Sammon
Novice monk honoring Buddha in Myanmar. ©Rick Sammon
Adventure Collection’s Rick Sammon is an award-winning photographer who describes his mission in life as making “digital photography fun, creative, exciting, and rewarding for others.” As photo columnist for The Adventure Collection Photography Club, Rick provides practical advice for getting the best shots, wherever adventure leads you.
Photographer Rick Sammon ©Parish Kohanim
We managed to catch him in-between adventures and asked a few of the questions you’ve always wanted to ask an adventure photographer. Read the interview below, and then take a trip yourself through some of his most breathtaking images. You can find more of Rick’s photos at http://ricksammon.com.
Adventure Collection (AC): Because of what you do for a living, there must have been a defining, outdoor adventure for you; the moment when you said to yourself, yes, this is what I want to do and photograph for the rest of my life. Tell us about that moment.
Rick Sammon: I always had an interest in photography, as my mother and dad were photographers. But being a professional photographer really came out of nowhere. While I was the editor of Studio Photography magazine in 1978, I met the president of an underwater conservation organization called CEDAM (Conservation, Education, Diving, Awareness, and Marine-research) International. He liked me and asked me to be the chief photographer for the organization, which involved learning how to scuba dive and take underwater pictures. I said OK. For twenty years my focus was on the marine environment, and I produced six books on marine conservation and underwater habitats.
AC: When did this happen?
Rick Sammon: I was twenty-eight years old. I’m sixty-four now.
AC: What is it that you hope your viewers will get out of looking at your images?
Rick Sammon: I initially did this for the joy of making underwater pictures and for helping to preserve the marine environment. My main goal now is to inspire and motivate.
AC: What’s the most amazing thing to date that you’ve had the privilege to photograph?
Rick Sammon: I have taken so many photographs that it’s hard to pick a favorite. The great migration in Africa was totally awesome; but photographing bald eagles in Alaska, flying at up to fifty miles an hour, was pretty awesome, too.
Bald eagles feeding in Alaska. ©Rick Sammon
AC: Why do you think it’s important for people to have a sense of adventure?
Rick Sammon: Learning is health. By traveling and experiencing adventure, we can stay healthy and young — and feel invigorated!
AC: Who inspires you?
Rick Sammon: The participants in my workshops inspire me.
AC: Do you have any heroes; is there anyone who inspired you more than anyone else to go on adventures?
Rick Sammon: Jacques Cousteau.
AC: How would you define the word adventure?
Rick Sammon: An adventure is an unexpected, good surprise. For example, I had many great adventures on historic Route 66 in the good old USA.
AC: Are there any photographic subjects that have eluded you, something that you hope to shoot one day, but haven’t yet?
Rick Sammon: I always say that my favorite location is the next location. I’ve been fortunate to travel to almost one hundred destinations around the planet. I am always sure that the next one will offer some incredible photo opps.
The Great Migration, Kenya. ©Rick Sammon
Naadam Festival in Mongolia. ©Rick Sammon
Glacier lagoon in Iceland. ©Rick Sammon
Huli wigman, Papua New Guinea. ©Rick Sammon
Camargue horses at sunrise in Provence, France. ©Rick Sammon
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