“The biggest challenge for me is trying to be creative under physical duress.” —Jimmy Chin
According to Jimmy Chin, “It takes a ton of creativity to push the boundaries at the front edge of action sports.” And he would know. Rock climber turned photographer and filmmaker, Chin has shown audiences extraordinary places that few people could. He completed a historic first ascent of Mount Meru’s Shark Fin in the Himalayas and is one of only people to ski from the summit of Everest—and he does it all with the added challenge of making photographs along the way.
His passion for the outdoors and pushing the limits of his physical and photographic abilities has led to numerous honors. Chin was selected as the inaugural Emerging Explorer for National Geographic and the winner of the Rowell Art of Adventure Award. —Caitlin Kleiboer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
View more of Jimmy Chin’s work on his website.
This video portrait was produced by National Geographic magazine in partnership with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. It is part of an ongoing series of conversations with the photographers of the magazine, exploring the power of photography and why this life of imagemaking suits them so well. Learn more about the making of the series and watch the full trailer here.
Video Production Credits
Photographer: Jimmy Chin
Producers: Pamela Chen, NGM
Chad A. Stevens, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Associate Producer: Elyse Lipman, NGM
Editor: Caitlin Kleiboer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Camera and Sound: Spencer Millsap, NGM, Shannon Sanders, NGM
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