Meet Photographer Kyle Frost
Getting a little adventurous...
While I was in Peru, I had the pleasure of meeting and hiking with photographer Kyle Frost. Humble and humorous, Frost led the pack on our hikes with a quiet authority, all the while snapping the most stunning shots of the landscapes that lay in front of us. (The multi tasking was a feat for someone like me who had to stop every few minutes, catch my breath, sip some water, admire the view, take a few pictures, then zip up my backpack and start the process over again).
As our group got to know one another during our five days in the Sacred Valley, we shared laughs and stories, which turned our already once-in-a-lifetime experience in Peru into everlasting memories. Over this period, I was able to learn more about Frost’s perspective on adventure travel, as well as about his work in this genre. As someone who relies on the comforts of luxury, adventure is not something I typically dabble in, so picking his brain was fun and eye-opening, while browsing through his work—both his photography portfolio and his work at The Outbound collective—was inspiring and engaging.
Frost currently runs product and design responsibilities for the adventure travel company. “It’s fun to work on a product to help people find more adventure and inspire them to travel,” he tells me.
After returning from Peru, I was still mulling over a few of our conversations, when I realized I wanted to share an opportunity to get involved with this area of travel with you all!
So I followed up with Kyle below to chat all things adventure travel, his style of photography, and how you can get involved with The Outbound:
Your work encompasses adventure travel—why this beat? How did you first get started?
I love being outside, exploring, and getting off the beaten path. I was lucky enough to grow up backpacking with my family in the Eastern Sierra most weekends of the summer. I’ve always brought a camera along, but it wasn’t until I lived in San Francisco and Instagram started to take off as a “real” platform for photography that I began to be a bit more intentional about photography (@kylefrost).
How would you describe your style of photography? What about your editing style?
I tend to focus on travel and adventure — finding inspiration in early mornings, big mountains, wild landscapes, human-powered adventures, and unique places.
What does this kind of photography mean to you?
I think every type of photography has its place. I personally find fulfillment in shooting the types of things that I love to do — skiing, climbing, mountaineering, etc. These types of activities don’t always lend themselves to posed/contrived situations for photography. I’m certainly not immune to shooting the “roadside attractions” or popular spots, I just don’t tend to frequent those types of places super often or make them the focus of my travels.
What has been one of your favorite campaigns or projects you’ve participated in?
I recently returned from a shoot with Hastings Overland and Destination British Columbia. I love that Hastings’ mission is to give travelers the tools and confidence to *really* get off the beaten path and create their own adventures. It's great to see tour providers and destinations pushing this kind of exploratory travel outside of the most popular locales.
What about a dream campaign or project?
I’d love to work with a brand (or produce a print edition of The Outbound) highlighting some *truly* off the beaten path experiences and stories. Places with so much to offer, and either undeveloped or under-funded marketing capabilities. High on my list are Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Northern British Columbia, Greenland, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.
How did you get involved with The Outbound?
I met the folks that started the company while I was living in San Francisco. A few coffee chats later, and I signed on as a design consultant — and eventually took over all product/design responsibilities. It’s fun to work on a product to help people find more adventure and inspire them to travel.
What are some of the upcoming opportunities or trips that people can get involved in through The Outbound?
Our Pursuit Series has three locations this summer, in Utah, North Carolina, and California. The website, iOS and Android apps can be great inspiration for your next adventure, whether you’re looking for things to do this weekend or planning travel abroad.
Where do you think adventure travel fits into travel trends over the next decade? How do you see it evolving?
I think we’re likely to see more destinations actually *focus* on driving travelers to more diverse spots within their purview. Everyone wants to travel right now, and this boom has caused a significant increase in tourism. The resulting overtourism challenges are significant and complicated. I think we’re still at the stage where DMO’s are figuring out how to handle that, and coming years will reveal the strategies they choose to employ — limiting traffic, pushing visitors to new places, regulating popular locations, or other options.
Xo,
J
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