46.8787° N, 113.9966° W

Michael Graef is a Missoula-based photographer/filmmaker and social media influencer. He frequently travels to create lifestyle and adventure content for brands and individuals. Besides content creation, he promotes adventure products to his Instagram following. 

Personally, adventure is largely made up of traveling to beautiful destinations to do 3am treks to capture the sunrise. Being in Montana, a large portion of time is spent deep in the forest service roads, or days deep backpacking - all with the goal of sharing and inspiring awe in people who haven't seen or appreciated the outdoors. A strong portion of his personal work is shared with the aim of inspiring conservation of the public lands in Montana and the United States. 

1. Regarding your favorite outdoor passion, how did you get into what you do?

I originally got passionate about adventure and outdoor lifestyle photography because of my involvement in filming the parkour community in the US. As parkour films and events became more and more involved in the outdoors, I began slowly changing where the camera was pointing. I realized how important these places are to our overall health, and how many people will never lay eyes on these places. Instead of encouraging thousands of people to go there first hand, I began sharing the beauty through visual stories, and completely fell in love with the entire experience.

2. Tell us about the first time you had a successful adventure. i.e. your first amazing trip, successful hunt,  or fishing trip.

Having grown up in Montana, I never really had an appreciation for the outdoors most of my childhood years. My first adventure stories are really three compounding events. 

The first "adventure" was when a friend and I decided to go shoot photos outside without an athlete as a subject. I remember driving for 45 minutes up some mountain road to see spectacular views. I remember thinking to myself, "It's this easy? And wow, holy shit. I wonder what else we can find if we get out there on foot."

The second adventure was my first overnight backpacking experience, and it happened to be in the winter. We hiked 12 miles in brand new boots to set up camp in three feet deep snow. It was miserable. But it was so beautiful. I think I took three photos. In the moment, it was a tremendous failure, but after an hour of trying to get a fire together, the event was reclassified as a success.

The third adventure was years later. I was much more educated in wilderness survival and visual storytelling. The passion for the outdoors led me to my first international "adventure" trip: Iceland. Touching down on the island without sleeping in the last 20 hours, I remember running to the car rental place and driving to the coast to shoot sunrise. A bit later at night, I sat and watched the northern lights dance across the sky along the coast, illuminating the massive icebergs floating. This was when I knew I was on the right path.

3. What’s the first thing you say to people when they ask why you do what you do?

I'm an outdoor lifestyle and adventure visual storyteller.

4. How do you mix/balance your professional life with adventure?

I'm fortunate enough to have the majority of my work line up with my passions for adventure. A lot of what I shoot ends up being outside in the mountains, in the desert, or along the coast.

5. What are the 3 pieces of gear you would never go without?

Canon camera
Zero degree Mammoth sleeping bag
Black Diamond headlamp

6. What do you do to stay in field shape?

To stay in field shape, I alternate every day between hiking and weight training.

7. Do you have any advice for the guy or girl reading this who is considering a leap into your world?

My advice is threefold: first, learn how to use a camera. Second, learn general business principles. Third, learn how to interact with the outdoors safely.

8. What’s one thing we could do as a society to protect the environment vital to your passion?

I have such a hard time picking one thing. Eating less meat sourced from factory farms in order to preserve resources. Voting with your dollar by buying products from companies that share our vision. But I think the most important thing we can do to protect our environment here in the United States is to call the people that represent us and let them know how important public lands are to everyone. We can't protect what no longer exists.

9. Tell us something that's true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Something that a lot of people agree with, but few people do: Eating meat from factory farms has severely adverse effects on the environment. I do not eat any meat or animal products sourced from factory farms and other large scale production farms. I understand getting your meat from smaller, local farms where you can drive by and see the animals, but I think the best way to obtain meat and fish is by sustainable hunting and fishing. 

10. What is your favorit quote?

"You're never ready, it's just your turn."

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeygraef/
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/michaelcgraef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeygraef