ABOUT ME
“...by the silent contemplation of the landscape, man could embrace the universe” - Candice Bruce
My name is Austin Sudweeks, I’m a landscape photographer based in Missoula, Montana. I enjoy creating photos of grand, awe-inspiring nature. My work seeks to convey the boundless natural beauty of our world and the way I feel about it. Nature is my inspiration and what drives me to create. I enjoy silent contemplation of the landscape, and try to condense the visceral but profound emotions and scenery I experience into singular moments frozen in time forever. I know I don’t always succeed in this compression, but it is my life's work and great pleasure to try.
I’m originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and I’ve spent my life slowly migrating north and realizing my love for nature photography. My flight north brought me first to Prescott, Arizona where I began my photography journey making images of my friends, hobbies, and surroundings. What initially sparked my interest in photography was selecting the thumbnails for the YouTube videos I was making at the time. Of all the hard work that went into making a new video from the planning, scouting, shooting, and editing to the uploading, content management, SEO, and audience interaction, the part I enjoyed most was when I got to sit down and pick a single frame from the whole project that would represent it best. A moment that would entice a scrolling user and engage them in what I had made. After a gradual realization that this was my favorite part of video, I decided to start shooting stills, initially shooting whatever piqued my interest, but straight away developing an affinity for nature photography. I then moved further north to Flagstaff, Arizona where I completed my bachelors of science in photography, continuing to shoot my friends and natural surroundings but also expanding into the more commercial world of photography with weddings, seniors, concerts, news, sports, etc. I shot anything I could, always seeking the joy of having a camera in my hand and honing my skills in the art of image-making. In all my various subject matter my love for nature photography continued to grow and I began to understand that it was what I wanted to spend my life doing. After graduating, my wife and I decided to start our next adventure and move to her home state, Montana. After some location scouting and soul searching, we decided to settle in Missoula. The landscapes here have great variety and grandness to them. Settling here has allowed me to immerse myself in the outdoors, where I enjoy mountain biking, snowboarding, and hiking in the forests with my wife and our dog. When I’m indoors, I like movies, podcasts, video games, audiobooks, and of course editing photos. Looking forward, I am excited to print more of my work, release my first photobook, and capture more stunning nature here in Montana.