Nick Cahill first picked up a camera to document a racecar he was building in his parents' garage. A couple decades later, he's still shooting, but these days he's more focused on "taking cameras where people don't go." We chatted with Nick to hear more about his photography work and what's next on his horizon.
Nick is currently doing a $750 fine art print giveaway. Enter by October 15 for a chance to win.
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How did you get into outdoor photography?
The outdoors came first. Growing up, my family would take summer trips to Yosemite. Those vacations gave me an early love for wild places. When I later went to college in Lake Tahoe and pursued a digital arts degree, I started doing more photography. It was natural to point the camera at the landscapes around me.
Living there, I could walk out the door, chase a sunrise or sunset and teach myself in real time. This was before YouTube tutorials were a thing, so it was all about collaboration with friends and professors. Living in the mountains while studying digital arts blended my passion for the outdoors and my love of photography—it felt like they were meant to overlap.
What do you love most about photography?
I love being able to bring these wild, far-away places to people who might never see them themselves. My parents probably won't ever be able to stand on a glacier in Alaska or wander out into the middle of the desert in Baja due to some physical injuries and limitations, but I can show them what it looks like and feels like to be there.
That appreciation has only deepened since I had a spine injury. For two and a half years I couldn't do much physically, and it made me realize how much I'd taken for granted. Now that I'm starting to recover, every trip into the mountains and every shoot outdoors carries more weight. People want to see these places without having to physically go there, and I love being the one who goes.
Photographing these places started as a way to remember them, but over time it has become a way to share the experience and reality of these environments with other people.
What's your favorite type of content to shoot?
I'm drawn to stories that have grit in them—athletes pushing their limits, people rebuilding after setbacks or finding a way forward after an injury. Having gone through my own spine surgery, I can relate to that side of their lives. Dealing with recovery, pain and the ups and downs is part of being an athlete.
I'm also really interested in projects that unfold over time: not just a single day, but weeks or months of capturing the highs and lows. Longer shoots let me tell a deeper story where you can really see the resilience and the human side come through.
I love photographing athletes because it's not just about the action, it's about the focus, the fight and what it takes for them to keep showing up.
Video freeze frames from a project with Red Bull athlete Kate Courtney.
Where are your favorite places to shoot?
Lake Tahoe will always be home, and I always come back to its snow-covered peaks, granite walls, forests and water. Yosemite is close to my heart from spending time there growing up and getting exposed to Ansel Adams. Then there are the big expeditions—glaciers in Alaska, deserts in Baja—that push me out of my comfort zone.
When the weather or physical effort becomes harsh and challenging and I want to put the camera away, that's usually when the best images come to life. Those moments test me, but they're also the ones that stick with me the longest. I'm drawn to the places that really make me earn the shot.
How do you get ready for a remote outdoor shoot?
I spend as much time thinking through logistics as I do thinking about the shots. If something goes wrong in the backcountry, it's a lot more than just a missed photo.
I almost always have backup gear: extra cameras, lenses, batteries, drives, even gloves. Redundancy is key. I do my best to scout locations beforehand, but with docu-style work, there usually isn't time for that. I just show up ready to adapt.
The physical side is just as important. Carrying gear in harsh conditions isn't easy, and I've found that being at or near athlete-level matters as much, if not more, than even having a camera.
I train by climbing mountains in my backyard just for fun. Yesterday I put in 12 miles and 3,500 feet of vertical gain simply to push myself and be a little better than I was the day before. That effort pays off when I'm on assignment.
The biggest thing I've learned is to expect it to be harder than you think. Batteries die fast, weather turns quickly and fatigue sets in suddenly. I try to over-prepare, train like an athlete and be ready to pivot once I'm actually out there.
Nick enjoys going to wild places - sometimes via helicopter.
How does clothing impact your shoots?
What I'm wearing can make or break a shoot and, honestly, my daily life. If I'm freezing, sweating through layers or distracted by being uncomfortable, I'm not focused on the camera. That's why I've leaned so heavily on Ridge.
Good base layers keep me warm on cold mornings, but they also breathe when temps swing during the day. And when you're spending weeks on a glacier without showers, the last thing you want is gear that smells like it's been through the wringer, so wool is a must. Clothing is part of the system, just like lenses or backup drives.
For me, layering is about staying ahead of the conditions. I'll start cold in the morning with Ridge base layers, a fleece and a shell, then I'll strip down as the sun warms things up. It's less about looking good and more about efficiency. If I can make quick changes without losing focus on what's in front of the lens, then the system is working.
The SOMOS expedition in Alaska was a gnarly shoot weather-wise. We lived on a glacier for nearly a month, and for a day or two the temps dropped to -30°F. That kind of cold doesn't just make shooting tough, it puts you at real risk.
Nick bundled up on his Alaska expedition.
Ridge base layers and mid layers were the key to walking away without frostbite. When you're in that environment, you don't get second chances. Having gear that actually works in those conditions made the difference between focusing on the film and worrying about survival.
What other gear is on your must-have list?
On the clothing side, I typically bring my Solstice Sun Hoodie. I wear it on shoots, adventuring, even doing yard work when I know I'm going to be in the sun all day. It's lightweight and breathes well. When it's cold, I love the thin gloves. They keep my hands from freezing but still have the dexterity to work the camera. I rock Ridge underwear and socks a lot on shoots too.
Nick working in his Solstice Sun Hoodie.
I always pack waterproof bags for drives and batteries. On the camera side, it's about versatility. I like to have a lens setup that lets me cover both wide landscapes and tighter action without swapping glass every few minutes.
Anything you're looking forward to these days?
I've got a couple projects I'm really excited about. One of them is documenting an athlete swimming the entire coast of California next summer. That kind of long-form, expedition-style storytelling is where my focus is these days.
I plan to be in Alaska next April to push myself in the mountains and hopefully link up with a rad ski or snowboard film while there. My brother is heli guiding, so some type one fun might be in order too.
Beyond that, I'm working toward an art show in 2026 that will feature large aluminum prints from some of the most remote and extreme environments I've been able to shoot paired with personal stories behind each image.
In the meantime, I'll keep releasing new fine art prints from my time in wild places. My goal is to keep leaning into projects that take more than a day or two where the story really has time to build.
Nick on a photoshoot wearing a Ridge Sherwin 5-Panel Hat.
Learn more about Nick on his commercial website, check out his fine art print shop, or follow him on Instagram.
