454: Scott Kranz - Photographing Washington's Highest 100 Mountains

In this episode of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt Payne sits down with mountain photographer Scott Kranz to explore Scott’s dramatic shift from a legal career to full-time outdoor photography in the Cascades. They dive into Scott’s deep connection with Washington’s mountains, especially the North Cascades, and the physical and mental challenges of documenting them. Scott shares insights from his massive projects—the 50 Peaks and Washington 100—to celebrate these landscapes and the effort required to capture their rugged beauty. The conversation also covers the importance of local passion projects, building relationships with brands, navigating risk and logistics in alpine photography, and Scott’s process for curating his upcoming book, Cascade High, which blends storytelling, adventure, and meaningful imagery. If you’re looking for inspiration around creative risk, project-building in photography, and the transformative power of the mountains, this episode won’t disappoint.

Resources and Links:

• Scott Kranz's Books
• Snow & Spire by John Scurlock
• Light on the Landscape by William Neill
• Support this podcast on Patreon
• Gina Danza (Wild Gina)
• Elizabeth Gadd
• Scott Rinckenberger
• Matt's book, "The Colorado Way"
• Watch the episode on YouTube