My name is Chase Guttman and I am an award-winning travel photographer and Emmy-winning aerial cinematographer.
I am the three-time recipient and first American to win Young Travel Photographer of the Year, a prestigious international competition judged by museum curators and magazine editors, was named a World’s Top Travel Photographer by Condé Nast Traveler, a Rising Star by Instagram and won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Storytelling and Exploration—a lifetime achievement level honour. I also authored one of the first-ever books on drone photography and it received critical acclaim from publications such as The Telegraph, Business Insider, The Daily Mail and the New York Post, among others.
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How did you get started in photography, and what drew you to this art form?
Inspired by the incredible work of my father, Peter Guttman, who is a renowned photographer, I’ve always had a camera in my hand growing up. Starting with a toy camera as a toddler, I worked my way up to a series of point-and-shoot cameras at the elementary school and began shooting with a DSLR at around 12 years old.
Photography allows me to explore various worlds and experience moments that I wouldn’t have the privilege to observe without the power of a camera.
What is your preferred style or genre of photography, and why?
Travel photography as it has provided me with an education about the varying shades of human existence. It allows me to bear witness to vanishing cultures and sensitive landscapes. It provides me with an endless creative canvas to paint upon.
How do you improve and develop your photography skills?
As with any discipline, practice is paramount. Whether it’s in my own backyard or on another continent, I always take the opportunity to be inspired and see where my creativity might take me.
What equipment do you use and why?
I shoot with a Nikon Z7 and a DJI Mavic Pro 3. As I am constantly on the road for work, my equipment is often chosen based on weight and size considerations, while still maintaining professional quality.
What do you think is the most important element of a great photograph?
Intention. Behind every image, the photographer should have a story that they’re intending to tell, an emotion they’re hoping to evoke or a moment that they wish to portray.
What professional photographers have influenced your work?
Besides my father, I’ve always been moved by the work of Steve McCurry, Sebastiao Salgado and Henri Cartier-Bresson as they’re masters of portraying exotic cultures or capturing fleeting moments in time.
How do you stay inspired and motivated as a photographer?
For me, variety has always been the key. No single project or shooting day is like the other. As a result, my mind is able to stay engaged and my creativity constantly feels stimulated.
How do you handle difficult shooting conditions or subjects?
Blue hour is a special stage in the day when vibrant blue hues take over the sky before sunrise in the morning and after sunrise in the evening. Light is a crucial ingredient to every photograph and blue hour offers visual opportunities even amidst dreary weather and otherwise unpleasant conditions.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in photography?
Hone your eye. Chase optimal lighting, discover meaningful compositions and experiment with your equipment.
What do you hope your photography communicates to your audience, and why is this important to you?
I hope that my work opens people’s minds to the visual excitement that our world has to offer from its people to its cultures, wildlife and landscapes. Our globe is a kaleidoscope of visual diversity and wonderment that is there for everyone to explore.
What editing software do you like to use for your finished photos?
I mostly use Adobe Lightroom for my workflow, but I will occasionally bring images into Photoshop for some additional fine-tuning. Typically, I try to get my photographs right in the camera to limit the processing that I have to do.
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