As far as jobs go, it's hard to beat T.C. Worley's. A Minneapolis-based cinematographer and stills photographer, Worley specializes in capturing people on the move. He shoots everyone from mountain bikers shredding urban single-track in Minneapolis and adventure racers in Patagonia, Chile, to climbers in the Swiss Alps and ultra trail runners on the alpine ridgelines of Big Sky, Mont.
When he's not behind a camera, Worley often leaps into these varied adventures himself.
"I don't ever sit still," he said. "If I'm outside, I'm fist-pumping."
From brand marketing jobs to more hard-hitting projects for outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, Worley, 37, is a visual storyteller at heart.
In a recent interview fresh off a camping trip in northern Minnesota, Worley discussed his career and what he loves about working out of doors. Here are edited excerpts from the interview:
On his work as a labor of love
Early on I leaned toward work that I thought would be the most fun thing to do with my life, and that's a thread I still follow.
Any time I've come to a crossroads of what I'd most like to be doing vs. where the money was, I went with what I wanted to be doing.
There have been some bumpy years, but it's not like I ever went without what I needed. I feed off that challenge, and now I'm doing as well as I ever dreamed I'd do.
