Caroline Treadway

Journalist. Climber. Photographer. Writer. Barefoot runner. My Little Pony enthusiast. Those are just a few descriptors for Caroline Treadway, who spent her first year as a “photographer” on the couch with a knee injury from bouldering, which she describes as “a good thing because it took a while to figure out all those buttons.” Originally from Washington, D.C., Treadway enjoyed the international and diverse scene, even going to school with ambassadors’ kids and an Arabian prince who had bodyguards. Thinking that was normal, Treadway learned early on to go outside her comfort zone in order to achieve her goals. Now Treadway finds herself photographing everything from professional climbers to the President to endangered species, all while exuding journalistic professionalism without losing her individual spark.

What’s the best thing about photographing climbing? Worst?
The best thing is chilling outside with friends in rad places. I love to shoot people trying their very hardest on a climb that means a lot to them. The worst thing is sometimes, I wanna climb, too. Jugging lines with a bunch of camera gear isn’t quite the same.

What do you do outside of climbing and photography?
I write, shoot, and climb — that sums it up! I’m super into fashion photography, endangered species, and photojournalism. Sometimes I’m tempted to become a war photographer in the Middle East, but my parents would kill me. Recently, I’ve been running barefoot and learning to speak Navajo while holed up in a mountain cabin near the Four Corners, working on a project about a Navajo botanist on their reservation.

How does climbing photography compare to your journalism training?
Photography’s all about the moment. You can try to re-create a moment, and some photographers pull it off, but it’s never quite the same. I like to apply photojournalism ethics to climbing photography — no posing, minimal Photoshop. Great photographers nail everything — the moment, light, composition, expression, etc. That’s the goal for me, but I’m flexible. It’s all a learning process.

Advice to aspiring climbing photographers?
Mix a little Henri Cartier-Bresson with some Dave Black and you’re good. Pester every photographer you know for advice. Experiment. Have fun. The last two are the most important. As a kid I always wanted to be a writer and a photographer. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

For more from Treadway, visit her blog at carolinetreadway.wordpress.com.