Most of us aren’t photographers, let alone, photographers for the National Parks Service. Most of us aren’t Joshua Moore.
Seeing as this past week was National Parks Week, it only seemed fitting that we have Joshua take over the Blue Ridge Outdoors Instagram account.
Based out of Eastern Tennesee, the Smokies are basically Joshua’s backyard. If you follow him on Instagram, you’d think he lived outside based on his stories alone. Looking at his photos as if you were looking through his lens, you get a view of the region that only a local would see.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from and where are you living now?
I am from a small town called Church Hill, Tennessee and currently reside here as well.
How did you get into photography?
I got into photography in college when I decided that I did not want to pay the hefty price tags that came along with stock photography for my Graphic Design classes. I figured I could use the two together and that has worked out really well for myself.
You shoot for the National Parks Service, that sounds like a pretty stellar gig. How did you get started with them?
Well. A little over three years ago I reached out to the headquarters in Washington D.C. to see what it would take to become a photographer for them. They ended up wanting me to send them images to review to see if the quality met their standards, they were thrilled with what they saw and accepted me and my work.
Your landscape photography is amazing and speaks for itself. What other subjects do you like to shoot?
Thanks, I appreciate that. A lot of time and work goes into it. I love portraits, wildlife, and architecture.
It’s National Parks Week this week, being a photographer for the NPS, what is your favorite park to shoot?
Well, obviously that is a tough question. I guess I have to choose my hometown park, the Great Smoky Mountains. I get sucked into the trails and vast views, but the Cumberland Gap is right there with it. It has everything the Smoky’s have with a quarter of the crowd and is just about as close.
What would be your dream National Park to shoot?
Denali National Park, I am aching to get out there so bad.
If you had to live off the grid in a National Park, where would you go?
I would go to the Smoky’s, I know the terrain and have been all over the park. I feel confident that I know the area enough to survive.
What do you prefer to shoot with?
I prefer Nikon. I always shoot in manual. I have to have complete control over my images and I just love how I can push the limits of my camera. Nikon images also come off a bit cooler tone wise and I like that a lot.
Any tips for budding landscape photographers?
Get up early and stay out late, obsess over your craft and try to learn something new every day. There are plenty of resources on the web that it makes it really easy to do.
Last but not least, how can folks get a hold of you for photography work?
Well, you can follow me on Instagram with the username @JTM71 or follow me on Facebook, you can also view my photography work on my website.
