Pete McBride is a self-taught photographer, filmmaker, and writer who has traveled on assignment for National Geographic, Smithsonian, Google, and The Nature Conservatory for over two decades. Not only does he have multiple awards for photography and film, but he has excelled in writing as well. He received the bronze and gold medals from The Society of Professional Journalists, Lowell Thomas Award 2014 by North American Travel Journalism for overall excellence in photography and finalist in writing. He has documented remote expeditions to Antarctica and India, and more recently has decided to focus his attention on rivers and nature in his own backyard in Colorado.
He uses his talent to share the world with the rest of the world and to change lives. From his Instagram account: "Years ago I had the good fortune to go on a river trip in Utah on assignment for the @washingtonpostmag with nine kids from inner city Washington D.C. All of them were non-violent juvenile offenders, and the goal of the trip was to show how the outdoors can serve as better rehabilitation than concrete and bars. With each mile we floated and each challenge we overcame, we collected layers of dirt and understanding of each other. We talked more and eventually laughed often. These young black men, hardened by inner city life, slowly softened and youthful spirits emerged. Two learned to swim rapids, and their fear turned to whoops of laughter and joy. I felt honored to share something I have often taken for granted: access to the great outdoors. Many of them shared their fears — of animals, the outdoors, the police, their future shuttered by the color of their skin. I naively thought their bravery and collective spirit to raft a river far from their home was too great to be stopped. But they highlighted for me the many blind spots I have about race, equality, and life in America. On the last night, I pointed out the Milky Way streaking across a clear starry sky. None of them had ever seen it."
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