Proof: Cory Richards on Pushing Through the Struggle | National Geographic

after dropping out of high school I

after dropping out of high school I found myself running up against all

found myself running up against all

found myself running up against all sorts of you know people who were

sorts of you know people who were

sorts of you know people who were telling me what to do how to do it that

telling me what to do how to do it that

telling me what to do how to do it that I was screwed up that I wasn’t going to

I was screwed up that I wasn’t going to

I was screwed up that I wasn’t going to succeed that I was on the wrong path and

succeed that I was on the wrong path and

succeed that I was on the wrong path and and that became very important for me

and that became very important for me

and that became very important for me too

too

too I guess to prove people wrong and it

I guess to prove people wrong and it

I guess to prove people wrong and it became this way to tell the story of

became this way to tell the story of

became this way to tell the story of sort of struggle that I was feeling

sort of struggle that I was feeling

sort of struggle that I was feeling internally and and I expressed that

internally and and I expressed that

internally and and I expressed that through climbing and then through the

through climbing and then through the

through climbing and then through the story of climbing through photography I

story of climbing through photography I

story of climbing through photography I realized that being in these places was

realized that being in these places was

realized that being in these places was an incredible way to tell a story to

an incredible way to tell a story to

an incredible way to tell a story to show what it feels like to be reduced to

show what it feels like to be reduced to

show what it feels like to be reduced to nothing willfully and then pushed

nothing willfully and then pushed

nothing willfully and then pushed through that and to cry and struggle and

through that and to cry and struggle and

through that and to cry and struggle and be rubbed raw you know in a way that a

be rubbed raw you know in a way that a

be rubbed raw you know in a way that a lot of people don’t ever get to

lot of people don’t ever get to

lot of people don’t ever get to experience and taking photos of that

experience and taking photos of that

experience and taking photos of that allows people that experience on some

allows people that experience on some

allows people that experience on some level the images that speak to me are

level the images that speak to me are

level the images that speak to me are the ones that make me feel they’re the

the ones that make me feel they’re the

the ones that make me feel they’re the ones that make your hair stand up on the

ones that make your hair stand up on the

ones that make your hair stand up on the back of your neck or give you goosebumps

back of your neck or give you goosebumps

back of your neck or give you goosebumps if my photographs in any way make

if my photographs in any way make

if my photographs in any way make somebody feel fear or joy or love or

somebody feel fear or joy or love or

somebody feel fear or joy or love or vulnerability I’ve succeeded you could

vulnerability I’ve succeeded you could

vulnerability I’ve succeeded you could be in the dirtiest place in the world

be in the dirtiest place in the world

be in the dirtiest place in the world with most smog in the world you could be

with most smog in the world you could be

with most smog in the world you could be someplace where generally speaking

someplace where generally speaking

someplace where generally speaking nobody thinks of beauty but if

nobody thinks of beauty but if

nobody thinks of beauty but if somebody’s living you know really living

somebody’s living you know really living

somebody’s living you know really living and showing that human experience that

and showing that human experience that

and showing that human experience that to me is the beauty of the landscape

to me is the beauty of the landscape

to me is the beauty of the landscape every single place we are there’s

every single place we are there’s

every single place we are there’s incredible amounts of just raw human and

incredible amounts of just raw human and

incredible amounts of just raw human and natural beauty happening everywhere