Corey Rich Adventure Photographer Entrepreneur
Posted on February 1, 2011
Filed Under Tahoe-Truckee Profiles
After nearly 20 years spent focused on documenting adventure, his love for photographing the exploration of wild places has only continued to burn.
Meet Corey Rich of South Lake Tahoe.
Adventure Photographer. Mountaineer. Entrepreneur.
Corey has waded across crocodile-infested rivers in Papua New Guinea, lost cameras to Saharan Desert sand storms and suffered through blizzards in the Andes. Just to capture that moment, and the athlete’s prowess. We’re glad he’ll go to any length to feed our appetite for adventure.
Corey is one of the most recognized adventure and lifestyle photographers in the outdoor space. He has photographed a wide array of assignments, including rock climbing in Mexico, surfing in Panama, freight-train hopping in the American West, ultra-marathon racing in the Sahara Desert of Morocco, and snowboarding in Papua New Guinea.
He has traveled the world on assignment for many of the best clients in the industry, including editorial work for The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Outside, and National Geographic Adventure, and for corporate/commercial clients such as Anheuser-Busch, Nike, Patagonia, and The North Face.
Rich was the driving force behind founding Aurora’s Outdoor Collection, which has quickly become the world’s leading brand of outdoor adventure and outdoor lifestyle photography.
Rich’s natural business savvy and intuitive knowledge of sales and marketing have allowed him to lead the growth of Aurora’s stock photography sales over the 
past five years. As Vice President and Principal of Aurora Photos, Rich is focused on over seeing Aurora’s continued growth in sales and doing business development in the outdoor space.
Additionally, Rich is on the Board of Directors for The Access Fund, co-founder and lead instructor of the National Geographic Adventure Photography Workshop Series, member of the Rowell Legacy Committee and on The Rowell Award Judging Panel and recently published his first book, My Favorite Place: Great Athletes In The Great Outdoors.
Corey is also an ambassador to several outdoor/photo industry companies like Nikon, Lowepro and Marmot. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Men’s Journal, Climbing and Rock & Ice to name a few; and the photographer on record for Heavenly and Ski Lake Tahoe.
In his own words:
Almost two decades ago, I planted both feet firmly in the world of falling snow, moving water and massive stone. As extreme sports entered the American mainstream, I was there to tell the stories of athletes like climbing legend Chris Sharma, kayaking pioneer Eric Jackson and world champion surfer Lisa Anderson.
I’ve waded across crocodile-infested rivers in Papua New Guinea, lost cameras to Saharan Desert sand storms and suffered through blizzards in the Andes. It’s an ongoing odyssey of unforgettable stories, dawn light and timeless images.
As my career evolved, I began looking for new challenges.
I knew what raw adventure looked like.
Couldn’t that wild essence be crafted in a controlled environment?
I quickly discovered that the lessons learned in the tumultuous realm of shifting light and rapid movement apply to meticulously orchestrated commercial shoots. When Anheuser-Busch, Nike or Apple needs a passionate photographer to help shape a multi-million dollar advertising plan, they count on me to not only organize a multi-day shoot complete with locations, talent, wardrobe, hair & makeup and props, but most importantly to create striking images that embody the core of any given brand campaign.
For all passionate people, the lines between work and play are hazy.
As I’ve grown, so has my passion for telling stories through photography.
When I’m not on assignment, I’m at home in Lake Tahoe where chasing adventure is as simple as opening the back door to three-feet of newly fallen snow, miles of unexplored trails and thousands of untold stories.
Photos © 2009 Corey Rich / Aurora Photos
Photo of Corey Rich at work (top of page) © 2009 Trevor Clark / Aurora Photos
