PUC Alumni Grant Ordelheide Shares His Passion for Photography

Growing up in the Colorado Rockies, Montana-based nature and outdoor photographer Grant Ordelheide was immersed in beautiful landscapes and in a family that took every opportunity to be outdoors. This exposure instilled a fire within Ordelheide that was beyond a passion for nature. Ever since then, he has been chasing every scene to capture not only in memory, but on camera to share with the world.

One of the aspects that brought him to PUC was the accessibility and proximity to so many great places around the scenic Northern California region. “As an aspiring nature photographer, there were so many amazing landscapes that provided the perfect setting to hone my craft. Within a day’s drive from PUC, you could be in Yosemite, Tahoe, or the Redwoods. That was a huge factor in why I chose to attend PUC in the first place.”

After he graduated from PUC in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in photography with an emphasis in business, Ordelheide has worked as a freelance outdoor and adventure photographer. He has taken photos for many of the magazines in the outdoor industry, including Backpacker, Climbing, Outside, National Park Journals, and more. Ordelheide also began teaching photo workshops with his friend and mentor, Jerry Dodrill, a 1997 PUC alumnus and former adjunct instructor of photography who has taught some of Ordelheide’s classes.

Looking back, Ordelheide pays his gratitude to his professors and friends in the art department who have helped shape and mold the way he approaches photography and art. “When I arrived, I felt like I had a grasp on photography, but over my time at PUC, I really came to understand design and composition in a really deep and meaningful way,” he said. “I think that the basis and application of my education have helped me throughout my career and given me the foundation to continue to grow and get better. I am grateful for my mentors, specifically Tom Turner and Jerry Dodrill, who have always encouraged and challenged me.”

Currently, Ordelheide still shoots for a few magazine projects a year and sells print and licensed photos, but is mostly teaching photography for a photo workshop tour company called Backcountry Journeys. He has led trips to six continents and plans to complete an Antarctica trip to mark his seventh continent this December. “I am driven by all the wild places around the world, but most of all, I am motivated to always be chasing that perfect photo,” Ordelheide said as he recollected how fortunate he has been to witness and photograph some of the world’s most incredible wildlife, including seven of the world’s biggest cats.

“Photography has brought me to some incredible encounters with wildlife," expressed Ordelheide. “The most memorable have been swimming with humpbacks, hiking with gorillas, and being mere inches away from wild pumas on foot. The best experiences are always when you can photograph a wild animal fully in their environment and on their terms."

A motto he lives by is that it is never over until it is over. There have been many times when he has given up on an animal appearing or the sun breaking through the clouds, only to see it happen at the last minute. Ordelheide enjoys moments like these where nature lives out its course at its own time.

“I love the entire process of coming up with an idea for a shot, planning, and executing. The pursuit of the next photo is what keeps me wanting more.”