Instagram is a place of kittens, dogs, people's family photos and then sometimes adventures. Collin Richter is in the later category. He goes out exploring and takes his camera with him. His photos inspire others to get outside and see the vistas of mountains and see the stars as their ceiling.

You can follow Collin on Instagram @captiancollinrichter

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Collin Richter, and I go to college at UW Stevens Point, and my major is Communications. In my free time, I spend as much time as possible going on adventures and seeking new thrills in nature. About two years ago I got into taking pictures, and now I am crazy about outdoor photography. Going to a natural resource college I have a lot of friends who are also interested in experiencing the outdoors to the fullest, so I always have buddies who want to adventure with me. During spring breaks we would all go on a trip out west and we camped and mountain climbed. We even went on a road trip all the way from Wisconsin to Wyoming for a weekend in November. It was amazing. When we're not on a trip we still camp as much as possible in Wisconsin and are always looking for new places to hike. We were so desperate to camp that we even camped on a Monday once. Even winter doesn't stop us.

Why do you love photography?

I love photography because it's a way to log your beautiful experiences and remember them forever. As a painter, I also love the art of picture taking! You have the opportunity to make people see what you see. It's also wonderful to share the blessing of nature with all of my friends.

What got you interested in photography?

I've always loved adventure and art, and so when I got a GoPro it finally came together and I realized that it was so much fun!

What was your first camera?

My first camera was actually a GoPro, but eventually, I went and got a DSLR, a Canon Rebel t5.

Do you prefer 35mm or digital?

I haven't ever taken a photography class, so to be honest I don't know how to use film. I learned everything I know about photography through videos on YouTube. It's a wonderful and free way to learn anything!

What are your most favorite things/places/people to shoot pictures of?

In Wisconsin, I love shooting sunsets, forests, bluffs, and stars. We don't have any mountains out here so I do what I can to find breathtaking locations. I think it's helped me to get better because I try to make the simple things look better! If I had the choice I would absolutely love to shoot mountains and travel destinations and waterfalls!

What do you love about the outdoors?

The amazing thing about the outdoors is that it's challenging and beautiful. Unfortunately not everybody is brave enough to go outside all the time, so it's more peace and tranquility for me! Also, I could never perfectly paint a landscape so just capturing the natural beauty of perfect creation sounds amazing to me. I love climbing mountains because it gives you a sense of accomplishment, and it's a chance to see forever. I love the bare ruggedness of the outdoors and as a competitive guy I love the challenge of rough terrain!

What photographers are you most influenced by?

I was really inspired by Instagram, and all the amazing landscape photographers and their quality of work makes me always want to get better! @theexpeditioners were a big influence on me for sure!

Where do you see photography going in the future?

For me, I'd love to travel the world and see it first hand, but for society, I see a lot of industrialization, so it's hard to get good shots of nature when there's cities blocking the view and polluting the night sky with light.

Where are you hoping to travel to next? In terms of photo stories you can tell.

In April my friends and I are doing a road trip to Utah, so that will be a fun story to document! I would eventually love to go across the world to places like Thailand and China and photograph their beautiful people and landscapes.

Fun Questions

If you were stranded on an island what five things would you want with you?

Probably a tent
a water desalinater
a knife
a fishing pole
A camera!

Hopefully it's a beautiful island like the one on Castaway! I think it would be a fun challenge, especially because I wouldn't want to leave!

What language do you wish you knew fluently?

I'd love to learn Mandarin or French, so I could communicate with people in China or Africa!

If you could travel in a rocket ship where would you travel to?

A planet with some cool mountains! Then I could be the first to mountain climb on a different planet!

If you could meet anyone in history who would it be?

I'd love to meet Jesus. I'm one of his followers, and I want to know how he radically loved people.

If you could have a super power what would it be?

I would fly or be invisible.. either way something that could sneak me into a national park or other countries!