There and Back: Photographs from the Edge

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In trying to decipher what Chin has become globally – he’s a brand, and he and his wife, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, are creative forces – we have to remember that his perseverance and willingness to insert himself into some insane positions allowed Chin to capture the moment. It was "He Named Me Malala" that caught the eye of directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, who reached out to Dill to produce FREE SOLO. Watched Free Solo and sure, was in awe of Alex Honnold, but way more in awe of the person who climbed alongside and managed to capture the entire endeavor on film. In There and Back, Jimmy Chin tells the story of his remarkable life through a selection of breathtaking photos accompanied by passages of insightful text. Many of us will never risk our lives to see what Jimmy Chin sees, but in these pages, his photography will transport you to the razor's edge, challenging your perceptions of what humans can achieve.

Further, the photographs reveal what we know to be true; that Chin was an equal participant on these expeditions, not simply a hired gun with a full quiver of lenses and camera bodies. Vasarhelyi has directed a New York Times Op Doc, an episode for Netflix's nonfiction design series "Abstract" and two episodes for ESPN's new nonfiction series "Enhanced. Jimmy, Chai, and their two children split their time between New York City and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jimmy Chin is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Extreme Sports, Adventure Speakers and Mountain Climbing. And on my wishlist is a Ford F-150 Lightning Electric pick-up truck, with a four-door cab and zero emissions.After graduation, he moved into the back of his car, parked in Yosemite National Park, and became a full-time climbing dirtbag—a term of endearment in the community used to reference climbers who give up other luxuries in dedication to the sport. An extraordinary gift to everyone who believes that the limit of human achievement is far from being reached.

I was impressed with how Chin manages to shoot breathtaking photos without himself, an accomplished climber and skier, being the story. This part could be expanded because I am sure that Jimmy has some incredible stories from the decades of climbing. Getting published in National Geographic helped Chin’s parents understand and see the value of their son’s non-traditional path.Chin and Chai’s latest documentary, The Rescue, chronicles the daring rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a cave in Thailand. He has an amazing instinct for capturing the most riveting parts of some of life’s biggest adventures. And I’m interested in the idea of a large-scale carbon-capture machine to convert carbon emissions into something usable to counter climate change. I'm completely taken and will attest to his skills even just to take my breath away and believe that there is so much stunning life out there, that not only outshines everything ever seen visually, but dominates beauty because of the lengths Jimmy goes through to catch them. He attempted to climb Everest with Stephen Koch in 2003 but they were unsuccessful and both were nearly killed in an avalanche.

Founded in 2017 by Laurene Powell Jobs and Davis Guggenheim, the company develops, produces and finances nonfiction stories about important issues of our time.He also achieved the first successful American ski descent of Mount Everest with Kit DesLauriers and Rob DesLauriers in October 2006. Along the way, Chin shares behind-the-scenes details about how he captured such astounding images in impossible conditions, and tells the stories of the legendary adventurers and remarkable athletes he has photographed, including Alex Honnold, the star of his Academy Award–winning documentary film Free Solo; ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers; snowboarder Travis Rice; and mountaineers Conrad Anker and Yvon Chouinard. We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly. The story, which featured Chin’s photographs, appeared in the April 2003 issue of National Geographic magazine.