Summit County resident Joseph Giant’s love for images started when he would make off together with his father’s Polaroid digicam as a child, arrange his G.I. Joe toy troopers within the tall grass and click on off picturesque jungle photographs.

Since taking his first yard images, Giant has steadily constructed up his physique of labor, touring internationally and finishing tasks for The Discovery Channel, Nationwide Geographic and BBC Earth.

Most lately, Giant labored on the Netflix challenge “Our Dwelling World,” which is about to be launched on Wednesday, April 17, 5 days earlier than Earth Day.

Giant’s path to changing into an completed photographer was not with out twists and turns, although. As an alternative of pursuing his deep ardour for images as a full-time career out of faculty, Giant stated he gave in to the naysayers and entered the workforce with a company IT job.

Whereas feeling caught within the typical nine-to-five rat race, Giant’s mom was identified with a recurrence of breast most cancers after being in remission for 10 years. Together with his mom’s well being declining, Giant moved again residence to Philadelphia to assist his mother whereas she was in hospice care. 

Near 10 days after returning residence, Giant’s mom handed away. Like every dying of a liked one, Giant took it onerous, however he rapidly got here to comprehend that life is simply too brief to not absolutely pursue your passions.

“Life is brief, and also you higher love what you do,” Giant stated. “I used to be simply hanging out with my dad for nearly a yr, simply to maintain him firm and assist him with the home and every part. He wasn’t charging me lease, so I used to be capable of save up some cash, and I purchased my first digital SLR.”

With a brand new digicam in his hand, Giant rapidly started increasing his already-established skillset in images when his father informed him that he wanted to maneuver again to the mountains to dive into his ardour wholeheartedly. 

“He informed me to return to Colorado and that I wasn’t going to be a photographer and filmmaker right here in Philly,” Giant stated. “I informed him that I used to be going to hang around and purchase a home, stay in the identical neighborhood, hang around on a regular basis, and he stated, ‘Get out of right here.’”

Giant took the agency push from his father and returned to Summit County, the place he balanced a number of jobs alongside his images and filmmaking enterprise with a purpose to make ends meet. 

Giant’s onerous work and persistence began to repay with him being observed by a few magazines, earlier than he confronted one other bump within the highway with the sudden dying of his dad.

“Along with her, I used to be capable of say goodbye, however my dad simply died in his sleep of a coronary heart assault we predict,” Giant stated. “We didn’t really know the reason for dying. That was the second kick within the ass the place I used to be like, ‘I actually have to do that. Life is tremendous brief.’”

From that second on, Giant went all in on his images and filmmaking, forming connections with winter sport athletes and getting the chance to journey to X Video games.

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Slowly however absolutely, Giant’s photographs and movies began to get observed by extra folks and organizations, leading to among the largest gigs in his profession. Via a mutual connection, Giant received his first massive break by getting the chance to fly drones for a 2019 Nationwide Geographic challenge named “Hostile Planet.”

Whereas perched excessive atop Summit County on Quandary Peak, Giant didn’t take the project as a right, dedicating himself to his work and striving to get the very best pictures.

“After I was working for them, taking pictures that (challenge), we filmed up on Quandary for like 5, six days,” Giant stated. “The entire time I used to be like work, work, work, work. I bear in mind the final day after we wrapped the shoot, I pulled out of the car parking zone and was like, ‘I simply shot for Nat Geo.’ That was mind-blowing to me.” 

The job with Nationwide Geographic finally set Giant up for future jobs with the Discovery Channel and BBC Earth earlier than signing on to work on “Our Dwelling World” for Netflix. Contributing to the multifaceted challenge, Giant captured drone footage from eight to 9 places scattered throughout the San Juan Mountains throughout totally different seasons.

On one movie day in Silverton, Giant’s drone was dive-bombed by a territorial golden eagle whereas close to the Silverton Customer Middle on the Animas River. 

“This hen with a 6, 7-foot wingspan was dive-bombing the drone,” Giant stated. “This is sort of a $20,000 drone, and if we lose it, we don’t have a backup. It was tremendous freaking aggravating, but it surely ended up understanding. It was wild. It was terrifying, truthfully.”

After years of ready for the documentary to be launched to the general public, Giant is worked up for viewers across the globe to absorb his handiwork, which might be featured alongside narration from Australian actress Cate Blanchett.

Though neither his mother nor dad received to see the complete breadth of his creative imaginative and prescient, Giant takes consolation in understanding that he’s working onerous to make them proud with each click on of the digicam.

“The whole lot I do is to attempt to make them proud,” Giant stated. “After my mother handed, my dad was nonetheless round for 3 years, and every time I received an enormous gig, I might name him. I can’t try this anymore, and it’s tough, so I name my sister. I nonetheless attempt to make them proud, and every part I do, I do know they’re watching.”

With so many artistic and galvanizing folks with intense passions residing in Summit County, Giant encourages others to totally pursue what they love regardless of what society might say.

“Whether or not they’re creating artwork or making jewellery, or no matter it’s, don’t hearken to the naysayers,” Giant stated. “Everybody goes to speak shit. If they don’t seem to be, you then aren’t doing one thing effectively sufficient. Be passionate and do what you’re doing. These setbacks are the issues that make you stronger, they usually can be utilized as gas so that you can proceed your ardour. “

To be taught extra about Giant and his work, go to JosephLarge.com. “Our Dwelling World” is a four-part miniseries and can premiere Wednesday, April 17, on Netflix.