Strip away daily comforts, and you reexamine the things that built up over decades.
Matt Payne
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Matt Payne has climbed Colorado’s highest hundred peaks. He’s hiked 500 miles on the Colorado Trail. But one of his proudest moments? Wading (reluctantly) into a river in the city of Salida.
It wasn’t a grand, cinematic scene. Just a quiet decision to be a little more open, a little less fearful. To step into discomfort instead of letting it decide the limits. And in that simple act, Matt discovered something vital about himself. Something he’s come to believe sits at the heart of photography, creativity, and growth: presence.
In this episode, Matt returns to the podcast to talk about The Colorado Way, his new book that blends memoir, photography, and life lessons from the trail. But it’s more than a book, it’s a deep look into what it means to pay attention. To listen (to the land, to yourself, to others). And to live with intention, even when everything around you wants speed, polish, and certainty.
We talk about what it took to write a book like this, not just physically, but emotionally. The fears that came with sharing his truest self, the structure behind turning philosophy into a structured book, and why making a “greatest hits” coffee table photo book would’ve missed the point entirely.
Matt opens up about burnout, imposter syndrome, and what it actually means to grow as an artist. He also shares how he’s shifted from a position of judgment to curiosity, both in life and behind his camera.
Here’s some of what we get into:
- How hiking (and solitude) became Matt’s teacher-and how he carried those lessons into photography
- The surprising way he structured each chapter of his book around ideas like authenticity, ego, and attention
- What he’s learned from revisiting old, “imperfect” images-and why those photos matter more than he expected
- The role of discomfort in creativity (including a personal story about rivers, swimming, and self-image)
- Why community and not competition might be the real secret to longevity in this great big photography world
Matt’s presence on the show feels like catching up with an old friend who’s been off having wild, soul-stretching adventures and came back with stories worth hearing. Whether you’re deep into your own creative journey or feeling a little lost on the trail, this one’s full of some seriously grounded insight.
Enjoy the episode, and if Matt’s words stick with you, don’t forget to check out The Colorado Way on Kickstarter.
Q: What is it about hiking that feels so medicinal to you?
Matt: It’s a very mindfulness-like exercise in terms of stripping away all the things. You’re really just focused on breathing and observing the natural world. There are no external distractions, other than maybe sore legs or hoping it doesn’t rain. Those moments can reveal things about yourself, like how you respond to discomfort. That reflection can be really powerful.
Q: How did writing about these experiences differ from living them in the moment as you’re recollecting them?
Matt: Matt Payne: I love the question. Fortunately, when I was climbing the mountains, I made thorough trip reports of every single adventure, so I could re-reference those. But what was really interesting was rethinking the context of those stories through the lens of psychological or philosophical ideas. It gave them new meaning. What once seemed like just a wild adventure became something deeper when I looked at how it shaped my thoughts or who I am today.
Q: Has the process of creating the book changed the way that you view your adventures, whether they be hiking or even how you take photographs?
Matt: Maybe a little bit. When I was reviewing images from the Colorado Trail, some days I only took nine photos, maybe I wasn’t inspired, or I was just lost in thought. Other days, I took hundreds. It reminded me to slow down and be more observant. Through hiking, it’s easy to get tunnel vision, focused only on reaching the next destination. That can be limiting for photography. So it’s a balancing act: taking care of yourself while also remembering to capture the beauty around you.
🔗 Connect with Matt Payne
Kickstarter: The Colorado Way – A Book of Mountains, Trails, and Growth
🧭 What We Talked About
🗺️ Epic Journeys & Wild Places
- A 10-day sailing trip in the southern fjords of Chile
- A backpacking trip to the Cirque of the Unclimbables in the Northwest Territories
- A transformative workshop in the Great Smoky Mountains, now a favorite spring destination
- His path includes summiting Colorado’s 100 highest peaks and thru-hiking the 500-mile Colorado Trail
📖 Philosophy / Vision / Storytelling
- A central life lesson: see every interaction as an opportunity, whether with people or in nature
- Trails teach presence, patience, and how to suppress knee-jerk reactions in favor of deeper understanding
- Photography, for Matt, is about slowing down and listening-to the land, to people, and to himself
- Hosting his long-running podcast F-Stop Collaborate and Listen taught him to shed ego and embrace cognitive flexibility
📷 Tools, Gear, and Behind the Scenes
- While specific gear isn’t the focus, Matt shares his creative constraint while building the book: all images had to be captured within Colorado, and relevant to the emotional or philosophical theme of each chapter
- He revisited older images (even from 2009–2011), reflecting on how they’ve aged and what they now reveal
- Mentions using Gaia GPS and sharing KML files to a cartographer to create custom maps for the book
🔁 Practice, Teaching, Platforms
- Daily psychological/philosophical reflections during his Colorado Trail hike
- End-of-day video journals and written reflections tied to themes like authenticity, dopamine treadmills, and solitude
- The Colorado Way weaves those essays with images and scientific insights, offering actionable takeaways
- His podcast remains an evolving platform to explore and challenge creative norms, even interviewing AI-driven image makers
💬Advice, Creative Strategy, or Challenges
- Letting go of ego and perfectionism – “you are the lesson for the reader”
- The trail taught him to embrace discomfort and push beyond ingrained fears (like swimming in rivers!)
- Writing the book required deep vulnerability, confronting past self-judgments and trusting the value of his story
🌍 Influences, People, Brands, or Places
- Inspired by thinkers like Sean Tucker and Guy Tal
- Gained key publishing advice from photographer and writer Colleen Miniuk
- Colorado’s Salida River and Bistai Badlands, plus upcoming photo workshops and trips to Tombstone (Yukon) and Scotland
🔮 What’s Next for Matt
- Launching The Colorado Way via Kickstarter (Sept 5 – Oct 5) with:
- Prints, mentoring, and digital assets (including a spreadsheet tool for backpackers)
- Goal: raise $20,000 to fund an initial run of 2,000 books
- Traveling to Yukon, Canada for fall color photography
- A photo conference in Durango, Colorado
- A full month in Scotland to chase autumn light and new inspiration
