We were lucky to catch up with Joanna Adams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joanna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I’m on the board of Public Land Creatives – a non-profit organization that advocates for equal, fair, and unbiased access to create and recreate on our nation’s beautiful public lands. This mission is important and meaningful to me because I believe everyone has the right to document their lives on public lands whether they are photographers, videographers, creators, or citizens. Capturing and sharing the human experience in our vast and varied outdoors is one of the great joys of being alive and a sentiment shared by all. At the PLC, we also advocate for appropriate and responsible land stewardship and conservation. As an avid outdoorswoman, adventurer and mother, I’m particularly passionate on these fronts because I want future generations to be able to seek the same solace and joy in our outdoor spaces that we experience now.

Joanna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As an elopement and micro wedding photographer in the stunning state of Montana, I got involved with Public Land Creatives because locally, we started to experience unprecedented restrictions and new permit requirements in the areas I work in the most. After communicating with the community at large, we realized that this problem was not isolated to our state, but was instead a widespread issue affecting creatives nationally. It became clear that building a centralized forum for creatives to discuss, understand, and effect change regarding permits was paramount. Early in this journey, we partnered with other like-minded photographers to establish an organization that monitors the federal legal climate in regard to land access and use, advocates for common sense permits and requirements for the future, and helps creatives navigate the current permit maze. Surprisingly, nothing like this existed in the photography or larger creative industry up to that point. With grit and passion, we assembled a non-profit, built a robust online community, and successfully advocated for the removal of illegal, nonsensical restrictions placed specifically on creatives. One said restriction required creatives to obtain what can best be described as a guiding permit. This permit requires that creatives pay 3% of their gross profits in fees, limits hikes beyond ½ mile from the road (unlike actual guides), makes photographers liable for clients’ actions and allows rates to be determined by the superintendent. A few of the public lands we have successfully enacted change in include Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, North Cascades National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Together, we have affected common-sense changes, partnered with federal agencies & national groups, and worked on a new bill that is currently moving through Congress. I’m excited about the prospect of this practical and simple new law because it will secure a future in which permits are based on impact rather than content and this is more apt for the modern social media and digital age. For example, the current antiquated law often requires videographers to obtain a permit; however, a photographer using the same equipment and performing an equivalent activity with similar impact, does not. This law would also ensure that the public could post on social media and enjoy sharing their experiences on public lands freely, as long as they are not disrupting the experience of other visitors.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

One of the greatest foundations for building a successful reputation is ACTION. It takes more than a mission statement or lofty ideas to gain the trust of a community. And I’m really proud to say that since its launch, Public Land Creatives has affected real, tangible change for our members and the Creative Community at large! We work incredibly hard to honor our mission and members, and I believe this dedication is building our reputation as an organization that keeps its promises. We continuously educate ourselves about the complexities of the permitting process in many areas and constantly assess the challenges facing our industry, making moves where we can. We have successfully tackled big projects and big agencies with diplomacy and professionalism, and had some really incredible wins! We have placed amazing, diverse people on our team, sought out sound legal counsel to ensure success and I’m proud of what we’ve done in such a short time!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It’s difficult to choose the most rewarding aspect of such a fulfilling job as being an artist or creative, but one that comes to mind is the amazing ability to freeze time. In our fast paced lives, we live in a state of feeling like the highlights and everyday experiences of our lives are fleeting away – the first kiss, the fresh newborn grasp on to your finger, the passionate I love you, or the promises made to another of a lifetime together under a starry sky. As an artist, I have this ability to lock these memories in forever. Have you ever stumbled onto an old photograph, perhaps of your childhood yard and suddenly felt the grass between your toes or dirt under your fingernails as you shaped mud into pretend pots? That child has long since grown up, but the experiences are still within that person as an adult. All of these experiences and moments shape who we are. Photographs won’t change these experiences, but perhaps will help us recall the magic of them. As an artist, it is incredibly rewarding to have this sacred responsibility of helping others remember the beauty and nuance of their lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.publiclandcreatives.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/publiclandcreatives
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/publiclandcreatives

Image Credits
Lovelight Photography Jill Jones Photography Joanna Adams Photography Adventure and Vow Story Bright Films Shell Creek Photography