WHITEFISH — We are highlighting some of our favorite stories we've covered at KPAX and KAJ over the course of this year.
Alex Strohl and he's living the millennial dream in Whitefish.
Madrid born with French heritage, Strohl has two million followers on Instagram and works with iconic brands like Land Rover and Arcteryx, shooting pictures for them all over the world. It was a photo of his wife that launched Strohl's career.
"Shooting this photo of Andrea falling into this swimming pool in France, falling backwards, it's a really cool photo shot from there were no drones back then but you see water and then someone falling backwards into it,” Strohl said.
“So, I put this photo online with some key words. A student at Microsoft decided to buy it for a campaign for a bunch of money,” he added.
That money was enough for Strohl to travel the world for a year. Experimenting with photography, and this potential new career. "At the same time Instagram was kind of starting, so it was really the right place and right time and then seizing up the opportunity."
When work and travel becomes too much for Strohl he retreats back home to Whitefish.
He grew up hearing stories of the wild west from his father and it was these stories that drew Strohl to Whitefish. "He said he'd see bears skiing and there's not many people there. They had those really long skis back in the 60s right? I remember looking at these old negatives of it, old photos."
It's Montana's beauty that inspires some of Strohl's photographs.
"Out of all the parks, out of all the wilderness areas in the US, to me Glacier was always the most iconic because I think a lot of my work revolves around water and alpine lakes and glaciers and within the lower 48 there isn't that many glaciers left right?” Strohl said. “So, coming close to the biggest source of glaciers, of glaciers in the US was pretty key to me."
Strohl feels right at home in Montana.
"I like people of Montana. They're really crafty. I'm a terrible craftsman and everybody I've met from Montana, all the good friends we've had the opportunity to meet here they can build anything the next day right? Everyone's really resourceful and I admire that."
Two new books are on the horizon for Strohl -- taking readers with him on a journey to remote places.
"For volume one we spent four months on the road in Europe trying to meet people that live in remote places and interviewing them and taking photos of them,” Strohl said. “And volume two is going to be about that, more in depth so less people more time with each of them and focusing about islands."
For now, Strohl is happy in Whitefish with his photographs and a good cup of self-brewed coffee. You can check out Strohls instagram page at Alex Strohl.
