I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of the greatest sports photographers of all time, Peter Read Miller. Peter was not just a legendary photographer for Sports Illustrated and many other prestigious outlets, but he was also a generous mentor and a true catalyst in my life.
When I was at San Jose State in the photojournalism program, Brad Mangin and Jim McNay—both of whom have been huge mentors and influences on my career in their own right—convinced Peter to come give a talk to us students. They also nudged me to put together a portfolio of climbing photos to share.
I’ll never forget sitting down with Peter at a four-foot light table and sharing 40 of my best photographs. He studied each and every slide with a loupe, giving me honest, thoughtful feedback—real advice, real encouragement. He told me I had an eye, that I was doing something worthwhile. Most importantly, he said that the next step was simply to get out there and make it happen. It was just what I needed to hear at the time. I loaded up 100 rolls of slide film and climbing gear into my Honda Civic, and hit the road for 6 months, capturing some of my favorite climbing photos (see below), meeting many new lifelong friends and climbing partners, and truly launching my professional career.
Over the following years, Peter and I kept in touch, and he made introductions at Sports Illustrated, which led directly to assignments and opened doors I didn’t even know how to knock on yet. Whenever I had questions about navigating the business side of photography, Peter was generous with his time and perspective.
He will be deeply missed—as a photographer, as a mentor, and as someone who truly believed in lifting others up.
Thank you, Peter. Your impact carries on.
