Best Shooters: Troy Batzler

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By Alex Robinson

Posted on Jan 5, 2011 7:01 PM EST

From the start, Troy Batzler knew he wanted to be an outdoor photographer. He studied photography at Montana State University and worked his way through college as a hunting and fishing guide. Troy Batzler Photography

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Now the Bozeman resident has shot photos and video from all over the country for some of the biggest media organizations in the industry.
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"The challenge is to always get out there and shoot," Batzler says. "Keep your creativity and keep things fresh."
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As Batzler was getting started as a photographer he was helped and inspired by a handful of fellow shooters, Mike Barlow and Dusan Smetana toa name a few. Now he's trying to encourage others to join the industry. "All I want to do is encourage people to jump into this career," he says. "I don't want to say anything bad about it because it's the greatest job in the world."
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Throughout his career, Batzler has managed to keep things light. A good sense of humor and the ability to take things with a grain of salt are key.
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His favorite place to shoot? Yellowstone National Park in the middle of winter when no one else is around.
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One of Batzler's favorite shooting expeditions was a recent trip with OL's Hunting Editor Andrew Mckean. The Dynamic Duo was given the assignment of covering Jim Ewing's Grand Slam hunt for backcountry elk and whitetails in Montana. It seemed like an easy enough task until a blizzard dumped three feet of snow on the hunting party. A Montana man who likes to keep his words simple, Batzler described the trip like this: "Each hunt has its own taste."
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For Batzler the Grand Slam assignment was also unique because he got to hunt with the same guides he used to work with.
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Now, to meet ever increasing demands, Batzler has incorporated video as a big part of his business. You can see more of his photos and video at Troy Batzler Photography.
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OL profiles some of the best outdoor photographers in the business. This month we highlight the work of Troy Batzler.