Miya Tsudome: climber, photographer

Miya Tsudome is a 32-year-old outdoor photographer and climber who turned a summer job in Yosemite into a whole new life. (miyatsudome.com)

She grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley, studied English, and had $30,000 in student loans when she decided to skip the New York City career path and head west. A one-way ticket to San Francisco led her to a service job in Yosemite Valley, where she earned $124 her first week—and got hooked on the lifestyle.

Miya spent five years living and working in Yosemite, climbing, guiding, and building a life around the outdoors. She eventually picked up a camera, sold her first photos to Patagonia, and landed an internship that helped launch a career in adventure photography.

Now based in B ...