I film skiers doing tricks. Here's how I taught myself to shoot and landed gigs that let me travel the world.

• Gavin Rudy films professional skiers performing tricks.
• He grew up skiing in Colorado and started out filming his friends as a hobby.
• This winter, he plans to film in Austria and Japan. He works for the US Forest Service in summer.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Gavin Rudy, a self-employed cinematographer, about making ski films. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm a self-employed cinematographer, editor, and artist. I primarily make ski films — action-sports movies that feature professional skiers doing tricks on mountains and in urban settings.