Adventure Travel Podcast - Big World Made Small · Jason Elkins - Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Marketing

Adventure Travel with Scott Davis - Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris

·1 hr 12 min·4 clips

At age eight, Scott picked up a camera and by 13 he had built a dark room in his basement.

Jason introduces Scott Davis as the CEO, co-owner, expedition leader, and guide behind the outfitter. The conversation opens in the show's familiar, curious style, with Jason asking direct questions and Scott answering plainly. One of the main threads is photography and the discomfort many travelers feel when they want to photograph people. Jason raises the worry that approaching strangers can feel creepy or like a very American kind of overreach. Scott treats that hesitation as normal and workable. He says many guests in his photo workshops bring up the same concern. He explains that these workshops are not limited to wildlife; some focus on cultures and people as much as landscapes and animals. His advice is to think in a more professional frame and act as if the photograph is part of the job. That shift, he says, helps get past the first barrier. He points out that most people are more open than travelers expect. He also notes that, in another country, the person being photographed may be curious about the traveler too. The exchange becomes mutual instead of one-sided. Scott describes how a simple approach can open the door to real interaction. He stresses that a smile goes a long way. He also frames the camera as something that can create a connection rather than block one. Even when there is a language barrier, there are still ways to communicate. An interpreter can help, and so can patience and a willingness to feel your way through the moment. The episode stays loose and conversational as Jason keeps testing the idea from different angles. Scott keeps coming back to the same practical center: be respectful, be human, and do not assume the worst about the encounter. The discussion is less about technique than about attitude. It asks the listener to see portrait photography as part of travel rather than an interruption to it. By the end, the show has turned a small field question into a broader lesson about curiosity and connection.

As heard by us

A practical, human take on photographing people without losing the point of the trip.

Scott Davis leads Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris through a useful conversation about the awkward art of photographing people while traveling. It lands because it treats a simple question with care: how to approach strangers with a camera, stay curious, and read the moment before…

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Why you'd press play

For the moment when you want to ask strangers for a photo without feeling intrusive.

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