"️Smithsonian exhibited, ️Sotheby's auctioned, NatGeo featured, photographer, artist AND ️hilarious adorable wordsmith."
Hey, I have my full profile on my blog at www.stuckincustoms.com ... here's a bit of it...
Trey Ratcliff, a visionary artist and trailblazer, passionately endeavors to promote consciousness and mindfulness globally through the captivating power of photography and creativity. As the guy behind StuckInCustoms.com, the world’s premier travel photography blog, Ratcliff has traversed all seven continents, capturing awe-inspiring images that have garnered an astounding 140 billion views on Google and attracted a loyal following of over 5 million on social media.
TED’s Chris Anderson has hailed Ratcliff as a “pioneer” in High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, a testament to his groundbreaking work in the field. Ratcliff’s achievements include displaying the first-ever HDR photograph at the prestigious Smithsonian Museum and transforming his exquisite, large-format limited edition prints into a thriving, multimillion-dollar business catering to discerning fine art collectors worldwide. In 2012, Ratcliff made the prescient decision to relocate to Queenstown, New Zealand, before it emerged as a popular refuge for doomsday preppers.
With a diverse and illustrious clientele, Ratcliff’s fine art masterpieces have found their way into the collections of knights, professional athletes, and esteemed celebrities like Edward Norton and Leonardo DiCaprio. Never one to shy away from innovation, Ratcliff has recently ventured into the burgeoning crypto sphere, successfully launching multiple NFT drops that have accumulated an impressive 1,500 ETH in total volume.
A couple of testimonials...
"Trey’s images are other-worldly, mind-blowing creations that, at first glance, appear to be some digital trompe l’oeil; a Photoshop trickery post production creation. But no, Ratcliff’s photographs — through techniques he freely shares — are inspiring and real. Something which makes them all the more incredible.”
JJ Abrams, Director & Writer, Lost, Mission: Impossible III, Fringe, Star Trek, Super 8, and some Star Warses
“Trey’s pictures are a daily source of inspiration for me. I can’t count the times that I’ve gotten stuck in my writing and, as I sit there staring at my computer screen desperately trying to think of the next idea, the screensaver kicks in with one of Trey’s images, and the shapes and colors triggered something in me that got me to the next note…”
Hans Zimmer, Composer, The Lion King, Gladiator, Interstellar, Inception, Batman, Dune
HERE’S A MORE QUIRKY BIO IN BRIEF BULLET POINTS
I was born blind in one eye and still only see out of my left. I call it “The Gift.” I’m working to get my right eye fully back online through a variety of techniques…
My degree was in Computer Science and Math and I did that until my mid 30’s until I discovered photography and it changed my life.
I started the blog StuckInCustoms.com immediately after getting a digital camera and started sharing one photo per day along with stories and free tutorials to help everyone enjoy this strange world of HDR Photography that I was discovering for myself. I was obsessed. I’ve written one blog post per day and shared a new photo for over the past 15 years and I still love it. Now it’s the #1 most popular personal travel photography blog with millions of views! Thanks, everyone!
I sell large format, limited edition prints to happy collectors around the world, and in 2017 we passed the $1 million mark in total sales. The fine art side of the business has been much more fun and exhilarating than I ever anticipated. All fine art info is over at our sister site at TreyRatcliff.com
I continually update my photo portfolio which represents over a decade of travels and discoveries.
I’ve somehow amassed over 5 million social media followers when you add up all the platforms (Facebook + Instagram + Pinterest + Twitter + Flickr). I love all these Internet friends! Thanks y’all!
Google tracks views, and on that platform alone, it’s over 140 billion views and around 30 million views per day, as you can see above. At least some of those views are from my mom, who is my biggest fan .
I do some public speaking through my agent at CAA. She’s lovely, although sometimes kind of useless.
I’m really into meditation and yoga. I also go to Burning Man (my Burning Man photos) every single year and love it.
Over the past few years, I’ve started partnering with companies to build products and services. One good example is Peak Design, where we designed a number of bags on Kickstarter. The two Kickstarters made over $13 million and have been hugely successful. Most importantly, the bags make people happy!
I also teamed up to build our own Photo Software with Skylum . It has over 3 million downloads total and been growing ever since. Last year we won Apple’s “Mac App of the Year.”
I love to do Free Photo Walks Around the World filled with tips and fun for the fans! Sign up for our newsletter to find out first about that or other goodies!
The company here has grown to a handful of people, full-time and part-time. Everyone helps one another out and we have a lot of fun!
I have some amazing luxury brand partnerships like with the Ritz-Carlton for example. I try to partner with companies that layer nicely on top of my travel and creative lifestyle. I feel very lucky and do not take any of these partnerships for granted…
I create a lot of videos that are all over the place and there is no real theme over on my YouTube channel. Some are inspirational. Some are how-to. Some are story-telling. I’m all over the show.
What’s the core reason I do all of this? A bit new-agey but maybe you’ll dig it. I want to help spread consciousness and mindfulness to the world. It’s hard to teach billions to meditate, but you can help teach them photography and creativity. I believe when people are being creative they are being fully present and conscious, and that’s the best thing we all can do for the world.
Last, but most important, is my family! I was married to beautiful Tina for a long time and we are still besties and we have three wonderful children. We moved from Texas to New Zealand over a decade ago for a variety of reasons, although we are now spread out all over the globe, my main home is here on the South Island of NZ.
Some useful links...
LinkTree: Loads of Links
Facebook Page: Come join for the latest!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/treyratcliff/
Twitter: twitter.com/TreyRatcliff
Pinterest: uk.pinterest.com/treyratcliff/pins/
My Full Bio is on the "About Me" page of my blog here.
Showcase
- JoinedJanuary 2006
- OccupationDad & Artist
- Current cityQueenstown
- CountryNew Zealand
Most popular photos
Testimonials
I had never heard of HDR photography until I came across some amazing images done by Trey about 12 months ago, I did some research and now I am a HDR addict. I love his technique, to me he appears to enhance the natural beauty of a scene. Anyway funny story but true, my Teacher (pro photographer)kept saying we needed t… Read more
I had never heard of HDR photography until I came across some amazing images done by Trey about 12 months ago, I did some research and now I am a HDR addict. I love his technique, to me he appears to enhance the natural beauty of a scene. Anyway funny story but true, my Teacher (pro photographer)kept saying we needed to do some reseach on a guy called Trey Ratcliff (his words "best HDR photographer on the planet") and I kept telling him about this really cool photographer called "Stuck in Customs" go figure...The same person!! Rgds Clyde
Read lessTrey's travels and work are inspiring. So much to see out there, and he brings it to our screens in living color ;) Keep on shooting and pushing the limits.
I think Stuck in Customs has the travelling life most of us want to have. He's a fantastic photographer. He captures images of the travel dream world of books and pictures we grew up with; when we were kids and everything sounded so deliciously foreign and misterious.
I had never heard of HDR when I started flickring and was completely shocked the first time I saw his stream: hey this is no fair, this guy is cheating and he must be stopped... My numerous attempts to stop him failed so I just started cheating as well. It's all been said, love the pictures, simply amazing. Great gu… Read more
I had never heard of HDR when I started flickring and was completely shocked the first time I saw his stream: hey this is no fair, this guy is cheating and he must be stopped... My numerous attempts to stop him failed so I just started cheating as well. It's all been said, love the pictures, simply amazing. Great guy, very accessible (he really tries).
Read lessSimply - AM-A-Z-ING!!!!
Tre's photos are beautiful, there's no doubt about that... as a matter of fact if you doubt it you need to have your head examined and possible shaken, violently. But more than that, Tre is a very generous individual that has answered numerous brainless questions I've sent his way. Thank you so much for your insights, … Read more
Tre's photos are beautiful, there's no doubt about that... as a matter of fact if you doubt it you need to have your head examined and possible shaken, violently. But more than that, Tre is a very generous individual that has answered numerous brainless questions I've sent his way. Thank you so much for your insights, your pixels and your tutorials.
Read lessI'm very happy that i have found Trey. Honestly it was by accident - when i was looking for HDR images. Now i check his photo stream few times per day. Each of his photos are unique and stylish. Thanks to Trey i have discovered many new techniques in photography. Thank you Trey for sharing your work!
I'm so glad I found Trey! What a fantastic photographer and artist he is at the same time! I learn from him everyday there is an endless inspiration for me on this photo stream! Thank you for being my friend! I'm looking forward to every photo you upload my dear friend!
Amazing work. Such an inspiration. The reason why I started experimenting with HDR.
Trey is one of my fav flickr photographers. His images are so unique I get lost inside alot of his work. His images are very creative, artistic, and beautiful. His use of HDR is superb and the composition of his photo's always compliment the colours, the tones and detail thus giving his photo's their own personalities… Read more
Trey is one of my fav flickr photographers. His images are so unique I get lost inside alot of his work. His images are very creative, artistic, and beautiful. His use of HDR is superb and the composition of his photo's always compliment the colours, the tones and detail thus giving his photo's their own personalities. It is a pleasure to look at your work. A feast for the eyes.
Read lessTrey's work captures the world as some of us fail to see it--beautiful. :]
absolute creative and artistic genius! this is the first testimonial i have written. i have been a contact for quite a while but it was viewing the set Portfolio:the best, that moved me to write this! envy at such an amazing talent is completely quashed by my admiration for your skill and ability! keep up the good … Read more
absolute creative and artistic genius! this is the first testimonial i have written. i have been a contact for quite a while but it was viewing the set Portfolio:the best, that moved me to write this! envy at such an amazing talent is completely quashed by my admiration for your skill and ability! keep up the good work!!
Read lessTrey, your work is just phenomenal. Each and every time I visit your stream there is always something there to surprise me. You have travelled the world and given us a chance to be there with you through your images, your unique views on the world around you. You have told us stories, you've made us grin, smile, … Read more
Trey, your work is just phenomenal. Each and every time I visit your stream there is always something there to surprise me. You have travelled the world and given us a chance to be there with you through your images, your unique views on the world around you. You have told us stories, you've made us grin, smile, frown. And all with what comes naturally for you; creating perfect images, remnants of moments you have lived but chosen to show to others. Amazing work, my friend. Thank you so much for sharing.
Read lessThe way he sees and captures the world is simply amazing. He makes the rest of us see things in a different light. His entire stream is simply outstanding...
He's able to offer a different 'stunning' approach to photography, very personal and highly professional. Definitely one of the best artists on flickr.
This guy changed my way of seeing the world!
“In my opinion, you are by far the best HDR Photographer on flickr, better yet the best I’ve ever seen. Your work is truly inspirational and uniquely crafted. I'm just blown away by your photos on how fascinating, and ultimately your achievement of perfection.” I love your tutorials by the way, incredibly helpful … Read more
“In my opinion, you are by far the best HDR Photographer on flickr, better yet the best I’ve ever seen. Your work is truly inspirational and uniquely crafted. I'm just blown away by your photos on how fascinating, and ultimately your achievement of perfection.” I love your tutorials by the way, incredibly helpful “Ray” – X y L e -
Read lessThe colorful, vibrant, animated, and visceral images by Trey radiate from the screen and consciously linger for weeks. I study, admire and peer at his subjects, methods, and artistic techniques. His frequent travel around the globe enables him to best express his artistic talent, capturing the essence of these ex… Read more
The colorful, vibrant, animated, and visceral images by Trey radiate from the screen and consciously linger for weeks. I study, admire and peer at his subjects, methods, and artistic techniques. His frequent travel around the globe enables him to best express his artistic talent, capturing the essence of these exotic locations and their cultures. His compositions simultaneously educate, entertain, and stimulate the visual sense. His images inspire me to be a better photographer.
Read lessthis is the best HDR photographer i have ever seen wish you all the best :)
Wow is sometimes all I can say to myself everytime I look at one of your new photos (also accompanied with amazing, awesome, beautiful, incredible...and more!). I never ceased to be amazed every time I see another great image on my contact's images page, and it's no surprise that you've made such an impact on many peop… Read more
Wow is sometimes all I can say to myself everytime I look at one of your new photos (also accompanied with amazing, awesome, beautiful, incredible...and more!). I never ceased to be amazed every time I see another great image on my contact's images page, and it's no surprise that you've made such an impact on many people all over the world on flickr. Keep up the great work!
Read lessI am so happy that this guy travels...I am even happier that he takes us with him, with his images. He has a camera and is not afraid to use it. He is one of the photographers here on flickr, that I can't wait to check in on. He hasn't dissappointed me yet, and I have a feeling, he is going to take me places, that I… Read more
I am so happy that this guy travels...I am even happier that he takes us with him, with his images. He has a camera and is not afraid to use it. He is one of the photographers here on flickr, that I can't wait to check in on. He hasn't dissappointed me yet, and I have a feeling, he is going to take me places, that I could not hope to visit. Thank you Trey for being our guide through this world we live in.
Read lessTrey, you have earned a lot of high praise for your work, and you obviously get it on flickr. I am a web-posted art photo viewing junkie, so a see a lot. Your work alone motivated me to sign up for flickr. You correctly say you change image reproduction to force the mind to process images differently. Your photos… Read more
Trey, you have earned a lot of high praise for your work, and you obviously get it on flickr. I am a web-posted art photo viewing junkie, so a see a lot. Your work alone motivated me to sign up for flickr. You correctly say you change image reproduction to force the mind to process images differently. Your photos are a terrific composite of the varying impressions the careful observer gets from viewing a scene in person. They thus best convey the feeling of the viewing as well as the impression in a way that I have not encountered before. I think you are really on to something here. Have you considered more beach photography, especially big wave and big sky combinatons? With your incredible sky photography, the big surf and great skies of the North Coast of Oahu, Rapa Nui, or even Puerto Escondido in Mexico and many other sites could yield some shots that would potentially blow the mind. Not to mention, would be highly marketable to several magazines. Thank you for sharing your amazing body of work.
Read lessAll i can say is that out of everyone on flickr.com 'Stuck in Customs' actually puts me in the frame of everyone of his pictures. They are breathtaking and seem to imprint themselves in my mind for the rest of the day/week. Thanks again, im looking forward to many more pictures!
magnific,like modern Magritte surealist, bravo et merci isis
You are a Fantastic Artist, Perhaps the Best I have seen. You have a great Gift and I look forward to seeing more of your wonderful work!!
Trey, You are a true leader on Flickr and I appreciate your work and inspiration. Thank you for producing great quality work that pushes all of us to the next level! Personally I've grown in skill over the last few months learning from you and many of the other members of the "Brilliant Cabal." I look forward to se… Read more
Trey, You are a true leader on Flickr and I appreciate your work and inspiration. Thank you for producing great quality work that pushes all of us to the next level! Personally I've grown in skill over the last few months learning from you and many of the other members of the "Brilliant Cabal." I look forward to seeing what we all can create in 2007!
Read lessThe only word to describe your images is 'awesome'. Totally meant in it's true context as well. I say 'wow' to myself upon viewing EVERY single one of your pictures. Your work makes me wish I had an HDR switch on my eyes to view the world as your images portray it.
So, you have great use of HDR! Even if that's a bit differ from my point of view on tone-mapping — respect. Even if I envy for your number of comments — you're doing right and great job. Thanks.
Great traditional photography skills + Great Eye + Bold man +HDR guru = Trey. Thanks for all your help
SUPERB HDR!!
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