Staff

Owner / Director

Chris Steppig

Program Manager, Photojournalist, Archaeologist

Matt Stirn

Social Media / Marketing

Meg Rice

Workshop Faculty / International Travel Provider

Ian Segebarth

Rich Clarkson
Workshop Founder

Rich Clarkson

Owner / Director

Chris Steppig

Chris is the owner and director of Summit Workshops. Summit was his first job out of college and nearly 20 years later, this is home.  He is in charge of all workshop operations, scheduling, logistics, faculty, social media, marketing and sponsorship. Chris has a passion for conservation, travel, and education and the workshops are a dream platform to help others reach new heights as not only photographers but as people.

Chris is an affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers. The iLCP is a U.S. based non-profit whose mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography. This affiliation provides a tremendous opportunity to help deliver great content and also be an advisor on matters large and small.  He is also a professional advisor for Outdoor Photographer magazine.  Through collaboration and great communications with the editor of the magazine, there have been countless articles written by Summit Alumni in the magazine over the years.

Program Manager, Photojournalist, Archaeologist

Matt Stirn

Matt is a photographer, writer, and archaeologist based between Boston and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He holds a graduate degree in Environmental Archaeology and focuses on stories related to culture, history, and conservation. Matt is a Contributing Editor for Archaeology Magazine, a National Fellow at The Explorer’s Club and has written and photographed over three dozen feature stories for publications including Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Global News, and GEO. Matt’s work at Summit is diverse and ranges from assisting at our core workshops to planning and running many of our international and destination workshops.

Social Media / Marketing

Meg Rice

Meg Rice works in digital advertising, is an avid social media scroller, a strong writer, and an amateur photographer. She enjoys all things communications and conservation, and is especially passionate about communications for conservation efforts. She loves being able to share stories through her writing and multimedia work to inspire and educate others. 

Meg graduated with degrees in Journalism and Mass Communications and Environmental Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2021. Today, she aims to travel more, keep writing and work on her photography skills. 

Workshop Faculty / International Travel Provider

Ian Segebarth

The founder and owner of Rainshadow Expeditions, Ian has spent the past decade traveling and guiding in over 40 countries, covering every continent. He has a background in conservation biology and environmental science, which has fueled his passion for nature and exploration. Ian is a highly experienced scuba instructor and technical cave diver, and has completed thousands of dives all over the world, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Antarctica, and the Caribbean. He is also a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine, and his film work has appeared on Discovery Channel and BBC. In addition to guiding, Ian still has ongoing research and exploration in numerous locations around the world, and he will be happy to share his expertise on these topics.

Workshop Founder

Rich Clarkson

Rich started the Summit Workshops over 30 years ago due to the importance of networking and education in photography. Rich is the former Director of Photography at the National Geographic, Topeka Capital Journal, and Denver Post. He was also a longtime contract photographer for Sports Illustrated and a legend in Sports Photography. Rich was one of the 50 most influential individuals in American photography by American Photo magazine. Rich is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, recipient of the William Allen White Medal, Luice award in Achievement in Sports. He is also the recipient of Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Award.

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