All photos by Nicci Radhe
1. Who are you and what do you do?
Niccole Celeste Radhe, I am an artist, photographer, outdoor adventure writer and I work at the Reid Park Zoo planning events. I love people, music and animals and photographing brings me the greatest joy. I enjoy being outdoors and sharing my adventures with people through pictures and stories. I want to encourage everyone to turn off the TV and get outside.
2. How did you get your start?
I have been hiking since I was a kid, living in different countries I was always outdoors with my brother, Alex. I have been an outdoors girl my whole life and have always loved taking pictures but I was a really lame photographer. So last year I decided to take a class at Pima. I ended up breaking one of their loaner cameras and had to buy my own, and it was the best accident ever.
I have always wanted to write a Tucson hiking column and I mentioned it out loud one day to my boyfriend, Ruben, who looked at me like I was crazy. A few weeks later the owners of the AZ Weekly Entertainment Magazine were dining in the restaurant I was managing and I told them my dream and showed them my pictures. They were surprisingly excited and said they had been looking to start a TREK column in their Magazine. “Take a Stroll with Niccole” was born, in August 2013, I wrote a column for free every week for over a year and I have been writing about outdoor excursions ever since.
It’s been a lot of fun volunteering for KXCI Locals Only and Tucson Portraits and because of this I have met some of the most amazing and talented artist. I also love photographing musician’s because I dig collaborating with other artists.
3. What inspires you?
Traveling and Music! When you travel you experience new sounds, scents and voices and visions. Traveling gives me fresh ideas and new perspectives and it doesn’t matter if it’s a weekend trip to Payson or a week get away to a faraway island. Every time I go somewhere new I feel like I have taken a little piece of the place home with me, and left a piece of myself there. When I can’t travel I listen to new music, and it takes me places in my head.
4. What do you like about AZ?
What don’t I like about AZ? If you drive from the Mexico border to say Flagstaff you have surpassed more ecological diversity than if you drove half way across the US in any direction. Arizona has more biomes than any other state and the variety of plants and animals found here is impressive and surprising. In a few hours you can see the Sonoran desert and the ponderosa pine forest. Mexico is only a 6-8 hour drive and I like to Scuba dive. Plus the weather is unbeatable, with 350 days of sunshine there is no lack of vitamin D here. You can go north in the summer and south in the winter, but you never have to travel too far. I have snowboarded in Tucson in the winter and climbed Mt. Humphrey in the summer, you just have to know the right time to see certain places.
5. Where can we see your work?
I photograph and write about outdoor escapes for Zocalo, The Entertainer, and Lovin’ Life after 50. Every Month I write about a new destination for each magazine. I also contribute photography to Reid Park Zoo, KXCI Tucson’s Community Radio, and the Tucson Portraits articles written by Robert Hanshaw featured right here at Yab Yum. I am working on a lot of exciting projects and looking to start my photography website soon. For now I am traveling about AZ to find new getaways or shooting weddings, musicians and portraits down here in the Old Pueblo. If you get a chance please check out my work on Facebook or Instagram.
6. What would you like to accomplish before you die?
I want to get paid to travel and review. I want to create and publish a book or two. I definitely would like to create a tour guide to Arizona, a fun and unpretentious guide for the adventure seekers and new comers to our fine state. I have a lot more exploration to do before I can even begin that venture. I would also like to improve and refine my writing and photography skills, but that’s a short term goal. I also want to travel Mexico, border to border and coast to coast. It is close, it’s cheap and I love the culture.
7. What is your mantra?
YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK!
The world around us is created by our ideas and intentions. Be conscious, careful and kind with yourself and with others.
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