alexamiller
ALEXA MILLER is afraid of heights, allergic to liquor, and nibbles on Triscuits like a squirrel when she needs a snack. But this girl is one talented photog who is always beaming with a humongous smile. She transformed from brilliant med school student to brilliant photographer, and there ain't one thing this woman would change in her career for the world. Meet Alexa Miller ...

SheJumps: At SheJumps, we're a group of girls who like to challenge each other to try new things (take a jump, per se). What's a jump you have taken in your life that you gained the most from? Alexa Miller: I was lucky because I was always a good test taker, so my academic strengths lead me to pursue a career in medicine. I was phi-beta-kappa, magna cum laude, double major in biology and studio art from Wellesley College. I killed the MCATs and I managed to get into Georgetown Medical School. But here’s the thing, there are two things in life that I love more than biology and medicine, and those two things are skiing and photography. I have loved skiing since the first day my dad took me to the bunny hill at Ski Liberty Resort (PA)! Same is true for photography, my first roll of film was like a magical experience at the age of 15. But once on the path to academia it’s hard to get off. It was such an honor to get into medical school; it seemed crazy to contemplate leaving. For spring break as a first year medical student, I went to visit my cousin Todd who was a skier living the ski-bum dream in Chamonix France. Once I was there I felt like I discovered the world I really wanted to be in, and the thought of walking away from Chamonix to study neural connections literally drove me to tears. I took a year leave of absence to pursue a childhood dream of skiing for a year straight. June, 2 weeks after taking my final exams, I packed my bags and moved to Las Lenas, Argentina, for a summer of skiing. From there it was off to Big Sky for the early season, and Jan 1 I moved to Chamonix. I got my first professional camera and started shooting in Europe. From there I worked as an intern at Powder Magazine and realized I was NEVER going back to medical school. I was going to be a photographer. The only hard part was telling my mom. She immigrated to America as a teenager and she was so proud of my accomplishments, it was hard for her to believe what I was about to do. But I walked away from a medical career to become an artist and skier, and I have never once regretted it. It was the best leap of my life!

SJ: What are you scared of? Or what's the scariest thing you've ever done?
AM: I’m very very afraid of heights. Or edges, or both! While skiing in Europe (and here) I get into hairy conditions where there’s lots of exposure and lots of dangerous edges. The scariest thing I ever did was to ski the Ronde directe in Chamonix. Skiing a face that ends in a 1,000 foot straight cliff (if you fall and slide, say bye-bye), ski down to the edge, traverse the cliff under seracs, rappel into the exit couloir, cross the berschrund and ski to safety. Definitely my proudest moment on skis! Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

SJ: Why did you pick photography as your career?
AM: Photography combines art and science. I’m a nerd hiding in a one-piece ski suit. I like the techy aspect of photography and I like the excitement of traveling, meeting people I would never meet (just had a photo shoot in the heart of Compton)! Everyone I meet teaches me something new ...

SJ: What kind of photos do you enjoy taking the most?
AM: I love shooting photos in gorgeous and quirky locations with fun people. I mostly shoot lifestyle with a sporty-fashion twist.

SJ: Who's your hero?
AM: Eleanor Roosevelt, Susan Sontag, all the girls ripping it up out there.

SJ: If you could change one thing in your life, what would you change?
AM: More patience.

SJ: What's an obstacle that you've had to overcome in your life (big or small)?
AM: I’m working on the whole fear of heights, just putting myself back into those tough situations and slowly working on it. ... I wouldn’t say I’m there yet!