McNair Evans Evans broke into professional photography by sheer grit. After getting a degree in cultural anthropology, he switched gears and bought a camera. He begged a non-profit to sponsor him on a six-month trip to Guatemala. In exchange, Evans offered to take pictures for their brochures. Six months later, he had a stack of photos he could show to various publications and studios.

These days, Evans is a full-time professional photographer, snapping photos of athletes for Selko Photo, one of the leading studios in the country. The 26-year-old shot this month’s cover for Blue Ridge Outdoors. Here’s how the day unfolded:

6am: Evans checks the morning light at the lake where the photo shoot is scheduled. “The best light is either in the morning or evening, when the light is softer. The rule is, you shoot in the morning and evening and spend your afternoons selling your pictures.” Evans decides the light at Lake Eden in Black Mountain, N.C., is better in the afternoon.

3pm: Evans arrives at Lake Eden again, with gear, models, and a kayak instructor in tow. He spends some time joking around with the models, getting them to feel as comfortable as possible. When the shoot begins, Evans will have to give order after order until he gets the shots he wants. If models aren’t used to the direction, they can get frustrated. “It’s probably where the ‘photographers are arrogant assholes’ myth comes from,” he says.

4:15pm: Evans is waist deep in Lake Eden. “I wasn’t expecting to get wet. I didn’t wear my swim trunks, but there’s no other way to get the shots I want.” He sinks in to his shoulders to get a different angle.

4:35pm: While waiting for clouds to pass overhead, Evans pokes fun at the kayak instructor for wearing Jelly shoes-“like the Big Lebowski.” He switches cards and lenses on his digital camera, and everything’s ready to roll when the sun breaks through.

5pm: Back in the water, Evans pulls out the “Jesus Trick”: he puts a stepladder on the bottom of the lake, allowing him to stand on top of the water. “I’m not shooting for a perfect image,” Evans says. “I’m shooting for maximum digital exposure. I can manipulate the information on the computer afterwards to create the best picture.”

Evans says the photography is all about computers these days. “There’s not going to be a single roll of film shot during the next Olympics. Having the computer skills to manipulate the image is almost more important than having a good eye.”

6:15pm: Evans stops to examine the pictures he’s taken on his camera’s LCD screen. There’s been a lot of trial and error, arranging the models in different positions with minute variations. He can tell the models are getting bored. They have a shelf life. “It takes a lot of patience, but it’s worth it. I take a picture, I work with it on the computer, and when I’m done, I’ve created something entirely unique.”