Throughout 2018, we are excited to partner with our friends at The Outside Project to highlight the travel photography of their globe-trotting ambassadors, otherwise known as Explorers. The impressive work of these photographers is often featured on The Outside Project’s Instagram account, providing daily wanderlust to their 141,000 followers.
Do you want to be featured on the Resource Travel Instagram? Make sure to use the hashtag #ResourceTravel when posting your adventures! And of course, always share your love for nature and adventure using the hashtag #Outside_Project to be featured on their well-curated Instagram account.
And starting this month, we are also partnering with our friends at Atlas Packs to give away a one of their amazing adventure backpacks to one of our lucky readers. You can check out my experience with an Atlas Pack here, and scroll down to the bottom of this article to enter for your chance to win a $400 backpack.
Check out the February Photos of the Month from The Outside Project explorers! And if you need more visual inspiration, check out the previous Outside Project Explorer’s Photos here.
Location: Squamish, British Columbia
Photographer: Brendin Kelly: @brendinkelly from Vancouver, Canada
This is one of my favorite photos that I have taken because it’s a spot that’s not very well known in British Columbia and I just met the guy pictured in the water that morning. That is what I love about Instagram. You can so easily meet people with similar interests and they wind up becoming real life friends.
We hiked up to the lake in 2 hours, when it usually takes people 2.5-3 hours. We got to the top and he looked at me and said “should I jump in?” I smiled and said “only if you want”. This is a day I won’t forget.
If I had 1 piece of advise for an upcoming photographer, I would say.. just have fun. I think a lot of people worry about the number of likes they get or the number of followers they have on social media. I just love taking photos and I never lose sight of that. That’s what got me into photography, just the pure joy of capturing a great moment.
Location: Seceda, Italy
Photographer: Chris Poplawski: @chrispoops from Orange County, California
This morning spent on top of the Seceda in Italy is easily one of my most favorite photography adventures to date. At 8,264 feet of elevation, we had the mountain top to ourselves and slept through the freezing cold without the proper gear. We unzipped our tent while the biting freeze rattled our bones and realized we were officially above the clouds as the sun was rising. It was mesmerizing to say the least. My advice to aspiring photographers would be to not be afraid of trying new things. Conquer the comfort zone and get yourself outside of it. Start with local adventures, learn your cameras and keep challenging yourself to go further, pushing the limits of your comfort zone. Leave the rest up to nature and you might get as lucky as we did this morning.
Location: Lava Bed National Monument
Photographer: Ryan Thompson:@rynotime
from Redding, California
The first time I saw this cave I was surfing the internet and I knew I had to find it. Over the next eight months I found myself exploring Lava Bed National Monument dragging around my climbing gear, on seemingly never-ending hunt. I quickly became discouraged and began to throw in the towel. I couldn’t find any information and had no lead whatsoever until I met a new friend who claimed to know its location. I immediately called my father telling him I think I found it, I knew he wanted to see it equally as bad. After hiking 6.5 miles (one way) I found myself lowering into what I spent just over a year and a half looking for. I was so amazed at how their is only one way in and out. I watched as my dad entered the cave shortly after myself. We where in awe, we had finally found it. I snapped this image as he began to ascend out of the cave. This is a day I know we will look back on, a experience we will never forget!
Location: Larch Valley, Canada
Photographer: Colin Gillespie: @calin.charles
from Alberta, Canada
It had been a long night. I had planned to drive out to Lake Moraine for sunrise, before the cold chose to set in. It was late fall, and I knew that beautiful days like this would be numbered; I had to get one last experience it before winter came. I left Edmonton at around 12:30AM and began my drive southwest. It was not a short trip, and I had to fight to keep my eyes open throughout. When I finally reached the mountains, the northern lights danced above me, as if welcoming me from my long, tiring journey. Arriving at Moraine, the darkness still covered everything, hiding the lake’s beauty from my eyes. I had not been here before, and my body almost vibrated in anticipation of the light. As the sun rose over the mountaintops, the vibrant blue waters lit up the mountain lake. I had never seen something as beautiful as this.
After snapping a few photos, and breathing in the beauty before me, I started hiking up towards Larch Valley, A local and international favorite in the fall. The larch trees stood golden in the morning sun. As I found my way through the valley, I came to a small lake so still you could see your reflection. The golden larches and overarching mountains became doubled in it’s chilly fall waters, creating an image of perfection. There is no greater country than this.
Location: Sweden
Photographer: Gabriella Morton: @gabriellamorton from New Zealand
It became quite the reality check when I found out these woodlands were inhabited by Bears, Wolves, Lynx and Snakes… I’m used to cute little bird chirps not howling echoes. By this leg of the trip my phone (which I’d planned the entire itinerary on and doubling as our navigation device) had been completely destroyed after rugged terrain punctured the screen right through. We had no option but to take each day spontaneously as it came. From vast open coastline, to dense forest, our tent was our portable home and safe haven for 40 days straight. Quite incredible really!
