For the first episode, host Kishore Sawh dons his finest sport coat as he spearheads a panel discussion about ‘landscape photography’ with a who’s who of outdoor adventure photography.

Erin Babnik, Jacob Riglin, Chris Burkard, Keith Ladzinski and Pete McBride are no strangers to the outdoors, extreme environments and conservation efforts. Collectively, the formidable five-some has almost 6 MILLION followers on Instagram, with Burkard, Ladzinski and McBride being regular contributors for the holy grail of photography journalism, National Geographic.

So when you have the chance to watch these five brilliant minds sit down together and just chat about their passion for their art, you mine every ounce of knowledge out of the experience as you can.

I watched the discussion twice over, and I learned just as much the second time around as the first. I have collected a list of my favorite quotes from the show, but to really get the lesson behind the words, I advise shutting off all distractions and watching the discussion yourself.

“A photograph now is more of a communication tool than anything.” -Chris Burkard

Chris was talking about the advance of photography as an art form over the years. He related his recent experience of studying Ansel Adam’s archives, and how the archivist explained that, in Ansel’s day, photography was more a tool for science than an art. Keith talked about how most of the photographs being taken today are almost strictly for the personal memories, bringing full circle how far the ‘art’ of photography has come since Ansel Adam’s day.

“There is an element of loving a place to death…and maybe part of the story I am trying to tell is that we have to protect this place. If your canvas is going to be the outdoors, isn’t there a question for us as storytellers to protect it?” – Pete McBride

The group discussion turned to how to keep people engaged in such a saturated social media society. Pete recounts how he revisits places that he used to enjoy by himself years ago, whereas now those same places have dozens of people constantly crammed into them, most trying to get the same photograph. Whereas Pete’s career has been focused on conservation, he brings up an important point. Maybe we all need to do a little more to help prevent us as a society from ‘loving a place to death.’

‘Be educated as to what the local issues are. Don’t travel blindly. Open yourself up to more awareness of what you are doing and what you are shooting. This is our responsibility as photographers.’ – Chris Burkard

Chris touches on an important point here. Why are you traveling in the first place? Is it to experience the culture, try the food, or get that one photo for Instagram? Whatever the underlying reason is, open your eyes and ears and get to know the community, the land, and the people that you are visiting. You are in their home. Show respect by getting to know the land and its inhabitants that have been there for centuries before you arrived and will be there for centuries after you leave.

“Photography is my life. Most of the time I am taking pictures, it’s for me. I think most people shoot for the joy of shooting. Whenever you are doing the thing you love, you get tunnel vision. And that’s such a cleansing of the mind.” – Keith Ladzinski

It is so great to hear Keith talk about the fact that a lot of the photos he takes still get his passion and creative juices flowing. With the impressive resume that he has, you would think almost all of his photography work is ‘for others’ and not for himself. This is a powerful line that reinforces that no matter how much work you get, how much stress you are under, it is possible to still enjoy what you do.

“An agency once gave me great advice.  They said: ‘Your website is important, but if we want to hire you, we are going to look at your blog.‘  And they were right. They want to know who YOU are. They want to know who we are as people, because they want to spend time with you.” – Chris Burkard

Great advice. A website full of portfolio worthy images may look great, but brands don’t want to work with someone who doesn’t fit into their culture and share the same values as them. Don’t be afraid to be yourself on social media and on your blog. There is only one you. It’s better that business and your followers engage with you because they can relate to the real you. They feel like you are just like them and not some faceless avatar devoid of a personality. They will be much more loyal in the long run.

“I didn’t go to Brooks or a photo school to learn , I just figured it out. I mean, where do you go to learn the business in arts? It’s just going to take time.” – Keith Ladzinski

Preach on brother Keith. There is no playbook for how to succeed in making your passion a business these days, even for a National Geographic photographer such as Keith. Trial and error, hearing no a lot, and lots of sucking is how you learn (more on that later)

“You are only as good as your last story or your last image. You can never rest on your laurels.” – Pete McBride

In this fast moving age of social media and photography, you can easily be discovered and explode in popularity overnight. But, you can just as easily be forgotten overnight as well.

“Don’t cut corners when it comes to preparation. Less planning on the actual research of a trip and more planning to make sure you are prepared” – Jacob Riglin

Jacob nails it with this quote. So many of us are focused on the what to do when the time comes that we quickly find out that we aren’t PREPARED for that time when it comes.

“You just do what it is that you do. You do it as well as you can. And just work REALLY freaking hard at it, and things tend to work out.” – Erin Babnik

While I am not in complete agreement with the last part of this sentence, the rest is spot on. Quit comparing yourself to everyone else. Just do what YOU do. Kick ass at it, and work your tail off doing it. Even with all of those traits, after years of it, things still might not work out the way you envisioned, but at least you gave it everything you got and became a better photographer and entrepreneur in the process.

“I don’t even know where my next paycheck is coming from.” – Chris Burkard

I have known Chris Burkard for years and have heard him say this countless times, and each time it just drives the point home more and more. Obviously Chris is well known and has a roster chalk full of big name clients. Is he struggling to put food on the table every month? Most likely not. But the point is, choosing to live the life of an independent creative requires a life-long commitment. If you wanted to know that your bank account will have x more dollars every month, you can get a desk job with a steady paycheck and day-dream about traveling. But if you actually want to DO the traveling, follow your passions and own your own business and be your own boss, you can’t take your foot off of the gas. Ever. Because you never know where that paycheck is coming from. And if you do take your foot off of the gas, that next paycheck might not come at all.

“You invest in so many little things that accumulate into bigger things” – Chris Burkard

This is a great follow up to another comment Chris made earlier in the show. “Everyone wants to know when my ‘big break’ came. There was no magical big break.’ Chris is talking about how success can only come from investing your time and energy (and even money) in lots of small projects. While none of those might ‘put you on the map’ instantly, the cumulation of all of those lead to bigger projects, bigger goals, and more importantly, bigger ‘breaks’.

“It’s not for everybody. You have to put the time in. You have to hear the word ‘no’ alot. You have to suck. You have to do all these things before things work for you. There is no playbook.” – Keith Ladzinski

This great quote ties back into both Keith’s original point about there not being a playbook and Chris’ quote about there is no ‘big break.’ You just have to grind. You have to get rejected. You have to suck. All of those failures will not only help make you hungrier for success but also give you valuable lessons about both the industry you are trying to break into and about life.

“A lot of information that people are looking for, you have to remind them that it’s really easy to find on Google.” – Chris Burkard

No description needed. Do the work yourself and stop looking for everyone else to tell you how to do it.

“You gotta suck. Then you emulate. Then you find your voice. But you have to enjoy the failures.” -Keith Ladzinski

As Keith said before, this isn’t for everyone. If you are the type of creative who doesn’t accept failure and learn from it, you will never find your voice.

“If you want to create art and illustrate, go nuts. But own it. Don’t pretend like you were the only one to see it like that.” – Pete McBride

Pete is discussing editing images. Coming from a National Geographic background, Pete explains that most photo editing wasn’t allowed. Photographers would have to turn over their RAW files to Nat Geo as a way to have their work checked or edited by the magazine. Pete and the other panelists describe the new wave of digital art, where photographers might replace skies, remove objects and more. None of them had a problem with creatives sharing their passion for digital art. But own it. I think this relates to photos and sharing your life in general. For every picture perfect scene you share on Instagram, there was five moments where real life got in the way. You experienced trials and failures. Own it. Share it. Show your followers that not everything is a perfectly manicured Instagram feed. If it isn’t ‘real,’ don’t claim that it is. You will only contribute to an environment where people are going to extremes to get the likes, no matter the real-life expense.

“Don’t ask for food in a Russian jail cell” – Chris Burkard

Wise words from a wise man.

“No image is worth risking your life’”– Pete McBride

Seriously, please. Do we really need to keep saying this? Life is beautiful. Stop doing stupid things.

“A great photographer shares what they fear losing most” – Chris Burkard

Maybe this relates to the above comment. Maybe a great photographer fears losing their life? Their connection with nature? Their public lands? Their adventures? Sharing their lives and their passions, knowing that they may not always have that chance, has brought these five photographers to where they are now.

What did I take out of that comment? Stop creating for everyone else. Create for yourself. Art should fuel your soul, expand your creativity, and become a means for expressing yourself. If you aren’t doing it for those reasons, then why are you even bothering?

All photos by Michael Bonocore  while filming the SmugMug film on Chris Burkard.

The post 18 Thought Provoking Quotes From Five of the World’s Best Photographers appeared first on Resource Travel.

Adorama TV has taken us to from Canada to Europe, following some of the world’s best photographers as they give a glimpse behind the scenes of the artist’s adventures that fuel their creativity. In the latest season of Adorama TV’s ‘Through the Lens’  web series, creator and director Sal D’Alia brings the series back to the United States where an unbelievable 16 episodes were filmed. Adventure, street, landscape, and even dance are just some of the genres covered in this season. Based on the trailer and the episodes that have already come out, this may be the most diverse ‘Through the Lens’ season yet.

We were lucky enough to sit down with the featured photographers and talk about their experiences shooting their episode and what fuels their creativity.

But before you read on, check out all of this season’s episodes on the AdoramaTV YouTube Channel.

Alex Strohl

Alex Strohl has such a strong connection to nature and adventure that the Madrid born photographer moved to Montana in order to pursue his passion for capturing authentic moments in some of the most pristine wilderness in North America. And his gamble paid off. While accumulating an Instagram following of 2 million people, Strohl’s work has also been commissioned by clients such as Apple, Land Rover and Facebook.

Being a landscape and adventure photographer, you say your drive is to inspire people to just ‘get outside.’ How do you feel the big landscapes of the Northern United States, and especially your home of Montana and Glacier National Park, help you convey this inspiration?

For someone who grew up in Europe the sheer scale of the American West is mind blowing, on a daily basis. Every time I get in the car or hit the trail to go somewhere I’m blown away by how far I can see. Add that the emptiness of the landscape and you have a perfect recipe for finding inspiration.

Has the move to Montana helped shape the photographer you are today?

Leaving LA and moving out west has been one of the best decisions of my life. Being surrounded by nature and having the Rockies in our backyard is a great great feeling. It has brought a more active life of connection with the outdoors. In terms of photography I feel lucky to be able to go execute in the same day an idea or a concept I’ve had in the morning.

Do you think your career path in the outdoor/adventure photography industry would have been similar if you had stayed in France?

It would have been very different. Being based stateside has opened a lot of doors for me. You know the old saying ‘out of sight out of mind?’ Well it works both ways! Even just being on the same time zone as your clients is really helpful, it’s one more thing you have in common. Whenever I stay too long on a different time zone I start to feel out of touch. The industry in market is a lot smaller but solid work comes out of it. Some French brands like Vuarnet and Salomon are bold and willing try new things and it’s a blast working with some of these brands.

Omar Z Robles

Omar Z Roble wasn’t always a photographer. In fact, Roble can say that his journey into photography started where few others had. Roble was a mime, training under Marcel Marceau, a famed mime actor. These lessons taught Robles how to tell stories through subtle movements, which was a natural fit for when he found his passion for photographing ballet dancers in front of rugged urban environments.

In your TTL episode, you show a photo you took of the dancer with Bill Cunningham in the background. That is one of the coolest things we have ever seen. How did that moment, and that photo, inspired you since?

Thank you! I’ve always believed in mentorship and learning from the legends such as Mr. Cunningham. It was a great pleasure for me to honor him in that way even while unbeknownst to him. My question to this day is however, when will I ever be able to see the picture he took of the dancer and will I be consequently in it that photograph as well? I would be certainly the ultimate honor for me. I dream to see my picture next to his on a gallery’s wall.

With the destruction that Hurricane Maria caused, why did you feel it was important to film the TTL episode there as opposed to your current home in NYC?

As a Puerto Rican living in the diaspora, I was deeply touched and traumatized by living the tragedy away from my family who experienced it on the ground. From the day after the hurricane, I started efforts to help raise funds and set up a website called Pixels4puertorico.org where people could purchase prints of my work and other photographers who donated their work at reduced prices. All proceeds went straight into aiding efforts in the island. When Adorama approached me to film this episode, their approach was that the series was coming back to the USA and they wanted to film me photographing somewhere in the US outside of NYC. My immediate thought was to bring them to Puerto Rico, a US colony ignored by most US citizens. The hurricane made this ignorance much more visible. Many folks here in the mainland had absolutely no clue that Puerto Ricans are indeed U.S. citizens who pay federal taxes and are as entitled to aid as Texas, Florida or Louisiana. That was my thought behind bringing TTL to Puerto Rico.

Kathryn Dyer

Lifelong California resident Kathryn Dyer started an Instagram account as a way of sharing her love of nature, but it wound up becoming her creative outlet after she was diagnosed with cancer. The nature that always calmed her was becoming harder to visit as the treatments took effect, but Dyer would force herself to get outside in order to take photographs. Along with her husband Karl, Dyer’s love for nature resonated with people, leading to a large and passionate following who find her work both beautiful and inspiring.

You credit photography with helping you find your love of nature. How has that love of nature also helped you through your hardships, such as your battle with breast cancer?

I was lucky to grow up around nature, camping and boating with my family in Southern California. Both of my grandparents owned salt water boats when I was young and we did many trips to the Channel Islands. Later on, as a teenager, I spent afternoons at the beach surfing. As I grew older and took on more responsibilities I lost much of that connection.

 

In 2014 when I was diagnosed with cancer I was in shock and had trouble seeing beauty in the world. That all changed when we got a camera and I realized there was a safe world in that viewfinder that had nothing to do with cancer or fear or pain. The beauty I was able to find through that viewfinder helped me to reconnect with nature and gave me a sanctuary where I could forget about procedures and tests and survival rate.

In your episode, you talk about the lone oak tree that was one of your favorite places to photograph, as well as connect with nature. The oak tree has since fallen. Even though the loss was hard for you, what positive aspects, if any, came out of the loss of the tree?

That’s a tough one. My husband, Karl, and I had found this wonderful lone oak tree which was seemingly so strong. It was close to our house so when I was fatigued or had a long day at appointments we could go catch the sunset there. It grounded us and gave us many peaceful moments. When I started chemotherapy I went by the tree before and it looked fine, after my treatment when I went by this majestic oak had cracked in half and fallen. It was such an eerie moment. It reminded me that things aren’t always as they seem. That tree looked so strong and I thought it would be there forever but it won’t. Everything is impermanent.

You and your husband Karl have found your passion for photography together. How do you think that joint creativity has translated in your marriage?

Karl and I both joined Instagram before I was diagnosed with cancer but we were shooting with our phones. After I was sick Karl bought us a camera (yes, one to share). He said we’ll learn as we go and just enjoy what we see. He was right. We survived sharing a camera and our marriage is stronger because of all of the shared experiences we’ve had. We really enjoy working together and each contributing ideas to a project. Creating things together has made us closer as has cancer. Karl absolutely stepped up and has cared for me with true love and kindness. He is my hero.

Zach Allia

Zach Allia had a successful career in Silicon Valley before deciding to leave the bustle of the tech world for the more slow-paced life in the pristine Utah landscape. Over the years, Allia has amassed an impressive travel client list that includes tourism boards such as Visit Jordan and Istria, Croatia. Allia’s near half a million followers on Instagram flock to his feed daily for an extraordinary mix of travel, wildlife, puppies and portraiture.

Humza Deas

When you look at Humza Deas profile and career to date, it is hard to believe that he is only 21 years old. His photographs’ gritty, distinct look and feel comes from his background growing up skateboarding on the streets of New York City. Deas loves showing off his love for New York City from unique perspectives, often from above. Whether it be a helicopter or a rooftop, Deas thrives off these high altitude scenes. Deas credits his endless exploration of the city as also helping him have a better understanding of who he is as an individual.

Erin Sullivan

Erin Sullivan’s love for photography started young, when she was just a teenager. Her constant desire to be outdoors with her camera led her to work as a wilderness guide and adventure trip leader. These experiences helped Sullivan learn how to not only capture the scenes in front of her, but interact with her environment. Whether she is photographing lions on safari or documenting the culture of Myanmar, Sullivan has a wide range of documentary styles that has helped her blog ‘Erin Outdoors’ become one of the most popular travel blogs on the internet today.

Your travel schedule these days often takes you far from the US borders. So far that there is even some Kenya footage in your TTL episode. But when you were in your home, you found joy in sharing some of your favorite local spots.  What was the message you were trying to convey with including both locations?

I spend about half of my time in my home base, and half my time on the road or trail. Home right now for me is LA. I moved to LA about a year ago, which a lot of people found hard to believe. They thought I must want to be somewhere really outdoorsy, since the outdoors is a big part of what I photograph. But I’m always looking for a place that is just outside of my comfort zone, and that was honestly LA for me. And maybe folks don’t consider that there is a lot of beautiful nature relatively close by. So I wanted to do at least part of this episode at my current home base. We went to Point Dume, which is one of my favorite sunset spots in Malibu. In my episode, you also see cuts from Kenya. I hope to show people that there is magic everywhere, not just on the trips that take you far from home.

If you had to plan a 30 day US road trip, what are some of your must visit locations? Both places you have been and US bucket list locations?

Not sure if I’m allowed to take any flights during this road trip, but I’d want to spend some significant time in Alaska. I have been there a few times and its just a place I want to experience more of. I’d like to spend more time in Lake Clark and Denali National Parks, and I’d like to go to Katmai. I love photographing wildlife and I’d love to learn more about brown bears and spend some time photographing them and sharing their story. I also haven’t seen much of the northern lights, so that would be a highlight. If that’s about 10-12 days, then I’d take the rest of the time to road trip from Seattle to Maine, with a route that takes me through Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin–– I’ve never spent significant time there, and I’d love to. Lastly I’d love to shoot the fall colors in the Northeast. I’m from the east coast, but I haven’t been there for the fall since college. It’s truly a special time of year there.

You are known as Erin Outdoors, and it’s easy to see why! But with all of the remote outdoor adventures you embark on, is it hard to come home to a metropolis as crazy as Los Angeles?

Ha, I get this question a lot! To me, “Outdoors” doesn’t just mean literally outside. It means outside of what is comfortable to you, outside of your routine or what you are used to. I moved to LA because I wanted to surround myself with buzzing creativity. Yes, I do miss the mountains of Colorado. I miss being able to drive five minutes down the road to a trailhead. But I’m also not living downtown… I live a few miles from the beach, and that offers a different kind of peace. Just like nothing compares to the mountains of Colorado, nothing compares to the coast of California either. I love coming home to a city that always has something going on. People are fighting for what they believe in and creating art and pursuing their ideas. Is it hectic? Yeah–– I don’t think I will live here forever, but I am enjoying this chapter while I’m in it.

Terry Mclaughlin

Terry Mclaughlin has lived in Los Angeles, California after moving from his home in Wichita, Kansas. His street photography has fueled his desire to learn more about the people from the Southern California metropolis, especially the local homeless population. Coming from a background which forced the photographer to confront his addiction issues head on, Mclaughlin hopes his documentary work showing the Los Angeles that people rarely see helps viewers learn more about the problems of addiction and homelessness.

The one thing that most stands out about your work is the sense of height. Whether from the air, laying on the ground looking up, or sitting on a rooftop ledge, height seems to play a big part in your style. What is it about the vertigo feeling that fuels your creativity?

Your not going to believe this but over the years I have developed a fear of heights. They fear of falling developed from when I started having nightmares about falling from the rooftops. I can no longer stand at the edge of buildings without the fear of falling. That being said, shooting from heights gives you a feeling of being alive. Nothing beats the exhilaration of flying in a helicopter and zipping around city catching all those unique angles.

You show a side of Los Angeles that few have seen, or even knew existed. What is it about the sprawling metropolis that inspires you, photography wise?

I started my photography journey on the urban exploration side of things. Exploring abandoned places, rooftops and urban landscapes from different high places around the city. I have also grown to love doing street photography. I love to capture the essence of the people and culture of the cities that I visit.

Jordan Taylor Wright

Multi-talented is a phrase all too often used these days, but when applied to Jordan Taylor Wright, it is an accurate representation. The Los Angeles based creative hasn’t kept himself in one specific genre of art, instead choosing to utilize all of his skills and business sense by running a full fledged production company and creative agency.  While not working on ad campaigns with brands such as Bose, L’Oréal, American Express, and Marvel, Wright has also contributed to music videos for Usher, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, and The Chainsmokers.  Seemingly never stopping to sleep, Wright is also a writer whose book “Forever in the Infinite Now” is available on his education website Intention.io

You are known for your filmmaking, but your IG is full of incredible photos and digital art. As filmmaking is your actual career, how do you find the time and inspiration to create the still content and inspirational messages that appear on your IG feed?

I come up with original ideas simply by living in the present. I could be sitting in traffic and look up to see a beautiful building or design. From there I think, “How cool would it be if…” and start bouncing ideas around. What if my car lifted off into the sky and flew around the bright lights? What if I abandoned traffic and my car altogether and was magically transported to this beautiful location free of traffic altogether? By just bouncing around ideas, I’m able to come up with some pretty original and creative content.

My company, Taylor Cut Films, is all about creative expression. Whether it be a music video, feature film, or commercial, we express visuals by means of storytelling through our soul. We all have a story to tell. We all have energy within us waiting to be shared. Some express themselves through music, whether it be listening or creating. Some do it through words, or painting, or videos, or dance. We all have an outlet which is authentically us (our essence). We create content from this place for other to see, so that they too can be mirrors of love and creativity for all as well. If it feels right, we know. I’m proud of creating content that shows imagination, inspiration, and unity.

 

In terms of finding the time to create my content, I just have to make time. If this means waking up earlier than usual or staying in on a Saturday night, then that’s what I’ll do.

With as much traveling as you do for work, how do you find the balance to really enjoy the culture and locations around the world that you visit? And do you find time to put the camera down and just be in the moment?

I’m a firm believer in “living in the moment,” no matter where in the world I am. I understand that usually when traveling it’s for work and we have a project/assignment that needs to be completed by a given deadline. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t take advantage of your surroundings. In the mornings before we begin work, I always meditate to get myself in the right state of mind and make myself “present.” Afterwards I like to walk around and explore my local surroundings. This also helps boost my creativity since you can find inspiration anywhere, especially in unfamiliar or new locations.

Here’s another example. One time in Dubai we were scheduled to go on a helicopter tour after filming (me, Usher, and a prince of Dubai who invited Usher to perform at this music festival) and on the drive over Usher kept teasing me saying we were going skydiving (he knew I was afraid of heights at the time.) I kept saying I would stay in the car if so, until he finally said he was just joking with me. When we arrived at the helicopter facility, the prince hadn’t arrived yet and the pilot said in broken English, “This is where we also do skydive Dubai” which is a famous skydiving event. Usher didn’t fully understand and replied with, “I’ve always wanted to go skydiving” to which the pilot replied with “Okay, you’ll go skydiving!”. They began to harness him into a parachute, when Usher looked over at me, and with his eyes basically said, “I’m not doing this alone.” I smiled and said “Okay, let’s do it”. We ended up jumping out of a helicopter at close to 12,000 feet and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Fear is just the unknown waiting to be turned into love. I was so happy to have stepped out of my comfort zone that day and take advantage of the down time we had.

As of August 28th, the following 8 episodes have yet to air. Subscribe to Adorama TV on YouTube to be notified when each episode goes live.

Minh T

Simple is a good way to describe Minh T’s style. Leading lines, shapes and perfect symmetry give way to white spaces and long shadows, conveying a sense of wandering through a dream. His scenes have been well received by his fans and media alike, landing Minh T on countless ‘Who to Follow’ lists, including the award for ‘Best Individual Instagram’ by Surface.

Lauren Naylor

Lauren Naylor’s photography journey has taken her coast to coast, from her home in Florida to Portland then to New York and lastly, Los Angeles after she realized NYC has some cold winters. Naylor’s work usually includes models who fit perfectly into the sometimes otherworldly scenes that she is drawn to. In addition to her photography work, Naylor has founded Supervirgo, a collective of Los Angeles based female creatives.

Your portrait work is beautiful and has a unique vintage feel and color tone in often otherworldly landscapes. What is it about these desert like environments that fuels your creativity?

I think the dream-like quality found in desolate, unique environments—like the desert landscapes in California—really help to bring my more ‘altered reality’ concepts come to life. I’ve always been attracted to nature and the outdoors since I was a little kid. So it feels really natural to have it be such a significant part of my photographs. There is a time and place for studio shots, but for me a landscape and all its interesting forms takes the imagery to a deeper level.

You founded a collective of female creatives called Supervirgo. What was the inspiration behind this and where would you like to see this creative be in 5, 10 years?

The idea for a community of creatives had been floating around in my brain for years. After talking to other women in leading creative roles, and facing some of my own frustrations coming from being a female photographer in an industry that’s primarily dominated by males here in LA—I made the decision to start acting to create a supportive collective here. The goal is to help balance out some of the unfair standards that have been set for years regarding preconceived notions on what kind of jobs and rank each gender is supposed to have. We don’t want domination, and we don’t want the advantage because we’re female—we just want to be on an equal playing field. Times are changing in favor of this, and I am so excited for what’s to come! I hope in 5, 10 years Supervirgo grows beyond LA to areas all over the world. More importantly on a micro-level, I hope it helps to empower talented females to lead, and in turn those women help other women to do the same.

Jose Silva

Besides having one of the photography industry’s most incredible heads of hair, the Venezuela born photographer moved to New Jersey when he was 14 when he also found his love for photography. Street photography, cityscapes and aerial photography are Silva’s passion, but lately, he has also become a force in the live music scene as well, capturing unreal photos at some of the country’s biggest music festivals and shows.

Eric Rubens

Most of photographer and filmmaker Eric Rubens work could simply be described as ‘paradise.’ The California-based creative is drawn to the ocean and beaches, capturing breathtaking sunsets, surfers, and idyllic beach scenes. He has accumulated almost 400k followers on Instagram, proving that warm tones and beautiful beach scenes is what most people want to be daydreaming of.

Your Instagram feed is full of bright, warm, tropical scenes. What is it about these warm destinations that is so appealing to you?

I’ve always associated the beach with warmth, sunlight, and joy so I try to convey that through my pictures and video. When I was working as an engineer, I’d always day dream of tropical destinations and found a lot of peace when viewing a dreamy scene. I came to the realization that something as simple as a picture and video has the power to relax and inspire someone you’ve never met. When Instagram first came out, I thought it was so cool that I could share a beach picture of my home and someone on the other side of the world would see it and comment about it. That’s one of the biggest factors that motivated me daily to go out and share the place I call home.

You often come back from trips with a full video along with tons of photos. Do you ever find time to put the camera down and enjoy the moment? How do those moments help inspire your creativity when you do pick up the camera again?

I often shoot a ton of photo and video on trips but I really enjoy what I do so it rarely feels like work. I think the other side of photography (organizing content, editing, running a business, etc) is a little more draining so I try to stick to just shooting when I’m on trips. I can always go back and edit later down the road but I try to capture as much as I can on a trip so I have more to work with. I find some opportunities to put the camera down, but like I said, even with a camera in my hand I’m still having a great time!

Tobi Shinobi

London photographer Tobi Shinobi came from a background you wouldn’t expect from a full time, successful photographer. Shinobi was a young lawyer when he became an early adaptor to Instagram, and his work was quickly noticed. He was featured by Instagram numerous times, helping him amass 140k followers, which eventually led to his change of career. Shinobi has put down his law books and picked up a camera, and all of us who follow him are grateful that he did.

You portfolio is a mix of moody urban photos, architecture, aerial, and the occasional nature capture. Which of these genres are you most attracted to and why?

I would say first and foremost I really appreciate stunning visuals. So anything that catches my eye will be considered for photo or video. I very much appreciate architecture from a design perspective, I grew up in the city and shot what was around me and available. I’ve always been obsessed with balance and my mother was an engineer so I grew up seeing technical drawings and it just kinda stuck.

Having said all that I love nature for its sheer diversity in terms of color, texture and sense of awe, especially when as a photographer you are physically placed in a location that is so huge, vast or impressive that you are humbled.  My background in law taught me to consider many perspectives and this is something I consider when taking shots, whether nature or urban.  Aerial photography allows me to gain a newer perspective and really enjoy exploring my surroundings from that point of view.

In all of your travels, which location do you feel you felt the most inspired to capture and share the scenes in front of you?

Ah, that’s a difficult question,  I have been to so many places and each of them brings something different. There’s always something to find and even when it might seem like there’s not I love the challenge of finding something new. I really enjoy the hunt.  I feel that’s often lost on some people on social media. They want to know where the location is but they don’t want to put in any work to find it and you don’t value anything you don’t have to work for.

What is the #1 location on your travel bucket list right now?

One?  Man, I wish it was just one. I have a few places that I’d love to visit:

Thailand, China, Russia, Iceland, Switzerland, Singapore and Australia just off the top of my head, so if you know anyone who wants some beautiful shots of their city let me know…

Paola Franqui

Puerto Rican born Paola Franqui has an incredible way of capturing fleeting moments. Whether it’s a couple sharing a moment in front of Big Ben or a kiss on a bridge in Venice, Franqui sees these moments and makes sure to act fast before the moment is gone. But perhaps where her work shows the most heart is when she returned to Puerto Rico just two months after Hurricane Maria. The images show damage and destruction, but also courage and fight from the residents who refused to be knocked down.

You seem to really love to capture the fleeting moments of daily life on the street. What is it about these seemingly non-descript moments that draws you in?

To me, showcasing human emotion and capturing organic moments are two of the things that make me love street photography.  You walk around and see people every day, but you don’t know what they are going through, you don’t know what they are feeling. In my eyes, if I see a subject and take a photo, I want the viewer to imagine what it felt like being at that moment when I took the photo. There’s nothing more beautiful than capturing moments that will never happen again.

While it may be an impossible question to answer, which city has been your favorite street photography subject?

Cuba is truly a street photography paradise. In the streets, people have their heads up, ready and willing to engage with the world and the people around them. Cuba may be one of my favorite destinations ever.  I can’t wait to go back!

Out of all of the characters that you have met photographing on the streets, who is the one that still sticks in your mind almost daily?

I have to go back to Cuba on this one. Last year, I was taking a break from a long day of shooting when I saw an older man sitting by himself. He looked so sad and lonely that I decided to walk up to him and sat next to him. I began by saying hello and he immediately welcomed me with a smile. We had the most beautiful and honest conversation. He is someone that I will never forget. Before parting ways, I took his portrait and I too, smiled back. I will treasure that moment forever and I’m so happy I was able to take his portrait.

Steve Gindler

Steve Gindler loves abandon locations, especially if he can add a little mystery to it. Gindler often takes models into these forgotten buildings, setting up images that will often leave you speechless.

New Jersey has the unfortunate label of ‘most moved out state.’ While this may not be good for the economy, it seems to leave you with plenty of abandon locations to create your art. What is it about abandon buildings that you feel works so well for the style of photography that you have your models in?

The images that I seek to create are ones that express the frailty of humankind and our physical existence. The rotting structures, abandoned homes, and other derelict locales depicted in my imagery allow the audience to feel a sense of discomfort about their own mortality, when viewing a once-adorned home that was at a time filled with families, love, and joy. When these places that we associate with comfort, a feeling of roots, the mental idea of a “home” are displayed in an abandoned and forgotten way, the viewer is able to imagine his or herself abandoned physically as well as emotionally. Seeing certain material things that we human beings own covered in dust and rotting is a love letter to how we can feel anxious, alone, and thrown away.

Have you ever gotten into serious trouble for your abandon exploration and photo shoots? Was there any experience that got your heart pounding?

I’ve had a few trespassing tickets and court visits, but most were dropped when I was able to simply explain that I was only trying to preserve the structures with my photography. The most terrifying experience, however, did not come from our boys in blue. I was with a friends in upstate New York exploring an abandoned hotel when I turned a corner to an older gentleman yelling at me in broken English, full of expletives and threats. He stated that he had a gun on him and was ready to shoot if we did not leave immediately. I ran faster than I ever have before, and hopped through a window that was adorned with broken glass. I still don’t know if this man actually had a gun on his person, or if it was just a scare tactic, but it certainly worked as intended.

Dan Marker-Moore

Dan Marker-Moore was always more than a photographer. For a decade, he was a animator/motion graphics artist before finding his passion for photography in Los Angeles. His background mostly shows in his stunning ‘time slices’ series which combines hours worth of images to create a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors and changing light.

The post Meet the 16 Creatives in AdoramaTV’s ‘Through The Lens: Back In The USA’ appeared first on Resource Travel.

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.

Check out the May 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: Vettisfossen, Norway
Photographer: Sondre Forsell
IG: @sondreforsell from Norway

I was on a three weeks road trip with my crew from Overland Norway, searching for beautiful places to camp with roof top tents and go hiking. Three weeks of exploring the country I’m born and raised in. This place, called Vettisfossen, was something I looked forward to the whole trip. It’s not a hard hike to the top, but when you bring a lot of camera gear and tents, it can get a bit heavy. When we got up we went looking for a stop to set camp, as close to the waterfall as possible. If you zoom in, a bit to the left to the waterfall, you can spot one of the tents. This shot was taken the next morning, after a good night sleep, sleeping to the noise of a 300 meter (984 ft) waterfall.

Location:Sequoia National Park, California
Photographer:Alex Dozois
IG: @une.alex from the Canada

Here’s the capture of a very significant moment for my boyfriend and I of what the van life is about; the picture, but mostly the story behind it.

 

Here we are in Sequoia National Park in the United States. It’s around six in the morning; it was a perfect morning, surprisingly calm and still too early for the tourist influx.

 

The night had been kind of difficult. Despite being summer, the night temperature was really low; we didn’t have any way of warming our home and we were completely freezing. We couldn’t sleep… so we decided to get up on our tired legs, exhausted of the cold and the fear of losing our toes (yeah it was that bad) to go explore the forest.

 

What a surprise to see that we were completely alone.

 

A feeling of freedom suddenly took over all of the negative ones as we were driving in our home amongst these 3,000 years old trees, sharing their energy full of wisdom with us; it was a pure happiness moment. So simple. But so powerful.

 

Here’s the capture of a significant moment of what truly represents the van life. The perfect qualifiers that are associated with it could not be more wrong. But the moments of true and beautiful freedom will be the most frequent, and certainly the most fulfilling; making it all deeply worth it.

Location: Death Valley National Park, California
Photographer: Collin Blaney from United States
IG: @collins.creations

What was supposed to be a simple weekend road trip turned into a journey that has forever impacted me and the way I adventure. Making the drive from San Francisco to Death Valley is fairly easy, and we had heard that most of the places to see once in the National Park were connected by smooth/paved roads. So the thought of having any trouble didn’t occur to us. After a full day exploring some of the more well known areas (touristy spots), we set out for something a little more adventurous on day 2. We heard of these giant sand dunes in the North Part of DV. Despite the 130 degree temps we wanted to see these Giant Dunes! What we had in store for us was 3 hours of un-pathed roads, dips, holes in the road, etc. We had to constantly get out and push boulders out of the way. It was long drive and was bloody hot. But, we stuck with it in spite of all the bad omens telling us to turn around. What we were gifted with upon arrival was glorious. Not another person in sight and we had the Eureka Sand Dunes all to ourselves. This photo reminds me to always find a way and to explore even the most hard to get places.

Location: Canada
Photographer: Matthieu Tracy
IG: @matthieutracy from the Unites States

This river has been one I have simply driven by over and over again for the last two years, slowly getting more and more accustomed to it rather than being amazed by its beauty. I remember stopping the car, running onto the bridge and snapping this shot because I just couldn’t help myself. As I looked out into the valley, I rediscovered the beauty this place held that I had taken for granted. That is what I love most about photography! The ability for photographs to take you back to the same place over and over again and forcing you to see everything in a beautiful new way.

Location: Lofoten, Norway
Photographer: Josh Silver
IG: @joshsilver95 from Melbourne, Australia

After a steep hour and a half hike to the top of Reinebrigen, this is the spectacular view that greeted me. At almost 448m above sea level it provides spectacular views at all times of the day. The hike begins as a fairly muddy path winding its way upwards through the low birch forest.  Climbing higher up the mountain, the trees begin to thin and we came across several short but wet rock steps. This is probably the most rewarding hike I have ever done in terms of the end view. – Word of caution – The locals now strongly discourage climbing Reinebrigen due to an unstable path and rockfall.

The post May’s Top 5 Travel Photos From The Outside Project appeared first on Resource Travel.

But it’s a contradicting nature which a travel photographer knows all too well. For every awesome, beautiful place they get to photograph, there is the time spent back in reality, in their real life, using social media to find an audience and showcase their work, saving money at their day job before they are able to get away again. Golovac is in the midst of this hustle and learning the “other side” of the business, with the ultimate goal of being able to make travel photography a career. He was kind of enough to share some of his thoughts on his photography, the grind of social media, and how the more photos he takes, the more he enjoys his work.

When Golovac was 12, his mom gave him a camera and a notebook and told him two write down the settings of every photo he took so he could learn the camera. It’s the special kind of moment that might seem tedious and unnecessary as a kid, but in hindsight, becomes a key component of your life. He’s been shooting photos since. And though he has made cinematographer his trade since he graduated from film school, lately, still photography has been drawing him back, specifically in nature. “That’s where I’m finding the most the most creativity in my work, when I’m just alone shooting these places,” He said. “You aren’t dealing with someone else directing, how everyone is working on set, the moral, the schedule. With landscapes, I can spend time working how I wanna work it. So I think that’s kind of where that split in my brain has come up. Shooting stills, shooting landscapes and nature. I’m alone. And I love it.”

His desire to be alone has taken him to Svalbard, Ireland, and most recently, he made it to Tanzania and Iceland. The images he brought back are stunning. And with a few exceptions, they all play to a similar theme: immense, stark, open but with the briefest touch of humanity. Creating a sense that nature bears down upon human expansion and will, in the long run, always prove the victor. “Emptiness and vastness are the two words that came to me. Because there is this sense of expansiveness in the images but at the same time there is like a silence, a sense of silence,” Conrad said of his work. “A lot of my images don’t have these massive action shots. Some of the work I shot in Ireland. You see these cliffs and you see these waves crashing but a lot of the images are so wide that the waves crashing are pretty damn small. So the frame is just huge with this little amount of action happening and that would lend itself to I guess the sound distance. That’s what I would say. That is the visual description of the work. Vast, empty, expansive but silent.”

But taking photos is no longer just about presenting quality work and no matter how far you travel, social media has become an integral aspect of making a name for yourself–the contradicting nature of the craft: alone in the open world to the middle of a world based on socialization. And whether you like it or not, Golovac told me, navigating the world of Instagram has become a key component in the process. Creating a brand out of your name so there is uniformity in your work, curating that work, remaining disciplined in only displaying that work. From there, posting every day, at specific times a day. Then there is liking other users and photography’s photos, commenting on their photos. “I’m addicted to it. It’s become such a part of my life,” He said, shaking is end at the absurdity of the thing. “Numbers stupidly matter to me now because I am trying to build more and more following. As a photographer, there is no easier way to interact with people that like photographs than Instagram.”

But despite the exhaustion of the process, Conrad has found a way to be optimistic about it, pointing out how, in the long run, it has made him a better photographer: “I hate putting something out into the world that I don’t thoroughly enjoy. But, at the same time, that is what has pushed me to keep traveling and shooting: You have to get a massive quantity of quality. Just overshoot and just constantly travel to keep shooting so that way I always have enough to put out into the world to even gain traction to make more of a career. It’s wild. Cyclical. It’s wild.”

Despite the challenges of it all, from an outsider’s perspective, there is only forward momentum for the young photographer. There has been a noticeable change in Conrad’s imagery in the last few months, one that can actually be witnessed by scrolling through his previously posted photos. The change, in my opinion, is his transition from a photographer to an auteur. A photographer finding his style, revealing the photographer through the photograph and not the other way around. Yes, it is something that I’d imagine most photographers go through, most artist in fact, but it’s an interesting process to bear witness too.

But this wasn’t a conscious decision, he told me when I brought it up. The change came about because of multiple factors falling into place: trying to stand out because of so many other photographers, learning how to navigate the world of social media, realizing the importance of the edit, finding what imagery he actually likes to capture. But all of that can be attributed to, in the most simple form, just spending time looking through the lens. “I’m sure it happens with most artist and it’s cool to come to that point,” He said, “Just by shooting more and more you start to shoot more and more of the things you like and then you realize that everything you’re shooting is what you like.”

Poetry, baby.

Whatever he’s doing, it seems to be working. His work is amazing, truly stunning. A vastness that beckons to the viewer. Dark, cold, but inviting. The true reality of nature perhaps, the viciousness that has created an everlasting battle between man and wild. His work has the ability to take you away for a moment. Not just an image moving past on my Instagram feed, but chance to think about a world outside of my own, to get away for some time, however brief. It’s what a good photographer has the ability to do and, what I think, Conrad is doing.

Despite the few beers, I, of course, didn’t say this to him. Admiration is a difficult road to navigate, praise is a subcategory of that. Instead, we cheered glasses and I told him to keep doing what he’s doing. The praise could happen with a like on Instagram.

Follow Conrad Golovac on his Website & Instagram

Also, through Instagram stories, Conrad has been showing how he edits his photos. He provides before and after photos of his latest post as well as a detailed and technical account of what he is actually doing in the editing process. For anyone interested in photography and the techniques used behind the image, it’s definitely worth a look.

The post See Nature’s Vast Beauty in These Stark Landscape Photos appeared first on Resource Travel.

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.

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 use the below form to enter for your chance to win a $400 backpack.

Win An Atlas Pack

Check out the March 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: Kala Patthar, Nepal
Photographer: Sjoerd Bracke: @sjoerdbracke from The Netherlands

Since I was young, I always enjoyed hiking through the mountains and traveling the world to explore new places. Last year, I traveled for 6 months through several countries in Asia, ending with a big adventure in Nepal! 15 days of hiking through the Himalayas in the Everest Region and seeing Mount Everest in real life is something I’ve dreamed about for a long time. This self-portrait shows me walking down Kala Patthar with Mount Everest in the background. The Kala Patthar peak shows you incredible views of Everest and I am walking on the highest point that I reached during the trek, 5550 meters above sea level. It’s a challenge to reach the top in the early morning because of the freezing cold and the lack of oxygen at these heights, but the views are all worth it. For a moment I felt like standing on top of the world, until I realized the Mount Everest summit was still 3.5km higher than I was.

Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Photographer: David Patrushev: @davishev from the Unites States

We woke up 7 AM to get an early start to the day. We were super stoked because it rained the night before and we were expecting crazy foggy weather. Waking up to what we saw was just amazing. We later figured out that Glacier Point Rd. was closed, so it was either stay in the valley all day, or do the 10 miles roundtrip trail to make it up to Glacier point. We decided to do the trail and it was so worth it! Definitely one of the best days of my life!

Location: Italy
Photographer: Elisabetta Fox Piantoni: @foxsbackpack from Italy

I started getting into photography a few years ago, when I got my first phone with a camera in it. The more I traveled, the more I wanted to capture every little thing I saw and share it with all my friends and family. I got my first camera a couple of years ago and photography, along with travel, became my passions.

This is one of my favorite shots because it perfectly shows how you don’t need to be a master of photography to take a good shot. You just need to get out there with fresh eyes and realize that beauty is simple, just like nature. Sometimes you just need to kneel down a little bit or turn around to find a different perspective and .. there it is, right in front of you.

My advice for everyone who wants to get into photography is simple: go out and shoot. No excuses such as “I don’t have the right gear or the time”. If that is your passion then make time for it. Start simple, look for what attracts you in life, from people to landscapes and street photography. Do not be afraid of experimenting. Luckily for us, we live in the digital era where even if you take a “not-so-good shot” you can always delete it and start all over again. Always carry your camera/phone with you, you never know when a crazy landscape or beautiful sunlight pops out of the sky.

Get out there, find friends to share your passion with or even on your own, there is so much to learn and discover out there. Never stop exploring!

Location: Athabasca Falls, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Photographer: Travis Lippert: @travisvisuals from the Unites States

There are moments of my trips that overwhelm me and stop me in my tracks. This was one of those moments in Canada. I had seen hundreds of pictures of this spot and wanted to see it for myself. But actually being out there on that ledge, watching the sun start to fade and feeling the crisp cooling air was more than I could have ever imagined. In this moment I was completely enveloped by nature and nothing could change that, even though we saw a bear there earlier that day. It’s times like these I’m reminded that it’s important to take a break from the speed of life and just go with the flow of nature. Lose yourself to the world and just breathe.

Location: Noosa, Queensland, Australia
Photographer: Ben Savage: @ben.savagae from Melbourne, Australia

While on a holiday with my Girlfriend and her family in Noosa, we decided it would be a good idea to wake up at 4:30am to capture the sunrise at Sunshine Beach near the place we were staying at. We were fortunate enough to have a neat cloud formation in the sky as the sun popped up from the horizon which  created this scene. One of my most memorable photographic sessions, the best company and a magical morning all together.

Noosa is full of surprises and unlike any other place in Australia with its tropical weather, early sun rises and early sun sets making a completely different lifestyle while you are visiting. They say the early bird gets the worm and this place is a great example of that. Everyone is waking up early to go for swim, surf,
walk, run or even to just enjoy the serenity and views because it’s so beautiful in the morning here.

The post March’s Top 5 Travel Photos From The Outside Project appeared first on Resource Travel.

Photo by Marshall Birnbaum

The world’s first snow artist, Beck first began his work 2004.  At the time he was a freelance orienteer map maker and wanted a form of exercise that didn’t hurt his troubled feet.  Living in the French Alps, the snow presented a natural canvas, though Beck, prior to that moment, didn’t consider himself much of an artist.  “I only do snow drawings.  I wouldn’t take paint brushes and paint a picture if I didn’t have good snow. Lots of people are much better at a painting than I am.”

Photo by Marshall Birnbaum

Perhaps this is why he even surprised himself with the results the first time.  Five years later, he decided he wanted to take his work more seriously.  He put more effort into building a portfolio of his art and creating an online presence.  Fourteen years and over 250 snow pieces later, he nows makes a living from it.  He has done two Ted talks, created a clothing line, printed a book, and has traveled the world creating his designs.

Most recently, Beck created a piece in Target Field in Minnesota, home of the Minnesota Twins, for The Great Northern, an annual 10-day winter celebration in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.  He shared with Resource Travel his thoughts about working in a baseball field compared to a mountain slope.

“It was a very different feeling.  All the background noise from the city surrounding it,” Simon said.  “I didn’t really know how deep the snow was either.  At one edge the snow was really quite shallow and I wasn’t sure how much it would be usable.”

Beck, usually relying on direct sunlight to see his lines in the indistinctive snow’s surface, found it hard to see his work: “The most annoying thing about making that piece in Target Field was that the stands surround the field and they caused these really deep shadows and you’re going in and out of shadows all the time.”

Despite the difficulties, Beck, humble in his work, said he still found it to be “a respectfully good result.”

The results are better than that.  Stunning, really.  And though the artwork itself may be similar to other pieces he’s made in the mountains, the juxtapositions of his work, framed by the stadium’s metal and concrete core, creates an illusion of natural creation. It’s beautiful.

Beck’s reasons for creating his designs has varied of the years—from being commissioned, to enjoyment, to working in a fantastic location, to exercise.  But trying to push forth a message about the environment, as he hopes to do with his work, is no doubt one of his most important motivations.

“I think people need to look after the planet we got better than we are doing so.  Control ourselves somehow,” Beck said.  A portion of the sales from his clothing line, which feature images of his designs, is donated to the nonprofit Protect Our Winters: “We need to face the problems we are causing rather than trying solve them by escaping somewhere else.  We are here, we have a nice planet that looks after us and we gotta look after it a bit more.  It’s a team effort, we gotta help it and it’s gotta help us.”

Whether that be in the geometric design, the process of the work itself, or the message he tries to push forth, his artwork, so extraordinary and beautiful, warrants further investigation.  And at the very least, he hopes, his designs, composed purely of the environment, should make one consider the implications of human negligence in this world.

No matter how you look at it, Simon Beck is doing something both amazing and unique.

Follow Simon Beck’s art on his Instagram & Facebook and grab a copy of his is book here.

Photo 1 & 2 by Marshall Birnbaum

All other photos from Simon Beck’s Facebook

The post The Story Behind Simon Beck’s Stunning Snow Art appeared first on Resource Travel.

You know, that photo that was the best of the twenty others you took, the one you spent way too much time setting up, then spent way too much time deciding which one was best, then spent way too much time deciding how some editing will make it better, and then spent way too much time checking to see how many likes you got.  You know, that one.

Vietnam? Or that pho place down the street?

Traveling is supposed to grant you a sense of wonder, an openness to experiences and differing lifestyles–but maybe it loses some of its vitality when you are just following the masses and seeing it all through the filter of a phone screen.  And that’s what the film comes down to: in trying to get that photo for your followers to double tap and give you those much needed likes for vindication, you might be missing the point of traveling in general.

The video creator, Oliver, made this with that in mind.  He wrote:

“During my trip, I felt that many people didn’t really enjoy the moment and were hooked to their smartphones. As if the ultimate goal of travel was to brag about it online and run after the likes and followers.”

Having been guilty of taking similar photos, this video is funny, enlightening, and sad all at the same time.  But that’s okay, because Oliver felt similar:

“So I’m basically making fun of something I’m part of. The irony is strong.”

Whether you are guilty of it or not, you can still laugh at it.  And maybe it’ll make you think about enjoying the moment rather than worry what your followers are going to think…Okay, you spent a lot of time and money to get there, so yeah, take the photo, but you know, do it for yourself and not for them.

 
Feature photo by Ross Parmly via Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/rf6ywHVkrlY

The post This Video Proves That We All Take The Same Damn Travel Photos appeared first on Resource Travel.

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!

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The post February’s Top 5 Travel Photos From The Outside Project appeared first on Resource Travel.

The film is a beautiful look at this remote southern wilderness and gives viewers the feeling of being in the passenger seat along for the adventure with Hill. But if that wasn’t enough to convince you that Patagonia should be on your bucket list, the photographer also provided us with his favorite photos from the region.

So sit back, relax, and take a journey through Patagonia with Jason Charles Hill.

Follow Jason Charles Hill on his Instagram, Facebook, and website.

Follow Kalum Ko on his Instagram and website.

The post A Two-Week Adventure Through Patagonia With Jason Charles Hill appeared first on Resource Travel.

This interview originally appeared in the Fall issue of Resource Magazine. Purchase a copy or a subscription today.

By Michael Bonocore
Photos By Chris Burkard

Read Burkard’s exclusive article for Resource Travel, “Adventure is My Inspiration”

As our DHC-8 twin-engine noisily descends from a short flight across the Vestfjorden, the scene outside the window begins to resemble what I had always envisioned to be ‘the Arctic.’ Snow covered farms and cottages become larger as we break through the thick clouds. Our small plane begins to toss like a rag doll, leading even experienced fliers like us to grip our armrests as our stomachs churn. After what felt like an hour, the prop plane touches down and almost instantly the door is open and we are on the tiny airport’s tarmac. This harrowing endeavor marked the moment I first realized I had just entered the infamous Arctic with famed adventure photographer Chris Burkard. At the time, I did not know what these frigid locations meant to Burkard or how the cold, arctic environments had shaped his career and his personality. And most of all, little did I know what he had in store for us all just three short years later.

Arctic Swell

While Chris Burkard’s work today can be best described as ‘adventure’, there was a period in the California native’s younger years when his primary focus was mainly on surfing and the loose, frantic culture that surrounds the sport. His love of the outdoors and willingness to do anything to get a great photo began to resonate with the people who flocked to his Instagram for their daily fix of wanderlust. Today, that Instagram is approaching three million followers who hang on to his every word, as Burkard is a master at finding the right inspirational caption for his photos. Some of the most popular images on his Instagram come from the Arctic, the same place I found myself with Burkard back in 2014. I was there to help film a short documentary for SmugMug called ‘Arctic Swell,’ which followed Burkard as he documented three pro surfers battling the extremes at the 68th parallel. This is where I saw Burkard at his finest: “Having cold fingers, brittle skin and chapped lips. Really putting yourself out there in the elements. That’s when it feels like you are paying the price, but the greatest rewards come from it.” And he was right. Burkard’s shots from this expedition, as well as his other cold-weather surf adventures, are legendary, and I got to experience his passion firsthand. We were indeed frozen and our skin brittle, but it was one of the most exciting and educational weeks of my life.

Under An Arctic Sky

When we heard Burkard was in Iceland making a film with the production studio Sweatpants Media, we knew he must have something incredible up his sleeve. Sure enough, he did. ‘Under an Arctic Sky’ follows Burkard and surfers Justin Quintal, Timmy Reyes and Sam Hammer along with local surfers and guides Heidar Logi, Elli Thor Magnusson and Ingo Olsen as they travel through Iceland in search of rideable waves in the remote Westfjords. Their plan is to meet up with a sailboat captain who seems to be the only one willing to take the risk that the expedition involves. Almost immediately after landing in this nation of 334,000, the team finds themselves battling what would become the country’s worst winter storm in over 20 years. The filmmakers perfectly capture the terrifying scenes unfolding in front of them, making the audience’s heart race as the surfer’s SUVs battle through a blizzard, trying to get to their destination before they’re stranded, a situation with potentially deadly consequences.

It’s impossible to describe more of the film without giving too much away, but it’s safe to say that Burkard and his team made it through unscathed. Not, however, before finding what they were looking for, along with an unexpected surprise that truly made this trip a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both Burkard and his crew of surfers.

A Conversation With Chris Burkard

After watching the film, the team here at Resource Magazine was ecstatic. Inspired and eager to hear more about its production, we reached out to Burkard, who graciously agreed to sit for an interview. We asked the husband and father of two about his zany projects, his buddy trips, and how he gets back into a work/life balance after returning home from one of his expeditions.

No matter what the project, it seems like the thing you get most excited about is team camaraderie; it’s like your favorite movie genre is buddy-comedy or buddy-adventure. What inspires you to keep making these crazy ideas come to life along with your pals?

The reality is, I find that the closer you are to failure and the closer you are to not getting what you came for, there’s more risk involved. And I think that when you have a group of people that are all engaged in that same activity, it just becomes so much more raw, and your relationships become so much more real. You’re experiencing something where you have to rely on each other and I feel like I’ve fostered the best relationships on experiences like that, so I guess that’s the reason I’ve always aimed to have people along for the ride. It’s not always about me, it’s really never about me, it’s more about the relationships with the people you’re with.

“Regardless of how much you plan, Mother Nature is always in charge”: wise words from your boat captain. Is not being able to surf that break in the Westfjords something that will stick with you forever? A “what if” moment? Do you think there was a time in your life, maybe in your younger years, where you would have fought the advice of the seasoned captain in order to get the shot you had envisioned, no matter the cost?

I definitely think about it quite a bit. There were a lot of sleepless nights and I was pretty bummed and stressed out about it. I didn’t want to come back empty-handed to my editors. But what I realized (and it took me a while, I’m not gonna lie), was that in the end,  the reality is that we made the film and the whole point of the film was about uncertainty. So I think if I’m really gonna follow my own advice and believe in this uncertainty then I needed to realize that. “Hey, we embraced uncertainty and this amazing thing happened”. I think what ended up happening with the film, where we ended up finding northern lights and being able to surf beneath them, that’s greater than any weird wave in some random bay in the world, and that’s what’s so beautiful. The best trips, they answer questions that in the beginning you didn’t think to ask and that’s a really special scenario to be in, where you go for one thing and you’re given something completely different. Definitely, at one point in my life when I was younger, I probably was a little more bull-headed and maybe I wouldn’t have heard that advice as loudly.

There are some points in the film where the discussion of actually cutting your losses was brought up. Knowing you, I never thought I would hear you even entertain such a thought. How close were you really to giving up on this idea because of the hardships you endured?

You know we probably over dramatized that. We always really did want to stay but at the same time, we had to ask the guys because what ended up happening is we were about a 6-hour drive from Reykjavik and in the winter time that’s more like a 12-hour drive. We all had flights we had to catch and so we all had to extend those flights, so it was kind of this group decision. If somebody had to go back to the airport, or if somebody wanted to leave, we would have all had to leave because we’d have to get them to the airport. So it was kind of this thing where it was like either we all stay or we all go and as much as for myself I would have stayed 100%, I knew that I needed to make this a group decision. I feel like that’s one thing about being a trip leader or a group expedition leader, you learn to include other people’s opinions. It can’t always be about you, which is really critical.

You’ve done a lot of pretty cool adventures, including filming ‘Arctic Swell’, that awesome 10 day trip with me. Out of every crazy adventure you have done, where does “Under an Arctic Sky” rank?

 

Oh yeah, that Norway trip was easily one of the best ones I have ever done! Well, I would say that it’s an interesting question because ‘Under an Arctic Sky’ probably had the most peril, the most risk, as well as the most success in the end. I guess the reality is I would put it near the top, because I’ve never been in an experience where the risk has been so high and the chance of failure so high that you just feel like your hearts on your sleeve and your entire body and mind and all your creativity is really out there, exposed. That’s kind of critical. That’s a really important aspect, just to be willing to give everything to a project and I feel like that’s why this adventure was most meaningful to me.

Do you think you will ever get tired of the frigid Arctic?

 

To be honest, the Arctic is such a critical place for me. I’ve learned to love it, I’ve learned how to speak its language, and I’ve learned how to be a steward for this place and try to speak about it and that’s been a really important thing. It’s given me much more than I’ve given it and I really want to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out how to pay it back.

What were you using to light up the wave under the Northern Lights?

That’s a question that a lot of people ask. We ended up using a flashlight! It was a 50,000 candlepower flashlight on the beach, and the funny thing is we didn’t even bring it there to light up the wave. We actually brought it there to shoot some of those scenes at night of the guys driving. We knew there were 18 hours of darkness in Iceland at this time, and we wanted something to light up some of those scenes. And then, as everything started to come together and we were there surfing under the northern lights, we realized the guys couldn’t even see the waves breaking in front of them, so we used the light to basically illuminate the waves as they started coming in. Lo and behold, we realized this was actually a really, really incredible source of light in the footage and it’s creating contrast and allowing the viewer to see what’s going on, so it ended up being this blessing in disguise.

No doubt this project was intense. After such a mental and physical challenge, how do you re-balance yourself once you get home?

I put the camera down. I find it’s critical for me to be with my family in the places that I love. That helps me to become inspired again. It’s really hard on these trips to be continuously inspired because you’re running on empty. You’re giving so much of yourself that you have to kind of fill up this reservoir of inspiration,  and usually, for me, that happens when I’m at home. I’m surrounded by people I care about and I’m filling up that reservoir and that’s a really critical thing I’ve had to learn over the years. It took me a long time to learn that you can’t always ‘go, go, go’ or the quality is going to suffer and you’re going to suffer if you don’t find the time to rebalance yourself. For me, that usually involves being in the ocean, doing yoga and climbing. But most of all, being with my family.

Follow Burkard’s adventures on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Read Burkard’s exclusive article for Resource Travel, “Adventure is My Inspiration”

The post Under an Arctic Sky: An Interview With Chris Burkard appeared first on Resource Travel.

In this week’s instalment of our favorite #ResourceTravel photos of the week, we take a journey from Australia to Iceland and everywhere in between. So sit back, relax and drift off into travel dream land.

Bali, Indonesia by by @megbradyhouse

Austrian Alps by @calsnape

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada by @brycebrownimages

Mardin, Turkey by@civilking

Bhaktapurby, Nepal by @ashrafularefin

Alberta, Canada by @mihartphoto

Iceland by @kennymizzle

Yosemite National Park, California by @mercuryroaming

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah by @pinyonridgephoto

Ayutthaya, Thailand by @ianbarin

Petra, Jordan by @kenkaminesky

Durdle Door, West Lulworth, United Kingdom by by @christiannerisman

Bishop, Californiaby @heyguystudios

Chefchaouen, Moroccoby @audiosoup

Paris, Franceby @jonreid

Mesa Arch, Utahby @sugar_mustard

Iceland by @felix.schadeck

Albany, Western Australia by @dylanlvandijk

Cairns, Queensland, Australia by @thehatchling

New Zealand by @alicevanschaik

Natural History Museum, London by @the_1978

Sydney Harbor, Australia by @francescocamilloph

Index, Washington by @taylorgrayphoto

Africa by @cmtravels.ch

Iceland by @byrnephotography

Valle de Aguas Tuertas, Spain by @gomezburgio

Barcelona, Spain by @davidpinto_

Victoria, Australia by @laurenepbath

Switzerland by witold_ziomek

Tangalooma, Queensland by @roryjmurdock

The Purbeck Hills, Dorset, England by @zobolondon

The post The #ResourceTravel Instagram Photos of the Week appeared first on Resource Travel.

If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and follow us @Resource Travel

Vesturhorn Mountain, Iceland

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Some midnight sun magic in one of my favorite places ever. #shotoniphone in #Iceland

A post shared by Steve Jenness (@stevejenness) on Sep 28, 2017 at 2:09pm PDT

Provence, France

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZor20fA5vP/?tagged=resourcetravel

Budapest, Hungary

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZpUiWZl4Ts/?tagged=resourcetravel

Iceland

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZqMj9-HqBo/?tagged=resourcetravel

Barcelona, Spain

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZq15X4hFY6/?tagged=resourcetravel

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

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With countless roadside views similar to this, Canada really is like a Disney for nature lovers. @asprinkleof_life doing what she does best (besides teaching) – admiring the beauty of nature!

A post shared by Devon Spencer (@heyguystudios) on Sep 30, 2017 at 10:32am PDT

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZphQvth8D-/?tagged=resourcetravel

Finland

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I'm happy when driving these country roads. Hope you guys have a great Sunday!

A post shared by Tuomas Juntunen (@tuomasjiii) on Oct 1, 2017 at 8:36am PDT

Penticton, British Columbia

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZvB8Tngob8/?tagged=resourcetravel

Faroe Islands

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I hope for nothing more than to be good enough to deserve the life I've been given.

A post shared by H a n n a h M c G r a t h (@handapandas) on Oct 2, 2017 at 9:34am PDT

Bokonbaev, Ysyk-Kol, Kyrgyzstan

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZyCY9wABAN/?tagged=resourcetravel

Stuart Mill, Victoria, Australia

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Out of the warm glow of the city lights and wrapped up under the Milky Way… #Home

A post shared by Nic Sharkey (@5harkey) on Oct 3, 2017 at 12:12pm PDT

Carnarvon National Park, Queensland, Australia

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ3C-0tABPW/?tagged=resourcetravel

Haeundae Beach, Busan, Korea

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ0OKVIhvY4/?tagged=resourcetravel

Djibouti, Djibouti

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Woman gazing out the window of the Negus Train, by @emiliennemalfatto For more than one hundred years, the train, officially the Ethio-Djibouti Railway, carried passengers 500 miles through the desert from Ethiopia to Djibouti. Now it is in its final days. To read more, and to see more of Emilienne's stunning photography, go here: http://hiddencompass.net/2017/08/03/last-days-negus-train/ #hiddencompass #profile #photoessay

A post shared by Hidden Compass (@hiddencompasstravel) on Oct 3, 2017 at 11:40am PDT

Killarney Gen, Australia

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZxvOwbgL3s/?tagged=resourcetravel

Battambang, Cambodia

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZxOS4FjTQV/?tagged=resourcetravel

Guizhou, Guangdong, China

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Wrinkles

A post shared by Cooper Temple (@photos_by_coop) on Oct 2, 2017 at 11:57am PDT

Trinidad, Cuba

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#Trinidad #cuba #travelphotography #resourcetravel #shutterbugpix #colorsoftrinidad #streetphotography #heatoftheday #peopleinthelandscape

A post shared by Chris Bradford (@chbradfo) on Oct 1, 2017 at 9:27pm PDT

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZtxjlbDw9Y/?tagged=resourcetravel

Rua Augusta, Libsoa, Portugal 

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Strolling around Lisbon tonight.

A post shared by TheSevenContinentQuest (@thesevencontinentquest) on Oct 2, 2017 at 1:48pm PDT

Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ3D9e0gyzp/?tagged=resourcetravel

Paris, France

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Night full of light Paris, France. Photo by @ssnnas . . . . . . . . #beachbag #picoftheday #statravel #liveyourpassion #familypet #travelagents #keepworking #sunset_rv #travelrussia #travelingcouple #travelingmodel #lifepartner #awesome_naturepix #mybudgettravel #crystalclearwaters #instagood #journeybegins #resourcetravel #travelinspired #beauthentic #paycationtravel #paradisebay #mytravelgram #outdoortones #animals

A post shared by Love This Globe (@lovethisglobe) on Oct 4, 2017 at 11:59am PDT

Petra, Ma ‘ An, Jordan

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Spirit Falls, Washington 

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Looking forward to more adventures in the PNW this year!

A post shared by Taylor Gray (@taylorgrayphoto) on Oct 4, 2017 at 8:00pm PDT

The post The #ResourceTravel Instagram Photos of the Week appeared first on Resource Travel.

Once I saw the film and accompanying photos by my friend Eric Rubens from his recent trip, I can understand why the average daily cost is so high. The scenes look almost magical, and being both a fan of adventure and relaxation, the British Virgin Islands seemed like it easily joins the two into one. Having the need to hear more about it, I reached out to Rubens and asked him about this week long trip with a small team from the Sony Alpha Collective.

We love the video you created because you manage to show that the British Virgin Islands is both relaxing and an adventure. It’s usually hard to find both in one place, but the BVI seems to be on that list. Is finding both in one location a rarity on your travels?

My favorite locations are ones that offer quite a variety of activities and landscapes. The British Virgin Islands are definitely a great location to relax and that’s what most people probably imagine themselves doing on a trip there. There are a lot of activities and adventures to be had if you take the time to look for them. Besides the popular water sports like sailing, wakeboarding, and kiteboarding, there were some awesome hikes and hidden gems to find if you take the time to look for them!

What was the general itinerary of the trip? What was your most memorable day, experience and location from the week that you were in the BVI? 

For me, the trip was focused on testing out the capabilities of the new Sony a9 and utilizing all of its features. Our itinerary was centered around spending a few days on Virgin Gorda and then a few days on Tortola. We had lots of activities planned that really put the camera to work! Shooting professional kiteboarders and diving with underwater housings were both super unique and memorable opportunities, but my favorite was the helicopter ride over the island chain. Seeing how clear the water was and all the different shades of blue there was stunning.

It’s hard to imagine there being any hardships on a job such as this, but there had to be SOMETHING right?

 

Sometimes the perception on these trips is ‘I’ll get to relax all day and then jump out of the hammock at sunset to grab a quick shot.’ I wish that were the case! We shot sunrise every morning, sometimes on the other side of the island so there was a wake-up call between 4:30 AM and 5:00 AM every day. Our daily itinerary was pretty packed with various activities so I spent most the days shooting video every possible second I saw something intriguing. Sunset was always a time where we’d frantically be running around trying to find the best angles and then at night we’d try to shoot astro. It was an amazing trip but definitely one where more time was spent shooting than relaxing!

This trip was a sponsored trip by Sony for some of their Alpha Collective members. What is the Alpha Collective? And with all of the perks you have received from being a Collective Member, where does the BVI rank? 

The Alpha Collective is a group of Sony shooters who promote the brand and get the opportunity to try out new gear and go on trips such as this from time to time. We are all passionate about shooting with Sony and spreading the word about how quickly the technology is advancing in their products. Visiting the BVI was definitely the highlight of being on the Collective team so far! Growing up in Southern California, my style of photography has always been focussed on emphasizing the beauty of our local beaches. Getting to travel around the world and seeing new beaches is something I’m extremely grateful for. I’d list this spot right near the top for anyone who loves the ocean!

So what’s next? We love the way you bring the viewer into your eyes, both on the ground and in the air. We need to know what to be excited for next!  

Next for me is a trip to Jordan and then off to the Azores to find new beaches! I’m excited since they both will provide unique shooting opportunities and I’m excited to put together a video from each location. I’m hoping to make it back to South Africa after that since it’s one of my favorite places in the world. The beaches, wine country, and safari experiences make that country one of the gems of the world. Hopefully I’ll be able to convey the beauty of those spots because each of those countries deserves a visit from everyone!

Follow Eric Rubens on his upcoming adventures on his Instagram. 

The post What 7 Days of Relaxation in the British Virgin Islands Looks Like appeared first on Resource Travel.

So, after the dangers of these extremely high-temperature springs is made evident by news making tragedies and countless warning signs, no one would be heartless enough to put their dog next to one in order to take an Instagram-worthy photo, right? Scottish-raised self-proclaimed adventure seeker Andrew Marlow says “hold my beer.”

So, let’s talk about this photo for a moment. That is dog. And as cute as Zulu looks, dogs are not allowed in most places in National Parks, with the exception of campgrounds and visitors centers, parking lots, etc. Even then, dogs need to always be leashed. And on the Yellowstone website, the pet rules clearly state:

Pets are not allowed on trails or boardwalks, in the backcountry, or in thermal areas.

Ok, well maybe we are too quick to jump to conclusion. Maybe this geothermal pool is outside of the park, therefore rendering the rules obsolete? Well, much like Donald Trump Jr, Marlow has no problem using his own typed words to incriminate himself. 

Based on Trail Guide Yellowstone map, the Sentinel Meadows Trail is indeed well within park boundaries. So I guess that wasn’t the case. Ok, well maybe Marlow didn’t know dogs weren’t allowed on the trail? After all, it’s hard to imagine yourself doing anything without your four-legged companion. But, like above, Marlow knows how to show that he just doesn’t care about rules by gloating about how ‘easy’ it is to sneak a dog onto a National Park trail.

Ok, so it’s pretty clear that Marlow knows that this was highly illegal. But what really gets to me as a dog-lover is that he not only went off trail but made his dog approach the scalding hot pool in order to take his attention seeking photo for Instagram. To me, that’s just heartless. If anyone needs a reminder, the hiking page on the Yellowstone website also tells us

Stay on trails: taking shortcuts causes trail erosion and is dangerous. In hydrothermal areas, stepping on thin crust can plunge you into boiling water.

What if his dog did plunge into the water? If he wasn’t killed instantly, would Marlow have been able to save the pup in time? Would he even jump in and try or would the scalding hot water keep him away? This is not only against the law and stupid, but his actions prove that he is not above putting his dog in dangerous situations for a photo.

Marlow claims that Zulu ‘listens very well to commands,’ which I have no reason to doubt. But I had an amazing boxer who was my best friend for 11 years, and no matter how well he listened to my commands, it always took a couple of loud yells to get him to stop chasing a wild animal that he spotted out of the corner of his eye. What if the dog saw a bird flying above the thermal pool and wanted to chase it? I don’t need to tell you how that would turn out.

Well, my rant is over. At least I can be impressed that this guy wasn’t dumb enough to fly a drone in a National Park…oh, wait. The Instagram account @assholesoutside shows us that he, in fact, did just that…while having his dog off the trail and next to a thermal pool. So there you have it. The National Park law-breaking trifecta. Drone, Dogs, Off-Trail. You will forever live in infamy Andrew Marlow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWdVFhDlomm/?taken-by=assholesoutside

This is yet another post to remind you to please, follow the rules. No Instagram photo is worth your life, or the life of your dog. If you see something illegal, you can submit a tip to National Park Service Investigators using this form.

Also, it’s about time the National Park Service and Department of Interior really start to prosecute individuals who break the law, especially when they incriminate themselves on Instagram. This will never stop unless people actually fear the penalties that come from their law breaking actions. And the fellas who trampled the Grand Prismatic Spring did indeed get charged.

And based on Marlow’s brazen disregard for the rules, it’s apparent that just a public shaming won’t be enough for this guy to chance his ways.

Update: While writing this, Marlow has since deleted the original Instagram post. 

Update 2: Marlow has since deleted his Instagram account (or changed his username)

Update 3: We got a very nice email from Jacob at the Yellowstone social media team. Help do your part! 

“Sadly, we see the stuff in your article more often than we would like. In response to it, we have developed the #YellowstonePledge campaign (go.nps.gov/YellowstonePledge). We hope to promote this by featuring visitor photos on Instagram, specifically from people who have taken the pledge and tagged their photos with #YellowstonePledge. Our hope is that we can showcase the positive power of social media and create a template that other parks/agencies can adopt. The long-term goal of #YellowstonePledge is to grow our online community into a team of Yellowstone ambassadors who share best practices for responsible photography and visitation.”

The post Man Places Dog on Edge of Dangerous Geothermal Pool For Instagram Photo appeared first on Resource Travel.

Sony Alpha created a unique outdoor retreat meant to bring creatives from all genres together in the remote central California coast to share ideas, learn, and immerse themselves in an inspiring setting meant to ignite their passion for the visual arts and get to know their fellow creative community. Not only were the Sony Artisans invited, but so were members of the newly formed Alpha Collective.

The trip exceeded my already lofty expectations, and I think it is safe to say that most of us were going through Kando withdrawals in the days following. But not able to get the trip out of my head, I decided to talk about my favorite parts of the trip while using photos from both Sony Artisans, Collective Members, and press who uploaded to Instagram using the hashtag #SonyKandoTrip. Check em out. They are pretty cool.

The Location

El Capitan Canyon is a privately owned getaway that sits on 300 acres in a picturesque canyon just 20 miles north of Santa Barbara. Each attendee was placed in a cool wooden cabin set along a creek, surrounded by oak and sycamore trees. The setting was ‘glamping’ at it’s finest. This was my home for the three nights, and it made for some great photos.

A post shared by Resource Travel (@resourcetravel) on May 19, 2017 at 6:41pm PDT

A post shared by Mic-anthony Hay (@micanthonyhay) on May 24, 2017 at 8:47pm PDT

A post shared by Michael Krieger (@mi.yagi) on May 22, 2017 at 9:50am PDT

A post shared by Dennis Cacho (@denn_ice) on May 19, 2017 at 6:04am PDT

It was hard to believe that just a 5-minute bicycle ride took you from the secluded pocket of shade to the sunny shores of the Pacific Ocean. The bikes were available to use for free, or you could walk to the entrance of El Capitan State Beach in about 15 minutes. The beach scene, at least where I went, was mostly fisherman as there is little sand and mainly rocks, which made it pretty hard to sunbathe. But for a group of 100 plus photographers, we weren’t complaining about the foreground elements.

A post shared by eldeane (@eldeane) on May 21, 2017 at 10:54pm PDT

A post shared by Phil Yoon (@phil.yoon) on May 17, 2017 at 10:24am PDT

A post shared by Laura Lawson Visconti (@lauralawsonvisconti) on May 17, 2017 at 4:12pm PDT

The Wolves

Yes, you read that right. There was indeed wolves on site for the entire three day period. Project Wildsong focuses on protecting the value of both wilderness and wildlife as an active partner in assisting with the rescue of native wildlife. And two of those animals happen to be wolves. And boy, were they pretty cool. And didn’t mind being photographed. And photograph them is what the Artisans, Collective and anyone else who happened to walk by did. One of them was very friendly, and you could easily pet him, but the second was a little more protective of his handlers.

The team from Project Wildsong also led a mellow, hour and a half program called ‘Sound Bath with Wolves’, which is a meditation experience while the wolves walk around you, or sleep in front of you as most often was the case. I did not partake in this as I arrived a couple minutes late, but everyone who did said it was incredible. Needless to say, the Wolves were a big hit during the week.

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The Half Pipe

Yes, a half pipe. Since Sony was anxious to have its most valued creators test out the insanely fast 20 fps burst mode of the Sony A9, they needed something that included speed and action. So, the logical solution was to build a half pipe and bring in professional BMX riders and skateboarders, right? Coupled with the newly announced wide angle lenses, the half pipe was a super fun way to play with the gear while overlooking the ocean from atop a hill above the camp. As much as I wanted to show up the BMX guys with my insane skills, I decided to sit on the sidelines and let them do all the hard work.

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This is how do it, it’s Friday night, and I feel alright! #sonykandotrip

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The Surf(ers)

Well, like any good retreat by the ocean should have, Sony got a bunch of cool looking surfer dudes with cool looking surfboards and cool looking surfer trucks so we could test out the A9 with some awesome cool looking surf. Hell, even B&H brought underwater housing! There was only one problem. The swell was non-existent, leading to no one being able to really capture those cool looking surfer dudes in the cool looking surf. But as a bunch of really talented photographers will do, they took tons of awesome shots anyway. Because the act of finding surf is just as interesting as the actual act of surfing.

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The Models…And Their Awesome Vintage Set

As if there weren’t enough attractive people in attendance (come on, have you seen us?!), Sony had the brilliant idea to bring in professional models so the lifestyle photographers could have something more up their alley. Well, in addition to the easy on the eyes models, Sony brought in a pretty rad set complete with an old trailer filled with vintage TVs, couches, phones…the works. Outside the trailer were some old cool cars and some James Dean looking dudes. Oh, and as expected, the wolves found their way into the trailer. This was indeed a pretty cool idea and well executed (albeit, always crowded). Oh, and I don’t know where the zebra came from…but like most things that happened on the Sony Kando Trip, you don’t ask where it came from…you just enjoy it.

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The Night Sky

I love astrophotography, and I was blown away by the incredible amount of stars that I was able to see in El Capitan Canyon on night one after the sun went down. Having little surrounding light pollution and a moon that didn’t rise till early morning gave us perfect conditions for awesome astrophotography, as long as the clouds stayed away. And stay away they did. I don’t remember seeing one cloud the whole trip, which is strange for me, as I spent 21 years on the Northern California coast, which is almost always cloudy or foggy. Being that we were in the canyon, the most popular night photography location was on top of the mountain by the half pipe. There we were able to see the Milky Way, use the half pipe as a foreground, and chat with each other about the day, tips for shooting stars, or just get to know each other in complete darkness (keep those headlamps off please!)

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Old Friends, New Friends…And Inspiration

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from the Kando trip. How can you possibly put so many creatives into one place for three days and not get a bunch of repetitive photos? Wouldn’t having a bunch of photographers jockeying for placement for a photo have the opposite effect of the original mission, to build community? Well, I was shocked at how opposite it was. Sony hit a home run with their efforts to help build a community with the help of Artisans and Collective members. I can’t count how many times I would overhear two creatives introduce themselves, only to look over and see them still engaged in a conversation an hour later. I myself not only got to rekindle old friendships, but I also met people who I had only talked to online before, and most importantly, I got to meet and engage with creatives whom I have never heard of before. And those conversations inspired me. I would check out their Instagram and be blown away by the quality of work that they were producing. I had not only made new friends, but I had found inspiration in their fresh-eyed take on the world. Sure, the location was amazing. The food delicious. The drinks cold. The shiny new camera and lenses were impressive. But what made this trip so special was the amazing and inspirational group of people who stranded themselves in a canyon along the California coastline with an open mind and excitement for the future of their creative dreams.

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