“I was beginning to get frustrated with my inability to explain how different it was, how open and accepting the people were, and how generous they were. Going into this third trip, I knew I wanted to try and find some way to capture the beauty of the country and of the people, so I decided to bring a 16mm camera along.”

After asking his partners at Nations Media about starting a personal side project, Powers began to capture a more intimate and positive portrait of Iraq and people he came across over his time there. The subjects of these video portraits, as Janssen told us, “were just people we met along the way.” Powers explained that he had his camera with him at all times, so whether at lunch or walking down the street, he would always be looking for “someone who looked interesting or had a different look or looked very normal, looked like someone I would see in the US,” and with the help of an interpreter, Powers would ask these people to take their portrait.

When we sat down with the filmmaker for an exclusive interview, we asked Powers to explain his experience as a traveling videographer needing to work with an interpreter and he noted that while the language barrier with his subjects was always somewhat of a challenge, the presence of an interpreter was almost always positive.

“I think as filmmakers, especially documentary filmmakers, our job is to do our best to relate to the people on the other side of the camera. The camera is the tool by which we are able to share what we see with our eyes with the world. To make strong films, it is important to connect on a personal level with the people you are interacting with. Working with an interpreter does sometimes make it difficult because there is a barrier between when someone says something to me or I say something to them and that message having to be translated through another human. It definitely has its disadvantages. That said, there are so many advantages to working with an interpreter. There are many times when the interpreter we were working with, who is originally from Iraq, had such a strong knowledge of cultural things I didn’t understand or ways in which to communicate to people what I was trying to do. Even if I was able to speak Kurdish or Arabic, I don’t have the years of experience or understanding of the culture that he has, so I think its super important to work with an interpreter that you feel like understands the project and understands your heart and your intention behind the project.”

Powers brought only 30 minutes of film with him for this project, so in order to take advantaged of the limited time he had to shoot with, Powers described how important it is to “really slow down and take a breath and be in the moment.” Powers questioned how past projects would have unfolded had he took a breath to be in the moment, so for this project he would often set up the camera and pretend to begin filming and really try “to let the people in front of the camera become a little bit uncomfortable or become more comfortable.” After the subject in front of the lens became more comfortable and he started to feel some emotion coming out of the moment, “whether it was the person who was looking around or was the person who really started to look into the camera and wonder what I was doing,” he would begin to roll. “And I would just let it roll until I felt like the moment was gone. 

“Outside of the aesthetic benefits of how real and organic film looks,” Powers relayed, shooting on film ensured that he would take that moment to slow down.

While all the portraits in the film were beautifully intimate and powerful, we wanted to hear from Powers which one moment best displayed his love for the series and the country. He responded that while every portrait tells him something specific about the country, the one moment of an elderly woman at the 1:35 mark truly captured his heart. The woman who is Yazidi, an ingenious group that has been the target of genocide by ISIS, had for years been living in the refugee camp where Powers had first met her in October 2016. Her initial expression in front of the camera was, as Powers described, “very stern and stoic,” but when a family member behind her made a comment, “she looked back at them and then back at the camera and just had this massive smile on her face, just ear to ear smiling… it was amazing and it was breathtaking.”

And how had moments such as these changed and affected Powers’ approach to his work, to his life?

“As a filmmaker, especially as a documentary filmmaker, I think it’s my job to do my best to connect with people who I am telling the story of, with the people that are on the other side of the camera. In a lot of ways, I think that in order to be a good filmmaker you have to let the things that you experience and the people that you met change you a little bit. All of these moments, all of these trips, and the people that I’ve meet that maybe had differing opinions than I have had or showed me a side of the world or a side of faith or a side of humanity that I wouldn’t have experienced had I had stayed in New York. All of those moments have had a profound impact on the way that I see the world, the way that I see faith, the way that I see life. An important part of being a filmmaker is learning to let those things shape and change you.”

Powers commented that the response for the film has been incredible. This project, that was initially supposed to be “something that I was going to share with friends on Instagram or my wife and family,” has reached so many and while he currently doesn’t have current plans to return to Iraq, he does hope to one day go back and explore more regions of the country with his 16mm camcorder. As of now, Powers is using his new 16 mm to explore “a handful of these passion projects on film this year.” At the beginning of April, Powers was in Alaska creating a feature on a woman named Lena Charley. The film, which he plans to release this summer, focuses on her life as a 90-year-old Athabaskan in a dogsledding community in southern Alaska.

If we are as amazed and inspired by Lena Charley as we were with his subjects in Iraq, then we are sure that we are in for another beautiful film from Janssen Powers.

Follow Janssen Powers’ filmmaking adventures on his website, Vimeo, and Instagram.

Powers at work shooting 16mm film in Iraq

The post ‘A Portrait of Iraq’: See The Everyday People Not Shown in the Headlines appeared first on Resource Travel.

I’ve always felt a strong connection and an incredible sense of belonging to this land. I think it’s reflected vividly in my visual universe. There is also a certain dark side to all the Nordic countries, which I try to depict with elements of severe climate, lack of light, remoteness and perhaps the general reserved nature of the people.

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

Endresen always enjoyed the strange and the surreal,. As a child, she was influenced by her parents’ impressive collection of artbooks, mainly about the Renaissance, in which she could get lost for hours. The deepest impression undoubtedly was left by Memling’s Last Judgement – “his demons terrified and captivated me at the same time.” But Endresen also seeks inspiration in contemporary digital artists, and notes the “profound impact on my style” by Karina Marandjian, a.k.a. Daunhaus.

Your pictures carry a lot of gloominess, and your website reads that you draw inspiration from your most intimate, personal stories. Would you consider yourself a tormented soul?

That’s probably a bit of an exaggeration. But I do have a certain inner restlessness, and being creative is just one of the ways to deal with it. It’s also true that I tend to be fascinated by the darker side of life.

It appears you don’t mind incorporating some nudity into your work. How does that help tell your stories?

I find nudity straightforward, and to me it conveys a certain feeling of openness and vulnerability. I also think human body is beautiful.

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

Your models mus be pretty brace to bare all in the Norwegian cold?

For the models – certainly. I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for those who agree to work with me. I’d hardly dare pose for someone like myself!

Endresen freely admits she engages in a lot of post processing, but considers it “enhancing” rather than a way of “cheating” on reality, because she doesn’t consider herself to be a documentarian. She tells Resource Travel that that’s not a style she ever aspired,  “quite on the contrary actually,” and therefore she thinks there are no other rules or limits then her own imagination.

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

What does your future hold?

I try to go with the flow and not plan too far ahead. I probably won’t exhibit a lot next year – which I’ve never been a fan of, because of all the hassle involved – and rather focus solely on creating. There are also several exciting collaborations planned, and I hope I will have the opportunity to fulfill them them all.

Speaking about creating, Endresen also has a side-project called “Thrjar,” a jewelry line with a lot of similarities to her photography, heavily inspired by runes and nature. She’s currently preparing the release of her second collection, which you’ll be able to order right here when it’s there. As for the artist’s photography, you can find more of that on her website, Facebook, Tumblr or Instagram.

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

© Daria Endresen

The post Daria Endresen’s Mysterious Portraits in Norway’s Daunting Landscapes (NSFW) appeared first on Resource Travel.

While Plant’s Dreamscapes are an obviously impressive collection of photos, I personally have always loved a section on his website called “The Human Element”. From Kenya to Iceland, Plant incorporates human subjects into the extraordinary scenes that he finds.

I sat down with Plant to get the story on the project that doesn’t get as much attention as Dreamscapes, but is equally just as impressive.

You are beyond well-known in the world of photographers, with most of your known work centered around your landscapes and Dreamscapes. But you appear to be drawn to having figures in your travel photos, adding a human element. When did the addition of people start to appeal to your photographing mind?

There was a time in my life when I vowed to never take a photo featuring people. That all changed several years ago during a trip to Morocco, where I fell in love with street photography. I learned that my quest for making compelling images transcends genres and the arbitrary lines I tried to draw for myself. Art should know no boundaries! So now I readily embrace making photographs featuring the human presence.

For you, What is the most appealing aspect of adding people to your travel scenes?

People add life and energy to travel photos. A person’s pose, posture, facial expressions, and line of sight can add so much to the story you are trying to tell with your photographs. Not every travel photo needs a person in it, but adding people can improve one’s travel photos in numerous ways.

Currently interviewing you from Morocco, I find myself obsessing over your images from this country. Possibly the most powerful being the woman begging at the food stalls in Jamaa el Fna in Marrakech. What was it about the scene that drew you in, and how did you try to tell the woman’s story through just one photograph?

So much of the scene was visually appealing, especially the woman’s bright orange robe. The Jamaa el Fna is a chaotic place of seemingly endless motion, but I was immediately struck by her motionless vigil. I tried very hard to capture the paradox of Morocco in this one photograph: the collision between the slow slumber of ancient civilizations and the vibrant fervor of modernity.

Being a Tamron Image Master, you obviously know your lenses. If you were on documentary style travel assignment to highlight the local culture of a location and could only bring one lens, which would it be and why?

I’d want to bring a lens that is capable of capturing multiple perspectives, ranging from wide-angle scenes to tight telephoto portraits. So an “all-in-one” lens would be best, such as a the Tamron 16-300mm lens.

What is it that inspires you to continue to work with the addition of the human element in your photographs, even though they may not become your most well known or most shared images?

These days, I just chase good photos. Even if most of my fans want to see landscape work, if a photo has meaning to me, I’m going to take it, no matter the subject!

Can you provide three tips for photographers to help improve the way they incorporate the human element into their travel photography?

One, learn to view everything, even people, as abstract visual elements, the building blocks of a successful composition. Two, always look to tell a story with your photos: wait for the moment when your subject does something revealing, or something that will help forge an emotional connection with your viewers. Three, don’t be afraid to look for unusual perspectives and compositions. The best photos show people what they don’t or can’t see with their own eyes, so always look for ways to surprise your viewers!

The post Ian Plant Explores the Human Element of Travel appeared first on Resource Travel.

In the latest COOPH-video, Jimmy shares 7 of the most intimate life lessons photography has taught him, based on stories and experiences. Jimmy talks about humor, knowledge, vulnerability, pride, judgement, respect and reflection, and how all those things have made him the image maker he is today.

The images shown in the video are from “Before They Pass Away,” Jimmy’s long-term project that showcases more than 30 tribes from around the world. He hopes that his work will be a catalyst for further discussion as to the authenticity and beauty of fragile and disappearing cultures.

HATGAL VILLAGE, LAKE KHOVSGOL NUUR (Mongolia)
© Jimmy Nelson

KARO CHILDREN IN KORCHO VILLAGE (Ethiopia)
© Jimmy Nelson

KAZAKH EAGLE HUNTING (Mongolia)
© Jimmy Nelson

HULI WIG MEN AT AMBUA FALLS (Papua New Guinea)
© Jimmy Nelson

KAISUT DESERT (Kenya)
© Jimmy Nelson

EPUPA FALLS (Namibia)
© Jimmy Nelson

YAKIM, BRIGADE 2 (Siberia)
© Jimmy Nelson

Visit Jimmy Nelson’s website for more information about is work and to see some of his breathtaking pictures. If you would like to witness a real life exhibition of his “Before They Pass Away” series, you will have to go to Belgium, Germany, France, Austria or Great Britain.

The post Jimmy Nelson’s 7 Lessons Learned from Three Decades of Travel Photography appeared first on Resource Travel.

Below, in no particular order, is my some of my favorite travel photographers that you should start following this month.

The Planet D

Dave and Deb Bouskill have been digital nomads for the last eight years, with the sole goal of inspiring wanna be travelers to “step out of their comfort zones and prove that you don’t have to be an uber-athelete, adrenaline junkie or part of the ultra rich to be an adventurer.”

Gary Arndt

In 2007 Gary Arndt sold his home and put everything he owned into storage with the sole goal to travel the world. As stated on his website, Arndt has been to over 175 countries and counting. During this near decade long time span, Arndt went from being a complete beginner in photography to an award-winning travel photographer. Check out more on his blog Everything Everywhere.

Lola Akinmade

Now residing in Stockholm, Sweden, Akinmade was born in Nigeria, educated in the United States, and now, a resident of the world. Her photography is represented by National Geographic Creative and characterized by its vibrancy and stark emotion that pervades in her commonly seen close-ups of photo muses. You can read more about her travels on her blog and check out her photos on her online portfolio.

Ken Kaminesky

Co-founder of Dream Photo Tours, Kaminesky runs a travel and photography blog where he shares his photos and experiences with followers and the world, while never shy to interject his lovable sense of humor.

Mark Wiens

Food lover, YouTuber and blogger, Mark Wiens adds photographer to this list of professions he has undertaken quite successfully. His blog is a food journey through Thailand, where he currently resides, and wherever his roaming takes him through the world. His blog is a constantly updated collection of the finest and most unique dishes you may, or may never, eat.

Elia Locardi

After a 10 year long career in Post Production and Motion Design, Locardi decided he had enough of the structured life and, following a period of sedentary reflection, embarked on a location independent lifestyle with his wife Naomi. Now they travel and share their experiences via Blame The Monkey where Locardi offers photography lessons and tutorials for others interested in chasing this nomadic lifestyle.

Real Picture Blog

Being only in her 20’s, Samantha Murphy from Real Picture Blog is one of the younger travel bloggers out there. But age detracts little from content as her photos stand to match those of her photo-blog seniors. Using less color enhancement and saturation than many other photographers, Murphy is able to create a much more realistic looking image that is as soothing as it stands out.

My life’s a Trip

A west coast based photographer, with degrees hailing from NYU Tisch and USC’s producing program, Jen Bianco shows us a blogger lifestyle that is both luxurious and adventurous.

Paris in Four Months

A slight divergent from the previous few, Carin—creator of Paris in Four Months, runs this lifestyle blog to document her travels and lifestyle/fashion/art sightings around the city. With a very ethereal aesthetic, Carin mingles the best of girly and tasteful into a beautifully soft blog both content and image wise.

Farfelue

Following a similar thread of trendy Parisian blogs, Farfelue was created after Faye Bullock moved to Paris. Her blog is a diary of her travels around Paris and her lifestyle habits within it, and her European Travel guides are informative and easy to follow.

The Wanderbug

Genevieve Hassall is a young travel obsessed photographer and writer who spends her free time wandering around the world, especially her home country of Australia, in search of vibrant colors and food. Lots and lots of food. Her posts are always well written and will leave you with a smile on your face and a growl in your belly.

We are going to suggest new travel blogs to follow in the middle of every month. Have a travel blog you think would make a great addition? Let us know in the comments!

The post 11 Travel Photography Blogs to Start Following Today appeared first on Resource Travel.

In 2013, photographer Matt Alberts found himself feeling frustrated with his lack of inspiration in the digital photography process. He felt a need to actually create his photographs, and not with just a simple shutter click, but with his hands. Alberts, seeking guidance, attended a wet collodion process class taught by Quinn Jacobson and instantly fell in love with this form of photography invented 170 years prior. Jacobson and Alberts became friends, with Jacobson also taking on a mentor role to the Denver-based Alberts.

As Alberts continued to learn the time-consuming technique, he invited his friend Chet Childress to Jacobson’s studio for a portrait. Alberts knew that Childress, being an artist and skateboarder with a unique look, would make an interesting subject for his wet plate portrait, but little did he know how this portrait would change the course of his passions and inspiration.

“Madness Triptych” – Alberts’ triptych portrait of Chet Childress that inspired the LIFERS project.

According to Alberts, “With its sensitivity to UV light and long exposure times, wet collodion is believed to have the ability to see beneath the skin, revealing one’s soul and character.” This belief, coupled with Childress’ triptych portrait, inspired Alberts to create the LIFERS Project, which aimed to capture wet plate portraits of those who push the limits in the pursuit of their passions.

When car manufacturer Cadillac heard about the project, they were eager to get involved. They teamed up with Alberts and the LIFERS Project to provide assistance on the road trip and a series of films that Alberts wanted to produce. The project would be based on three seasons (Snow, Sun, Water) with each covering a different bold sport.

Alberts, Childress, and two friends, Coburn Huff and Joe Fernandez, set out on a year-long road trip to capture LIFERS throughout the United States. In search of passionate people, the team traversed 3,000 miles and 38 cities through 18 states, stopping to meet and document the lives of more than 100 inspiring individuals.

“Water” took the team to the east coast, where they documented the historic surf culture. In the film, Greg Mesanko, owner of Grog’s Surf Palace, talks about the differences between the surf culture of the east coast compared to the more well known west coast.

For the most part, we surf in bitter, bitter cold. All year round. I don’t care how cold it gets. 20 below, and we are out there. New Jersey is totally underrated as far as the waves go. They are really, really good. Not quite as big as Hawaii. Maybe not as perfect as California. But ours are hollow…and ass kicking.

 

Matt Alberts’ wet plate portrait of Greg “Grog” Mesanko

 

Greg “Grog” Mesanko poses while holding his wet plate portrait captured by Matt Alberts.

The “Water” portion of the Seasons Collection is a fascinating look into the East Coast’s proud surf culture and the passionate people behind it. The timeless look of the wet plate portraits compliments the characters and the history rich U.S. eastern seaboard that they surf day in and day out. Even if it’s not as big as Hawaii, or as warm and perfect as California, the LIFERS who surf these waves are proud to call the Atlantic Ocean their home.

Editor’s Note – Matt Alberts was kind enough to provide Resource Travel with the original wet plate scans of his portraits from the “Water” portion of his trip. See below. Thank you Matt.

See more films from the team’s road trip to document LIFERS on Cadillac’s YouTube channel. Matt Alberts has printed a book of his unique project of documenting the passionate lives and adventures of the action sports subjects he met on his journey with wet plate photography. To purchase, visit TheLIFERSProject.com

Follow The LIFERS Project on Facebook and Instagram.
Follow photographer Matt Alberts on Facebook.

The post Photographer Documents The East Coast Surf Scene Using Vintage Wet Plate Camera appeared first on Resource Travel.

In an effort to introduce the European nation’s rich culture and history to a younger generation, the Italian government brought back the Venice Carnival in 1979 to great fanfare.

Year after year, the Carnival attracts more visitors, with over 3 million participants last year. Thousands of artists and designers compete for the coveted award, “la maschera più bella” (“the most beautiful mask”).

The culture and celebratory atmosphere are two of the many reasons to visit the Carnival in Venice, but for photographers, the elegant costumes and masks set against Venetian backgrounds make for some incredible fantasy style portraits.

Photographer Ken Koskela recently attended the Carnival and brought back images that left us in awe. The colors, the architecture, and of course, the costumes and masks make Carnival in Venice a travel photogapher’s dream festival, and Koskela shows us how it’s done with 20 remarkable photographs. You can also check out additional images on the gallery on his website.

The Venice Carnival is just around the corner and runs from January 23rd to February 9th 2016, so check out the official website to start planning your last minute trip!

See more from Koskela on his website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Yellow-costumed model on a bridge on Burano Island during Carnival

Gorgeous Carnival model in red inside a Venetian palace

Carnival costumed model sitting outside San Gorgio church

Carnival models riding in a gondola on a Venice canal

Flamboyant costumed model on San Gorgio island

Close-up portrait of a gorgeous Carnival model in a bright purple costume

Bright red Carnival costume in a Venice palace

Bright red shoes and striped socks at Carnival in Venice

Mysterious looking Carnival model in front of a bright orange sunset

Carnival model in an orange costume by pillars

Carnival model in red walking down a beautifully painted staircase

Gorgeous Carnival model locked behind a gate

Blue costumed Carnival model calling from a stairway in Venice

Red costumed model in a Venice doorway during the Carnival celebration

Beautiful Victorian-style Carnival model holding an umbrella by San Gorgio church

Green costumed model looking out of her hotel window in Venice

Green costumed Carnival model on Burano Island in Venice

A costumed couple during the Carnival celebration

Carnival model in black, white and red in front of a church door

Zoom shot of Venice Carnival models in red, black and white

The post 20 Photos That Will Inspire You To Attend Carnival In Venice, Italy appeared first on Resource Travel.

Photographer Ernesto Pérez tells the visual narrative of his native Venezuela through images of the lesser seen cities and urban landscapes. “What matters to me, what inspires me, is the people. That’s why I do so many portraits. I try to tell the story that no one sees, that no one knows and that no one wants to see” says Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) in Spanish to Instagram Blog.

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Her.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 29, 2015 at 12:53pm PDT

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"I try to capture what it means to be in a city, I try to focus on people’s feelings." Entrevista completa con @instagram en mi bio.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 29, 2015 at 9:06am PDT

Based in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Pérez practices his passion for photography when he is not working at his job as an editor for a digital magazine. Often finding an interesting perspective and animated subjects inside public transport systems, Pérez captures the heart of the city – mainly through the faces of its daily commuters preparing for the daily grind.  “I live in a city where you get 112 degrees Fahrenheit at noon, so using public transport is a tough experience. I’m interested primarily in those feelings, in the expression of those on that transport system.”

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Ráfagas de luz.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 29, 2015 at 6:47pm PDT

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Bus.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 26, 2015 at 6:33am PDT

“I take pictures of buses without air conditioning, where everyone is standing up. There’s an infernal heat. There are also other cars known as ‘carros por puesto’ (public transport cars that can ride up to 5 passengers), which are vehicles from the 50’s that smell like gasoline,” Pérez says.

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Sunday.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 28, 2015 at 10:49am PDT

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History.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 29, 2015 at 7:26am PDT

The city’s rich architecture is another favorite subject that Pérez loves to photograph.  Pérez would make it a point to stroll along the city’s avenues and alleyways, such as Carabobo Street, which houses many colonial buildings. Intertwining his photography portfolios, like the public transportation scene, the city’s architecture, and the intimate portraiture of its citizens, Pérez’s images are a true example of how to tell a compelling story of a city and it’s people.

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"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine."

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 27, 2015 at 6:50pm PDT

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A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 23, 2015 at 2:04pm PDT

Ernesto Pérez proudly explains that his photographs are a representation of his country’s unique culture, tradition, and beauty. “I’ve always thought that I’m disturbing people’s tranquility on their Instagram feed,” he says. I’m sure his more than 11,000 followers would dismiss any notion of intrusion as long as he dishes out interesting images of his home city. He adds, “I try to capture what it means to be in a city, I try to focus on people’s feelings. I like to get to know people on the streets. My city, my country is passing through a difficult moment and I am not trying to portray it in a bad light. I am trying to find beauty in places where it is difficult to find it.”

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Reach out to others when you run into trouble. Too often, we hide our mistakes, rather than sharing them with those who could give us guidance. Mistakes don't make you look foolish – but acting like you are a born expert on everything certainly will.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 19, 2015 at 9:54am PDT

https://instagram.com/p/4Eyqa0MNcq/

Sit back and imagine the stories behind these images of Maracaibo and its surrounding cities in Venezuela.

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El día a día.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 17, 2015 at 5:36pm PDT

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"El último patiquín de Maracaibo" #retrato

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 17, 2015 at 11:51am PDT

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A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 16, 2015 at 6:00pm PDT

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Buscar emociones.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 15, 2015 at 8:42am PDT

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Agua de coco.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 10, 2015 at 6:51am PDT

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Buenos días.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 9, 2015 at 5:38am PDT

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Allá voy.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on Jun 6, 2015 at 2:09pm PDT

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Día internacional de la hamburguesa.

A post shared by Ernesto Pérez (@revistanow) on May 28, 2015 at 7:03pm PDT

To see more of Ernesto Pérez’ visual tales from Venezuela, please follow him on Instagram @revistanow

The post Ernesto Pérez Tells Compelling Urban Stories Of His Home City In Venezuela appeared first on Resource Travel.

It was at that point I knew I had to visit, so I booked my first trip. It’s crazy to think how little I knew about the country when I first decided to go. I spent the time before the trip researching locations, routes, best times to photograph, weather patterns. But even as I landed in Keflavik for the first time, I still felt like I had no idea what Iceland had in store for me. This first trip to Iceland impacted my life in so many ways. Everything changed for me from that point.

But after Hardman’s second solo trip to the island nation northeast of the United Kingdom in late 2013, he felt that something could be added to the photography equation.

During that trip, I photographed the landscape non-stop for 15 days. I seriously couldn’t get enough, even despite the intense winter storms. I was addicted to this incredible region. However, after coming home from this trip and spending some time editing the images, it became apparent that some were lacking a human element. It was difficult to show a sense of scale of Iceland’s expansive and epic locations. I knew at that moment, I wanted to add the human element. You can’t really gain any sense of scale or the same drama from the landscapes on their own.

Hardman suggested that his girlfriend Amy should join him on his next excursion to Iceland. She happily agreed and decided to bring one of her favorite dresses, a beautiful pink retro style, given to her by photographer Alison Scarpulla. Once they started exploring the Icelandic coastline that summer, they knew they were creating something unique.

We never intended on building a complete series using the dress, but once we began adding Amy and this beautiful dress into the incredible landscapes of Iceland, it became evident that a series was forming.

LONE was born. A series of 9 environmental portraits that portray the pilgrimage of a lone wanderer venturing into a fierce, majestic, and incomprehensible landscape. Amy and I were aiming to accentuate the isolated feeling that one might experience when alone in nature. Having a brave model really helped to achieve unique images, as Amy was able to push through the cold and harsh conditions and venture further into the crazy, yet photogenic, locations.

The resulting images are not only a beautiful and unique take on one of the most photographed locations on the planet, but also helped raise awareness to the threats that tourism brings to this small and proud nation. Over one million tourists per year make the journey to photograph and experience one of the most remarkable places on the planet. These figures dwarf the 330,000 Iclenaders who call this frigid place home. Lack of adequate infrastructure and a consistent influx of tourists is leading to deteriorating conditions in this fragile land.

Hardman ordered large fine art prints from his friend Paul Jarvis of Perth Pro Lab and installed them in the KURB Gallery in downtown Perth. LONE ran from December 19, 2014 to January 2, 2015 and generated over 100,000 Icelandic Krona for the Nature Conservation Association to help keep Iceland pristine for future generations of photographers and adventure seekers.

LONE on display at the KURB gallery in Perth, Western Australia

The post Incredible Environmental Portraits Show A Unique And Beautiful Side Of Iceland appeared first on Resource Travel.