Their newest film showcases California’s Death Valley National Park in the Mojave Desert. And, as is to be expected with Jim and Will Pattiz, the imagery of the largest national park in the continental United States is nothing short of amazing. Contrary to what the name conjures in the mind, Death Valley offers diverse landscapes and colorful scenery, with life far more prominent than one would think, plants and animals somehow managing to adapt to to the extreme conditions. And since the project was filmed primarily in 8K–the beauty of the place is even more prevalent.

You can head over to their site to check out other parks they’ve been too. And be sure to follow their Vimeo, Instagram, and Facebook as they plan to eventually cover all fifty-nine national parks.

The post Finding Colorful Life in California’s Death Valley appeared first on Resource Travel.

“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.

Arefin began drawing and sketching at a young age and initially had hopes of becoming a painter. But while pursuing a fine art degree, the battle with perfectionism caused him to lose interest in the craft. Eventually, using a camera that he bought to take photographs of his artwork, he registered for a 365 photo project and learned photography through taking photos and engaging with the online community. And most importantly, because he had to post photos every day, Arefin stopped worrying about perfection and instead begin to focus on the process of creating. Eventually, this choice led to his unique style–which, knowing he has a background as a painter, makes sense. 

We sat down with Arefin to ask him about those interesting elements of photography, what he looks for in the city streets, and what he hopes to achieve as a photographer.

It seems most of your pictures are taken at the beginning of the day or the end. I’d imagine this is partly because of the good lighting at that time of the day, but do you feel it goes beyond that?

It’s true that the main purpose of shooting either in early morning or late afternoon is the amazing quality of light. But at the same time another important reason is the mood and the ambiance. The light I work with is perfect for the soft, serene, and whimsical kind of look I want in my images. Also, personally, I feel that that particular light makes the images look a bit wistful and adds a certain kind of emotional aspect. It’s also great to capture the details and richness of colors.

The shadows and lighting and colors in your photographs are amazing. You kind of touched on this in the previous answer, but can you tell me a little bit more about why these elements are important to you?

Well thank you and yes, certainly these elements are the most important parts of my images. I’m especially obsessed with light, it’s probably the most important thing I pay attention to when I photograph something. After all, photography is painting with light, right? A dramatic use of light can turn something mundane and simple into something extraordinary and telling. Personally, I love shooting with backlight. For me, that dramatic contrast between light and shadows adds much depth and mystery. For color, I think if the light is the soul of a photo then color is the heart. Color can trigger human emotions and that’s how I try to use it. I use the tones and colors according to the mood and emotion I want to express through my image.

Your website describes your photography as “often whimsical, with a dreamy feel, yet the elements are utterly taken from real life.” When you set out to take pictures, are you mainly focusing on the real-life element and then later, in the edit, try to find the whimsical? Or do you have an idea about the whimsical and go looking for it in real life?

It’s actually a bit of both. Most of the time I try to take an ordinary everyday object or element, shoot and edit it in a way that makes it look whimsical. My idea has always been to make people believe that, if you open your eyes, you can both find beauty everywhere as well as see your surroundings with a fresh, different perspective. But yes, sometimes it happens that I get a certain concept in my mind and for that I need some unusual objects and props. For example, in the past, I created some fairy tale type images inspired by Harry Potter or Beauty and the Beast and for those images I had to collect props related to witchcraft and fairytales. So yeah, sometimes it’s taking something very ordinary and trying to represent it in a whimsical way and sometimes its about coming up with a concept and trying to find fitting elements to make that idea happen.

Did your street photography always have the whimsical dreamy feel as well? Or did you take the fantasy elements from your still life photography and try to apply it to people and city life?

The miniature or still life photography is something I started with and has always been the main focus. I love to work with still life objects. In all objects, there is a sense of human presence, emotions, and stories. You can tell a whole story through your images without even using people. As far as the other account, I actually started shooting street in 2016 when I took a solo trip to Kathmandu, Nepal. So by the time I was shooting the streets I already had developed a personal style and tried to apply that there. I wanted to see how my street shots would look if I shot them in the same manner of my still life photos. For both styles, I try to find something simple and and try to make it look beautiful and moody.

With a few exceptions, your photography, though never claustrophobic, does have an element of containment. For example, narrow alleys or the walls of a city seem to confine the subjects in your photographs. Living in New York City, I sometimes feel a little trapped, or restricted by everything around me. Is this something you are trying to capture or convey in your imagery? Or is it just a natural result of taking photos in a city?

I have never thought to confine the subjects. Personally, I just love narrow lanes and streets. This love grew when I was traveling in Varanasi, India. The whole city is full of really narrow streets, lanes and alleys. It was incredible to see how happening and lively the space can be. I enjoy shooting these places for few reasons, one is the way sunlight leaks through the narrow walls and you can actually create beautiful dramatic lighting effects. Secondly, I love vertical compositions and narrow lanes are perfect for that. And lastly, usually the kind of stories and events I look for, happen in those places. You will often find people doing everyday chores, chatting with other people, or just taking a break and having tea, or maybe someone is just sitting on his/her doorstep at the end of the day. For me these places are full of emotions, stories, and the unique essence of local lifestyle which I don’t find in the main city streets. So yes for me, it’s more about seeing life happening rather than getting restrained.

There is a contentment and serenity in the people going about these everyday task, which is partly what makes them special. I see it as these little moments that might seem like nothing but are important because they are part of life. Or maybe that even the little moments in life can be beautiful.  Am I way off?

You are absolutely right. I truly believe that it’s the little things and little moments that make living beautiful. And to find happiness you don’t really need to do much if you know the importance of simple small moments. As I mentioned my photographs are a reflection of my own personal realization: I realized that being happy and creating something perfect, didn’t mean I had to do something big. It’s just enjoying what you have, and looking at your surroundings with a positive mind.

Okay, loaded questions. What does photography mean to you?  And what do you wish to do with it?

Well I started photography as another medium to express myself and to create my art. I know that one way or another I’d still create no matter what, let it be photography or through drawing or painting. But yes one thing photography did for me is give me creative freedom and open up both my heart and eyes to find the beauty around me. I also overcame many of my fears, traveled to unknown places, and met so many wonderful artists and people who I really admire and am proud to call my friends. So yeah, photography is a world which, right now, I just can’t live without. In my artwork, I always wanted to create something that’s meaningful to other people and that’s what I want to continue with photography. To create images that will make me, and at the same time, other people happy. Through my work, I hope I can add a little beauty to their lives. This world has so many problems and bad things are happening everyday, if my work can make people feel happy and appreciate the beauty of life even for a moment, I’ll be happy.

 

Ashraful has definitely given us a chance to appreciate the beauty of life and find a moment of happiness with his imagery. And whether it is still life or street photography, we’re excited to follow his journey as a photographer. Now, if only we could convey his message about appreciating the little moments to almost anyone who rides the subway in New York City.

Follow Ashraful Arefin on his Website, Facebook, & Both Instagram Accounts: Street Photography & Still Life Photography

The post Discovering The Quiet Side of City Life in India appeared first on Resource Travel.

He first picked up a DSLR camera in 2007 and over the years through trial and error, and two years as a nightlife photographer in Copenhagen, he has honed the craft. A brief stint away from the camera in 2013 was followed by a two month volunteer project in Botswana, Africa focusing on wildlife and environmental conservation. This experience gave Beiter ample opportunity to focus on what would become his favorite photography genres: travel, landscapes, and wildlife.

“Shapes of Lofoten” — Shortlisted Photo For The Sony World Photography Awards

Though he has traveled to Namibia, the Caribbean, Tanzania,  and New Zealand over the years, it wasn’t until 2016 when a trip to Lofoten, Norway sparked his obsession with photography. In the harsh Arctic climate, he found himself experimenting with filters, tripods, and long exposures, pushing himself out of his photography comfort zone, which made him eager to keep shooting and learning. So perhaps it is only fitting that his second trip to Lofoten would result in the beautiful photograph that has been recognized by The Sony World Photography Awards. Like learning, this honor has pushed Beiter’s inspiration in making his passion a career.

We asked Mikkel about the photo, his trip, and what attracts him to photography.

“Good Morning Sakrisøy”

Being shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards is a wonderful achievement. Did you have a good feeling about the photo before you submitted it to the contest?

It’s a huge milestone. I’ve always had a great feeling about this photo, I knew I caught a special moment when I took the photo but I had no idea it would reach so far in this competition.

“Lead The Way”

What is the story behind the photo? It just seems everything came together perfectly for the capture.

I took this photo during a morning walk around Sakrisøy in Lofoten, Norway. Here, there are a lot of classic spots when it comes to photography and my photo with the yellow cabin and the triangle shaped mountain is one of the classic locations. But I caught something special I think, as we had some fresh snow during the night and it covered the mountain perfectly. You can actually see how crisp the snow is when looking at the photo. Combining this fresh snow with a white to grey cloud covered sky made everything pop in the photo. The mountain stands out, the yellow cabin does as well, perfect contrasts! What makes it even more special is of course the triangle shape of the roof and the the mountain behind it, coming together in perfect alignment. Also, I took this photo handheld.

“Front Row”

What was it that drew you back to Arctic Norway?

This was my second visit to Lofoten in Northern Norway. This time I went with an old school buddy and our goal was actually to see the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating with us during the trip and we only managed to see some faint aurora lasting just 20 minutes. Beside that it was a fantastic trip. I got to show my friend around the archipelago and he realized quite quickly why I really love Lofoten, its fjords, mountains and the small communities scattered around with small red cabins.

“Blue Hour”

What is your favorite aspect of travel photography?

It’s peaceful to be out in the field with your camera and this is one of the things I enjoy most about photography. I’ve always been an outdoor person and combining that love for nature with photography is just the perfect match! One thing that really attracts me about photography is that you are actually collecting memories, stories, or situations, either for yourself or others. I really enjoy to travel and sharing the beauty of the world with people from my perspective.

“After Glow”

You have a pretty impressive portfolio of images. Have you traveled to many countries?

My passion for photography and travel didn’t really exist before in 2016 and having a full-time job on the side limits you a bit when it comes to travel, so I have not visited as many countries as I would like. But I am sure that will change in the coming years! So far I’ve been to the following countries with photography being the main objective: Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Germany, Italy, and Austria.

“Abstract Storm”

As far as travel and photography go, what is your next move?

That’s a hard question. I’m not really sure what my next move is. I don’t earn anything on my photography so I would probably continue as it is now, where I have a full-time job and then go and travel with my camera during my holidays. I hope I can make photography a full-time career one day, picking up assignments around the world.

It’s easy to see that Beiter has the eye and the skill set to be a successful travel photographer. We look forward to following his journey and seeing the beauty of nature through his lens.

Follow Mikkel Beiter on his Website, Instagram, & Facebook.

The post Finding Serenity in Lofoten, Norway With Photographer Mikkel Beiter 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.

The stories of explorers of centuries past—think about early Everest climbers and Antarctic trekkers—are reminders that there are a few of us, very few of us, who will brave any condition, who will venture past any line, out of the safe space, right into the danger zone, and stage a battle of wills between the human spirit and the humans-dare-not-tread spaces.

Enter Cory Richards. Cory belongs to that crowd of explorers who, through sheer will alone, find themselves facing down the terrible and frightening forces of natural destruction. His photography, of course, needs no real recommendation from me, or from you, or from anyone. Skill speaks for itself. But what sets him apart is the impression one gets from this video that even if Cory were born in centuries past, before the age of cameras, he would be there anyway. He’d be in the middle of the battle, face toward the wind, daring life to send him more. An explorer first, it feels at times like he’s not venturing for the camera. The camera just came along for the journey and, through it, so can we.

To see more on Cory Richards, follow him on instagram, facebook, or his website

The post A Tribute to Discomfort: The Work of National Geographic Photographer Cory Richards appeared first on Resource Travel.

I chase light: icy cold blue light, warm golden light, fading soft pink light, mind melting red light, green snaking light that explodes into the night sky. I travel the world and capture photographs of its awe-inspiring beauty because it fills my heart with light and forces me out of the darkness of my past, plagued with injury and heartbreak.

Like many young Canadians growing up on the prairies, I learned how to skate on an outdoor rink. I was a feisty 3-year-old with a zest for dramatic expression and an insatiable hunger to compete. Figure skating became my passion and purpose until I was 21. One slight miscalculation lead to a horrible fall which broke my back and plunged my life into a spiral of pain and hopelessness.

I spent the next 8 years in darkness. Immobilized in my bed, I would stare up at the ceiling and feel so powerless. I cut out photographs of beautiful places from travel magazines and stuck them on my walls. At the time, I felt like I would never get to see those places in real life. I could hardly walk and couldn’t sit for longer than 5 minutes. Traveling to the next room was trouble enough, let alone traveling the world.

One day, I got my first dSLR, a Canon Rebel Xti and a 50mm lens. I remember the excitement I felt unboxing my new camera and then the disappointment when I picked it up and through the viewfinder at my dark room. There was nothing to take a picture of: dirty laundry, old tea cups, piles of Buffy DVDs. Not exactly the Eiffel Tower.

I forced myself to get out of bed and pushed the curtains aside. A huge beam of light streamed in from the window. I placed my hand directly in the beam of light and snapped a photo. It was, of course, blurry and over-exposed, but it was a symbol of my hunger to move forward. I was literally reaching my hand into the light, attempting to grab it.

My life changed that day. I started a blog. I started taking pictures and sharing them online. Photography became a therapy for my body and soul. I forced myself to start walking again. Every day I went one minute further, exploring my neighbourhood and my city of Vancouver with my camera. The day I reached the beach, about 20 minutes away, 20 days for me, was my first major victory. I spent a few hours photographing the sea gulls soaring in the sky and the waves dancing on the shore. It wasn’t mind-blowing work, but that moment meant something to me and I finally understood what it meant to capture an inspiring moment.

What if I could do that for other people? Capture moments that meant something to them? Inspire them as I had been inspired?

People started liking my work and I got hired for my first photography jobs. My first work was mainly portraits. I loved photographing faces and challenging myself to learn off-camera strobes. I couldn’t believe I could actually do this as a job. Every step forward in my photography career felt like a victory against my injury. I started to heal. I got stronger. I started to dream again.

A year later, I got on a plane to San Francisco to meet with the founders of tap tap tap, who I eventually created Camera+ with. Another game changer for me. The success of Camera+ gave me something that I had yearned for all those years staring up at my ceiling, the opportunity to travel.

My first big adventure was a 50 day trip to 15 countries around the world shooting only with my iPhone 4. It was an eye-opening trip, to see so much of the world in brief, back-to-back glimpses. The intoxication of exploring new place, people and cultures was truly addictive. I fell in love with some places and wanted to take more than just pretty or technically good pictures, but ones that told stories.

It’s been a long process over the past 9 years and some days I feel like my journey with photography has only just started. I still struggle with my back and neck, and every few months, I have to stay in bed for a day or two. Even though I’m as stubborn as mule, I can’t always climb up to the highest mountain peak, or rappel down the rockiest cliff, and sometimes I need assistance carrying my gear. I make the most out of every moment and I’ve learned that the best shot is the one that inspires you. When you live in a state of creative inspiration, your photography shines.

The more I see, the more time I spend chasing the light; the more I grow as a person and photographer.

Lisa Bettany is a photographer based in Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada. After founding the popular iPhone app Camera+, Lisa returned to Canada to pursue her travel photography career. While learning to fly at a local flight club, Lisa met her husband, an RCAF pilot. Follow Lisa’s adventures on her photo portfolio website, her blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

The post How Travel Photography Inspires Lisa Bettany to Battle Injury and Heartbreak appeared first on Resource Travel.

With every adventure I embark on, I begin the research and planning phase by typing “beautiful nature” and the name of my destination (in this case “beautiful nature Costa Rica”) in Google Image search.  It’s a nice way to get an overview of the various points of interest and locations you might not immediately find on tourism websites.  Last year, when planning a short trip to Costa Rica, at least five images of unbelievable turquoise water — a color so bizarre that it borders on artifice — appeared on the first page of search results alone.  After some preliminary research, I discovered that the iconic color of was not photoshop trickery but the real deal, belonging to Rio Celeste, in a more remote and less touristed area of the Guanacaste/Alajuela border.

Arriving at Tenorio Volcano National Park

Ride in the back of a rusty old pickup truck down dusty roads? Don’t mind if I do.

We arrived at the trailhead after a bumpy and laughter-filled hour spent white-knuckling in the back of a pick-up truck, refilled our water bottles and started the hike through a dim and dense jungle.  For me, hikes like this are always filled with anticipation and excitement.  The research I did at home suddenly feels less distant as memories of beautiful thumbnail-filled pages of search results pop back into my head.  Finally, after hearing the roar of an impending waterfall grow gradually over the past ten minutes, we reached the top of a very tall staircase leading down into the jungle.  I thought I knew the beauty that awaited me, but I was totally unprepared.

It’s a long walk down to the falls, but so completely worth it.

Through a break in the jungle, we caught our first glimpse of turquoise water.

With photography as a primary interest in my travels, I spent quite some time composing and recomposing shots of the waterfall and magical pool before me.  I paid careful attention, memorizing the color of the water so I could match it in post-processing should the white balance in my images fall short of doing that epic turquoise justice.  I’ve visited hundreds of waterfalls in my life, most taller or wider, but nothing like this.  Not ever.   It’s a remarkable feeling to stand and look at something that utterly defies what you’ve previously seen in your life.  That was my experience at Rio Celeste.

That color though!

As close as I could get to the waterfall without crossing the low fence…

We climbed back up the tall staircase, muddy from morning rains and ambient humidity, to rejoin the trail and follow the river to its source.  The trail parallels the river for some distance through lush jungle, along sandy riverbeds, over narrow “bridges”, and past pools of brilliant turquoise, all calling you to slip off your shoes and wade in.  Then, you reach a truly bizarre and inexplicable sight.  The source of Rio Celeste provides an even greater sense of magic as two absolutely transparent streams merge to immediately burst into beautiful, saturate color right before your eyes.

One of the sketchy bridges crossing the river

Nothing about this place feels real.

An actual Blue Lagoon.

The remarkable turquoise water of Rio Celeste was a scientific mystery for some time. Scientists were unsure how Celeste could be fed by two clear rivers (Quebrada Agria and Río Buena Vista), and yet when the rivers meet, create this vivid other-worldly color. For a while, it was believed that the color change was due to a chemical reaction from the volcanic soil.  The smell of sulfur is very present along the river and at the waterfall so it’s no wonder that it was considered as a cause.  More recently, scientists determined that the color has less to do with chemical reactions and more to do with the optical appearance of sunlight reflecting off suspended particles:

Investigators were surprised that the water only remained blue in the river bed, as upon putting the water in test tubes, it looked completely transparent through the glass.  They then continued to investigate and found that the blue color seen by the human eye in the waters of the river is not a chemical phenomenon, but rather optical. This means that the blue is not produced by a chemical that colors the water, but that it is related to human eye perception and the scattering of sunlight caused by the water.

Sunlight contains the entire color spectrum, similar to the way we see them all in a rainbow. In any other river sunlight penetrates to a certain depth and no particular color is deflected or reflected back to the surface, so it looks transparent, while in the Río Celeste the water passes some of the Sun’s rays, but reflects the bluish tone group. So the water appears blue to the human eye. This also applies to devices made like the human eye, such as cameras. (The Costa Rica Star)

So each river contains a certain size of suspended particles.  Alone, the particles reflect light in the traditional, non-remarkable way and the source rivers appear clear. Yet when the rivers combine, the particles merge and fill in each other’s gaps to form the perfect reflective surface for the eye to perceive this specific turquoise hue.  Rio Celeste is only uniquely beautiful because of the confluence and cooperation of two entirely separate, non-remarkable rivers — and the beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

The point of confluence, where two clear rivers merge to create pure magic.

A purely scientific explanation did little to diminish the magic of Rio Celeste for me.  As a photographer, I was inspired by the beauty and visual impact of the phenomenon.  As a writer, my mind filled with romantic metaphors about cooperation, strength, and beauty — the whole truly greater than the sum of its parts in such a literal, obvious way.  As a traveler, I began to wonder what other unique and extraordinary sights like this exist in the fringes of international awareness.  A trip to Costa Rica’s Rio Celeste sparked a reinvigoration for me both artistically and as an explorer, reminding me that the world is a wild and beautiful place and that a life spent exploring is a life well spent.

The post The Phenomenon That Makes Costa Rica’s Rio Celeste Turquoise appeared first on Resource Travel.

Travel itself is not often what inspires us. Travel is what we do after we become inspired. Inspired to take photos, inspired to listen to the music of other peoples in distant lands, inspired to taste exotic foods, inspired to meet new people, inspired to go on dates with limited common language, inspired perhaps then to learn that language, or maybe just inspired to make our Facebook pages more interesting for our relatives.

These observations about travel are why I like this short video by Rick Mereki. At first glance, it seems like little more than a series of images of his own experience trying to learn new things. And for some, seeing the sheer volume of activities he engages in might seem overwhelming, or unrealistic. It’s true that most of us will not get to do everything he does. But for me, this video served as a reminder that, rather than simply thinking about travel in broad terms, it’s important also to pinpoint those smaller, narrow motivational factors, and pursue them. In this video, a desire to learn. For me, a desire to shoot photographs, or see penguins, or share a drink with a stranger. And others find their own sources or combination of sources. So whether you learn to mountain climb or flamenco dance isn’t important. You may never do either. The takeaway is to remember why you travel, pinpoint those factors, and follow their lead. Maybe they’ll take you to the top of Everest, or to teach English overseas. Or maybe they’ll lead you, like they did Mereki, to try to learn about the world broadly and capture some of those beautiful moments on film.

To see more from Rick Mereki, follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Vimeo, Instagram and his Website

The post Film Encourages Travelers to Not Forget Our Desire to Learn appeared first on Resource Travel.

Oman is a place as surprising as unfamiliar. When the traveler explores its diverse landscape, formed by deserts, mountains, oasis and virgin beaches, he realizes why this country was known as the Pearl of Arabia.

But one thing, that really stands out above all in Oman, is the kindness and closeness of its people and the authenticity of their culture.

The images captured by Pacheco transcend time in a way that further entices the viewer to visit.  There is a nice juxtaposition present; Oman is first depicted as exotic, with it’s uniquely shaped trees, calm dark waters and rolling sand dunes. However, with interwoven portraits and shots of people going about daily business, it also has a strangely familiar relatability. Either way, it is definitely next up on my bucket list.

To see more from Enrique Pacheco, find him on Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or his website.

The post The Pearl Of Arabia: Exploring the Culture of Oman appeared first on Resource Travel.

In our everyday life we seem to be unaware of new experiences. But probably, it is just a question of perspective.  One step aside and you might discover something unexpected. It is up to us to hurl ourselves into new adventure.  Seeing the small things big and the big things small.  Let’s go out now. The adventure is waiting in front of your door.  As long as you live.

To see more from Sebastian Linda, find him on Facebook, Vimeo,  and his website.

The post Experience the Beautiful Adventures of Saxony, Germany appeared first on Resource Travel.

The economic golden age may have passed with the opening of the Panama Canal, but recent revival efforts have earned this city its official status as the cultural capital of Chile. And the historic quarter was declared a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s a treasure for anyone interested in the arts and a veritable playground for a photographer. The quarter is a maze of alleyways and passages. Getting lost in winding streets with a camera or pen in hand is perhaps the best way to spend an afternoon.

The city carries itself with an attitude, quiet and cool, with a contemplative stare toward the sea. It’s no wonder that it’s been a traditional home to so many artists, musicians, and writers, including the Nobel Prize-winning Pablo Neruda. Yet the beauty of Valparaiso isn’t a traditional one. Things are often run down. The town, from certain angles, seems almost threadbare. The concrete crumbles. The paints have been muted by the salt water air. Trash sometimes gathers conspicuously in the alleys or abandoned lots.

It doesn’t matter. For anyone obsessed with capturing images, these flaws become features. Around every corner is a glimpse of a cityscape as unique and mystifying as the last—trash, dirt, broken concrete and all. And, of course, there’s the ever-present graffiti. Brightly colored graffiti murals are integral to the city, and the artists who painted the murals often did so as part of the revival movement. Like no city I’ve been in, the residents of Valparaiso celebrate the beauty of a graffiti mural on a stone wall as much as they do a 19th-century historic building.

We stayed at the Tricahue, a quaint guesthouse that is one part hotel, and one part crash pad for your wealthy uncle. Quaint and homey, we felt right at home as we were greeted by the kind receptionist, who handed us the keys to the building, and left for the evening around 5pm.

Our few days were spent getting lost in the winding maze of streets. Even a map can’t fully capture Valparaiso. It’s simply too three-dimensional. Streets next to one another on a map may be 50 feet apart in vertical distance. We were told by local residents that if you get lost, just keep going downhill. Everything pours out into the sea eventually. So we made our way down, down, down, poked our heads into local shops of leatherworkers, visual artists, or clothiers, visited Pablo Neruda’s home, found some good ice cream (a staple of the Chilean diet) and drank nice Chilean wines.

For people who love city traveling, like we do, this was not the single most magical, most romantic, or most exciting place we visited. But the photographs speak for themselves. What sets Valparaiso apart is that every angle, every inexplicable turn, every stray dog lapping at a puddle, every broken building and every piece of graffiti look carefully placed, just waiting for the lens.

The romance one finds here is wedged between two narrow rows of old-world inspired buildings covered in the neon dayglow of spray paints staring at the port below where stacks of sea containers await the arrival of vessels from the vast expanse of the Pacific. One leaves the town with the impression that Valparaiso is an old photograph, faded and smudged and scribbled over with a bright crayon, and all the more beautiful for it.

Article by Bradley Geer, photos by Kira Morris.

See more from Kira Morris on her website, Facebook, and Instagram. 

The post Exploring the Color Filled Streets of Valparaiso, Chile appeared first on Resource Travel.

Each Friday, Cade and Resource Travel Editor In Chief Michael Bonocore share their favorite travel photos. Check out Bonocore’s selections on iso.500px.com.

If last week was cold, this week is downright frigid. Less than a week removed from a record-setting blizzard and still slogging through slush here in NYC, my eye was again drawn to frozen landscapes as I dug through the best in Travel photography on 500px this week.

Among this week’s picks is my personal favorite photo from last weekend’s blizzard—click here to read the story behind that shot—a postcard of a shot courtesy of the great Chris Burkard, and one of the coolest ice cave photos I’ve ever seen. In short, it was an amazing week here at 500px!

Scroll down to see the whole Top 10, and don’t forget to tell us which is your favorite shot in the comments down below.

Switzerland
by Chris Burkard

Hallstatt, Austria
by Gurkan Gundogdu

Copenhagen, Denmark
by Kim Leuenberger

New York City, New York, USA
by Michele Palazzo

Machu Picchu, Peru
by Berty Mandagie

Iceland
by Iurie Belegurschi

Lauterbrunnen valley, Switzerland
by Marcelo Castro

Baker Lake, Washington, USA
by Dylan Furst

Wat Maha That, Thailand
by Enrico Barletta

British Columbia, Canada
by Alex Strohl

Remember, if you want to be considered for this list or the list Resource Travel publishes on the 500px ISO blog each week, upload your favorite travel photo to 500px and tag it with #ResourceTravel500px. And yes, I do actually check that tag every week as I’m putting this collection together!

The post 500px’s Top Travel Photos of the Week appeared first on Resource Travel.

Simone told us about how her first trip to Nepal was booked on a whim, with no real plan in place.

I had always wanted to go to Nepal. I dreamed of trekking through the Himalayas  and Kathmandu was of those mysterious cities you hear about, but never think you would actually visit someday. When flipping through my big book of travel, I landed on the Nepal page, and had an overwhelming feeling of “I must go there” come over me.

© Erica Simone

We all know that one main appeal of traveling is the opportunity to unearth a new collection of knowledge and experiences and Simone’s first trip to Nepal is no different as it supplied her with a variety of new discoveries every day.

Every day was a new fascinating experience in Nepal. Stumbling upon wild marijuana fields in the Himalayas. Witnessing a live cremation ceremony. Being welcomed at a junior high school for Buddhist monks. Having the fear of my life in a tiny airplane flying through the mountains. Following a monk to a hidden orphanage or being completely sandwiched and getting lost on a local bus. Each day was a thrill.

Nepal is overall really beautiful and its landscapes are so diverse. It’s a true old-world-meets-new-world sort of place, where you can distinctly see where ancient tradition and architecture are juxtaposed with the new and the modern. The rural landscapes are extraordinary and there are stunning little ancient villages built in between mountains and on rivers that will blow you away. The people are also very kind and calm. Kathmandu is a very intense city with extremely dangerous traffic patterns and horrible pollution, but it has such fascinating energy and is adorned with gorgeous monuments and temples. Nepal has a similar feel to certain countries in South-East Asia, like Laos or Cambodia, but is yet so distinct—there is a magical richness about it that I haven’t felt in other places.

 

© Erica Simone

Simone also told Resource Travel about some of her favorite locations in Nepal.

My favorite place there was a hill town called Tansen Palpa. It was a beautifully colorful village with lots of lovely locals and hardly any tourists. One morning, I woke up at sunrise to photograph people at the start of their day. It is one of my most vivid memories from Nepal—the villagers were so much fun to photograph, a couple people even invited me into their homes for tea. The Annapurna trail into the Himalayas was also an unforgettable journey. The tiny congregations of homes in the mountains are so spectacular. Desolate and modest, the small shacks back-dropped by the titanous Himalayas is a spectacular site. In particular, the village Marpha, known for its apple farming, was one of the most incredible places I’ve ever seen. Built inside a tight valley across from lush green fields, ancient homes made of clay closely neighbor each other among a maze of cobblestone streets reigned by a serene stupa/temple high above the village.

 

© Erica Simone

As a solo traveler and a photographer, Simone told us about the lessons she learned from her experiences in Nepal.

When traveling alone in exotic countries, there are always lessons to be learned. In my time in Nepal, approaching strangers and making them feel comfortable with me as a photographer became easier. I also learned how to be more patient and to wait for things to happen, rather than to just wander and capture moments on the fly. Tolerance was also a big lesson, as there were a couple situations that were not so jovial, namely having been woken up at 3am in a shabby hotel room by myself by giant cockroaches in my bed… Yes, that happened. It’s most important when facing cultures and situations that are so foreign to just appreciate them as great experiences: to not judge, fear or feel hate, but to laugh at, accept and enjoy the quirks that make up the world we are not used to. There are so many things we can learn from others who are different than us, and that’s part of why I love to travel so much—because it greatly expands and enriches my perspective.

There were times when the women would act shy or feel insecure about the way they looked as I photographed them and I wanted badly to convey how beautiful they were. There’s something upsetting about a woman who doesn’t realize her worth and I did feel a cultural sense of insecurity from a lot of the women there. However, overall, it was more interesting to learn from the people of Nepal than to convey any of my own messages. In my travels, I become much more of an observer than a teacher.

 

© Erica Simone

Because travel and photography has clearly been etched within Simone’s inventive process, we asked Erica where she plans of heading next;

I’m hoping to make it to Burma/Myanmar. That’s been a longtime travel dream of mine… I’m hoping to spend a month there sometime next year!

Simone’s talent of being able to convey the daily environment that surround the people of Nepal into a compelling visual story has us excited to follow along with her as she embarks on her next journey.

Follow Simone’s journey on her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

© Erica Simone

The post How Erica Simone’s Nepal Experience Further Ignited Her Passion For Documenting The World appeared first on Resource Travel.

When I was about 13, long before I got into photography, I often asked myself, “What is my purpose?” and “What do I want to do most in life?” I understood that I still had quite a bit of time to figure that out, but at that age, as I was maturing, I didn’t really have anything that I was extremely passionate about. There had always been this feeling that I was lacking something – as if I was deprived of a vital ingredient to the recipe of my life. I still engaged in regular teenage activities such as playing on the soccer team, skateboarding with my friends, and playing the drums in my school band. But up until about three years ago, I felt this inescapable emptiness inside of me. I wanted to understand the cause of the emptiness and lack of direction, but it would take a few years for me to finally discover the cause. But once I did, everything changed.

The summer before my sophomore year, I took my father’s Nikon D5100 on a two-week backpacking trip in the Colorado Rockies. When I returned home, I had over two thousand photographs and a new found obsession. I was completely hooked. That emptiness was filled and with it feelings of boredom, frustration, and anxiety vanished. But a new restlessness took root. Along with photography, I discovered a love for adventure and travel. I am constantly wanting to see new places and explore the unknown.

I enjoy the adventure aspect that comes with most of my photography outings just as much as I do in taking the photographs. Whether it’s shooting from rooftops in San Francisco, hiking down steep cliffs to reach a deserted beach, or climbing to the top of a fourteen thousand foot mountain in Colorado, adventure is always calling my name.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I picked up the camera and was instantly able to take good photographs right off the bat. In fact, those first few thousand images I took in Colorado were nothing more than simple, thoughtless snapshots. I was just a kid fooling around with an expensive piece of photographic equipment, pushing random buttons in hopes that it would go CLICK! But to me, it was pure magic. Today, I often look back at those photos and can still feel the indescribable joy that those first images gave me.

Eventually, I was able to get my own camera (thanks Mom!) but I still did not fully understand how to put all of its confusing buttons and functions to good use. So, I took it upon myself to learn all that I could about my camera with the help of many YouTube tutorials. I learned everything from how to properly shoot in manual mode to post processing the final image in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. The learning process was a little tedious at times, but I was determined to pursue my new found passion. I then applied this new knowledge by taking different types of photos all over the San Francisco Bay Area. I unearthed hundreds of places around San Francisco that I didn’t even know existed prior to my interest in photography. I felt like a giddy little kid opening presents on Christmas with each new discovery being as exciting as the next.

I couldn’t drive myself to all of the locations I wanted to see – I was only 14. Because of that, I owe a lot of credit to my parents. My dad was already into photography, and would shoot beside me on our trips, but my mom was not. So rather than sit in the car and patiently wait until I was finished, she decided to make the best of it and picked up a camera of her own. I am extremely fortunate that my family is able to share a common interest in photography and travel, and it has allowed me to photograph places that I have never dreamed of even seeing in person.

As I began to accumulate a catalog of work, I began posting my work on various social media sites, such as Instagram and Facebook, and was overwhelmed with the surprising amount of positive feedback that I received. I also connected with an amazing community of local Bay Area photographers and began shooting with them regularly. Most of them are at least twice or three times my age but it doesn’t really matter to me. They have become good friends and my life is enriched as a result.

For me, photography is not just a casual hobby, it is a lifetime obsession that will stick with me forever. Even though I am only 17 now, I realize the profound impact photography has on my life. It has improved my work ethic and made me look at the world around me with more appreciation. It is my dream to one day have a successful career based on my photography, adventure, and travel. If there is anything I have learned from my passion, it’s that anything is possible as long as you put hard work, dedication, and joy into whatever it is you are trying to achieve.

To see more from Taylor Gray, follow him on Instagram at @taylorgrayphoto or on his website.

Yosemite National Park, California

San Francisco, California

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

San Francisco, California

Jackson Lake, Wyoming

Mt. Harvard, Colorado

Yosemite National Park, California

Hallstatt, Austria

Buena Vista, Colorado

Davenport, CA

Eureka Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California

Eureka Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California

Fort Point, San Francisco, California

Columbia Basin, Colorado

Martin’s Beach, California

Yosemite National Park, California

Davenport, California

Lower Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Gibbon Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Harvard Lakes, Colorado

Marysville, California

Yosemite National Park, California

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

Buena Vista, Colorado

The post Taylor Gray : My Future Is My Inspiration appeared first on Resource Travel.