For photographers Instagram has become a baron wasteland, full of reels and stories, fake accounts and bots… I started doing some research, thinking there was no other choice. Instagram was it… But then I found VERO. A social media platform promising no algorithms, real people and full resolution images. Surely too good to be true right?

Traversing the northern reigns of Cambodia can be difficult at the best of times but heading out of Siem Reap in the early morning, we were enthused at the prospect of taking the ‘new’ highway built to Ratanakiri… Arriving shortly after the wet season, we were met with immense cascades and epic waterfalls!

Many years ago, as we were travelling through Guatemala, we had the opportunity to hike Volcán de Acatenango. Setting off from Antigua well before sunrise, we headed south and soon began to climb, before being dropped off in the fertile farmland surrounding the base of the volcano. Towering at 13,045-ft with 2 peaks, Acatenango is a stratovolcano which is joined with Volcán de Fuego, and collectively forms the volcano complex known as La Horqueta.

Having only completed our move from Australia to Cyprus at the beginning of the year, we thought it was time to settle for a while. But when my wife received an offer to move on to Saudi Arabia, we just couldn’t refuse! The past decade we have always accepted these offers, regardless of the risk, and to date it has always needed better than expected. So, we packed our boxes again and took the leap into Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. This will be our first time living in the Middle East and couldn’t wait to immerse ourselves in a totally new culture! 

A Point and Shoot Camera in the Canadian Rockies

Cameras are expensive, and its only increasing . Sure, you get a lot for your money, but 7 years ago while my wife and I were back packing around the world we just couldn’t afford it. We were gifted a small Canon 1XUS point and shoot camera as a farewell present from friends, and now looking back, it was the perfect camera for the trip! Having spent a few weeks in Vancouver to purchase a van, building it out as our home on wheels, we set off for the Rockies! We timed this trip at the very end of winter and felt ready to survive the coming cold!

An opportunity to move to Cyprus for my wife’s work was too good of an opportunity to pass up, but with us just having finished our winter in the southern hemisphere, it meant going straight back into the cold. Thankfully, it was never that cold, but it was deserted! Windows boarded up, literal tumble weeds rolling along the beach… welcome to off peak travelling!

Researching online, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the idea of shooting the night sky. Super expensive gear and confusing programs, all pointing to complicated stacking software and spending hours in the dark on a single photo, had me searching for better alternatives. I love exploring, moving around, trying out fresh compositions, so I wanted to develop my style and process around single image photos. No stacking required!

The south coast of Iceland has some of the most dramatic and popular landscapes in the entire country… We watched the icebergs drift slowly through the narrow waterway into the Atlantic Ocean, before heading down to the beach to see them washed ashore. This black sand beach littered with chunks of ice is aptly named Diamond Beach.

We set out north from Grundarfjörur and arrived at Eirksstair Viking Longhouse in time for sunrise. The 7-hour drive to our next accommodation in Laugar, had us driving through some incredible scenery… Stepping into the Mývatn Geothermal Area is like landing on Mars. The ground is dry and rocky, with protruding volcanoes, surrounded by desert like beds and craters.

Continuing our trip we departed Reykjavk early in the morning and traveled north. We booked 3-nights in Grundarfjörur, the ideal starting point from which to tour the Snaefellsnes Peninsula… 3 a.m. due to the possibility of aurora activity, we drove 10 minutes to Kirkjufell to try our luck. Despite the cloud cover, I took out my wide-angle lens and enjoyed the peaceful night sky and the sight of dawn.

Over the past few years, coinciding with the rise of drone photography, we have been bombarded with images from the magical landscapes of Iceland. A place of harsh conditions, where fire and ice truly meet as volcanic eruptions spray lava next to some Europe’s largest glaciers. But how accessible is it? how much does it cost? and can you do it on your own?