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Everyday I truly feel blessed to have the opportunity to make a living at something I consider the driving passion of my life; then there are those days that seem to stand out a little more than others. Recently I mentioned that I had the honor to shoot for Southern Weddings Magazine and I’m excited to share that the sophomore issues has hit newsstands. Ladies and gentlemen they have knocked it out of the park and you should run, not walk to pick up a copy. This is the first time in my career that my work has been published in print which makes it even more special for me. Here are the scanned tears from my portion of the Watercolor feature . If for some reason you can’t find this magazine on shelves at your local stores then here is a link to order one online.

We had driven around Iceland on The Ring Road and the only thing left on our agenda before heading home was a test shoot for Nick’s portfolio. Here are some of the behind the scene images and a video that I shot that day. Make sure you head over to his site to see the entire story which you can find here.  http://www.nickonken.com/Stories/IcelandHoppipolla/

Iceland Hoppipolla BTS from conk. on Vimeo.

We had no real plans, no idea where we would sleep, no GPS (actually used a real map) and hardly any idea of what to expect on our 8-day journey around Iceland’s Ring Road.  It’s an interesting approach to travel but it forces you to embrace the entire experience in a way that is raw and unscripted. I tend to think you learn more about yourself in those kinds of situations. Long story short we forged rivers, herded sheep, took pictures of epic landscapes, ate potato chips for dinner and slept in our car on occasion. Friends, I kid you not when I say this; Iceland is one of the most beautiful places on earth!

In many ways this trip marked a significant milestone in my life considering that just over a year ago I left everything I had ever known to pursue an entirely new career. A near death experience and the plague of complacency were two of the major reasons that I turned my back on corporate America for the unfamiliar and  uncertain world of photography. Since then I have had amazing opportunities to see and do things that before I could have only dreamed about.  At it’s core, life is a finite experience comprised of moments and opportunities which you choose to either embrace or ignore. For what it’s worth, seek out those opportunities in your own life, take risk that ultimately push you towards your potential.  It has been my experience that when you do there is always a moment, memory, picture or person waiting for you that equates to another piece in life’s puzzle. Here is a quote from Chris McCandless who you may know from the book/movie, Into The Wild. Consider it food for thought.

“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” Chris McCandless

Click here to see the rest of my Iceland images.