What a mess. 2020 has been by far the most challenging in my 35 years on this planet. That said, I have been in a position to travel just a little more than the average person on the street, for which I’m grateful, but it’s been nothing versus previous years. I had five direct flight cancellations on top of a number of flights that I simply wasn’t able to book, as well as similar situations with AirBNB and rental cars.

The year started with a trip to Switzerland via Italy where I shot Zermatt and the Matterhorn in the winter, which was absolutely beautiful. I did encounter a problem in that I had no idea Zermatt is a car free town - I only discovered this having driven in and being frantically waved at by a local ski instructor who wanted to turn me around before the police were on my case! My thanks to him for saving me a few hundred Swiss Francs! Following on, the next trip was to France. I rode my Triumph Explorer on a mission for Platypod at the time COVID arrived here in Europe. From then on it all got a bit tricky. I was able to take a couple of summer trips, firstly to the Italian Dolomites, Verona, and Venice, and then to Iceland for the summer solstice. The effects of COVID were noticeable, with Italy having just gone through their crisis. They had implemented restrictions in all manner of places and establishments which made things a little difficult, albeit necessary. On entry to Iceland I was tested for COVID for the first time with a PCR test at the airport prior to immigration. The negative result was returned by text message within 12 hours and I was free to explore, whilst being mindful of the national guidance. These trips were both great fun and I achieved a lot, particularly when it came to landscapes and mountains. 

The next three trips, and only other three trips, were to Tromsø, Norway via Oslo. Direct flights had all been cancelled and it became necessary to enter Norway at Oslo and transfer, with each trip being progressively more difficult than the last. Testing and quarantining were required, and I was only permitted access to the country for the final trip because it was a business trip. 

In terms of education and writing, it’s been a little different this year. I joined the team at DIYPhotography.net and am still fine-tuning my position there, but each of my articles seems to have been well received. I’ve contributed to a number of other blogs as I always do, and my photos have been picked up by many companies worldwide including Telegraph Media, Discovery, Lonely Planet, Kayak, Yahoo, Amazon, MGM, Exxon Mobil, Dell, Calm.com, and a huge number of other media and marketing companies. I’m very happy with my stock customers this year. In the middle of the year I began work on an entire ebook for Expert Photography, which is due for release in February, and also coming soon will be The Arctic and The Aurora, a brand new class for KelbyOne. On top of this, and in lieu of Photoshop World this year, I’ll also be presenting two classes live for the online Travel Photography Conference in January. It seems we’re doing a good job of overcoming many of the obstacles thrown down by this virus. 

I released the second edition of my northern lights book, The Complete Aurora Guide for Travellers and Photographers, which was well received considering the global situation.

The year in air miles is just 12,828 - a huge decrease in comparison to the 77,588 I flew in 2019. The country count was only 5! It was Italy, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

These are some of my favourite images of 2020.

All in all it’s been a challenging year, but here’s to 2021. My New Years resolutions include Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, more attention paid to this blog, and a few more people!