My 2k19
What a year 2K19 has been! I’ve managed to exceed my record number of air miles, I’ve seen new places, new countries, had new experiences, and taken some shots I’m certainly proud of! Let’s kick this off with the year in numbers: -
77,588
That’s the number of miles I’ve done in the air, give or take. It only accounts for airplanes, not helicopters ;)
12,724
That’s the number of miles covered worldwide in rental cars (and motorcycles)
95
That’s the number of hotel nights
43
That’s the number of border crossings worldwide
17
That's the number of extra locations on my Lonely Planet International Coffee Hunt
8
That’s the number of nights under the Northern Lights
2
That’s the number of new KelbyOne classes
1
That’s the number of live presentations at Photoshop World, Las Vegas, and it’s also the number of books I’ve published!
I’ve loved my 2019, and I hope you have too! I’ve changed my approach to photography slightly in my marketing strategy, and pulled back from Instagram influencing in order to broaden the reach in other more consistent arenas, and it seems to be working out alright. The writing and education is taking more of a forefront, with the photography working in support of that. I’m proud to have had photographs purchased and featured with some awesome names this year including Boeing, Microsoft, Vente Privee, Yahoo, Discovery Channel, Conde Nast, Cambridge University Press, Qantas, Forbes, Viacom, Huawei, Telegraph Media, Orange, and a whole load of marketing, PR, graphics and media companies whose business I equally appreciate. I’d love to show you some of my favourite shots from the year, here they are: -
This is Kannesteinen in Norway. It was the result of a 24 hour round trip driving, and followed on from a 6 hour mountain climb the day before to shoot the Kjeragbolten and is where I met Espen, a photographer from Norway who was on the same mission!
Using a top of the line mirrorless camera to essentially shoot a selfie using my iPhone to get a shot of Godafoss, this shot is a reminder to me of one of my favourite trips to Iceland (and there's been many!)
This shot was a long time in the making, but after the 4th trip to Beachy Head to try and get a new angle of this famous lighthouse, which included sliding down a cliff, capsizing in a kayak, and several drone techniques, I got the shot I wanted!
And this is what went into that shot!
My first rocket! While I was in Florida shooting some new classes I took a drive to the opposite coast to catch (and shoot) the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Cape Canaveral, and it was absolutely phenomenal!
Over Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this is a terrible view of my legs, but the point is this: - If you ever get the opportunity to hang out of a helicopter, do it!
From one of my favourite destinations, Reine in Lofoten, Norway, this shot to me epitomises the vibe of this entire area. Rugged landscapes, snow, water, and colour!
I nipped over to Chicago to a few days where I met Kevin Scott, and as well as our mooch around the city I did plenty of exploring on my own. I think I want to go back for more!
I met these clowns. I don't feel I need to explain this one!
Iceland again (sorry) where I was a spectator to nature as the light of the setting sun fell beautifully on Oxarufoss. Spectacular.
I went to Provence to shoot the lavender, but it turned out I'd turned up right when they were harvesting it. I was days out of seeing the whole place in vivid purple, but I couldn't believe my luck when I found a pair of heart-shaped trees and went wandering all around to try and find the perfect angle to shoot them from.
Again in France, this sunrise in Paris is what happened when I tried to catch as many unique views of such an iconic place as I possibly could, and subsequently led to me re-writing the rulebook on photography in explaining how to make something so iconic and shot so frequently a feature of a photo rather than the subject of it.
Santas cabin, high up on a fell in Finnish Lapland. This winter wonderland was so much fun to explore, and to get this shot I had to get up at 3am and head to get to the location in time for sunrise, and to get around on the mountain itself was a reminder that I really enjoy skiing, so there'll be more of that coming!
Motorbikes, Milky Way, Mark Heaps.... what an adventure! Mark and I rode these bikes for a few days on an epic adventure up and down Route 66, right after this next photo…
Taken by Mark, this is a shot of me talking about photography for an hour at Photoshop World in Las Vegas, and it is the highlight of my career so far. Look at how many people packed into that room to hear what I had to say! All the seats were filled and people were standing around the edges and at the back! Thank you all!
I’m hoping to get 2020 off to a flying start with all sorts of missions planned, as well as ideas for articles, and another book or two. If it all keeps going the way it has been it’s set to be a stellar year! Wishing you all the best for 2020!
Much love
Dave