On the heels of our next Creative Adventure in September, I thought of making a post reflecting on what made our last event so special. I started typing and pressing backspace so many times just starting this post. The trip I had to Iceland last year was such an important memorable event that I was scared that my lack of writing skills wasn’t going to perfectly highlight what it meant to me and what it meant to everyone on this trip. It’s why I picked up a camera, my words never did something justice but maybe my images can. We’ve all felt that way before, and then it made me realize how lucky I was to be able to be in this position in the first place.

The spark that ignited the journey started on an Instagram Live I was doing a few years ago. Cat Gundry-Beck had been in attendance and left a comment regarding Iceland that I couldn’t help but notice. I even forgot what the live was about, but Iceland was a place I wanted to go back to for the sake of leading an epic retreat! But it had to be done right, so it took a few years to revisit the place till all the pieces were there. As fate would have it, when I went to see Cat’s work, I was stunned at the beauty of her work and how she portrayed Iceland in her vision! It was a departure from the colder moodier tones I see in the work of others.

I was intrigued and reached out! Once I realized that her personality and passion truly reflected the beauty of the country, I asked if she’d like to be the person to lead the retreat! She agreed enthusiastically and we began planning the trip. After multiple meetings over months, we crafted the perfect experience.

Here’s Cat during the event in her element as happy as can be!

The Creative Adventure was born!

The purpose of this event is a chance to curate a once-in-a-lifetime experience where we take passionate creatives across beautiful and unique landscapes with people who are just excited to show you them! Along the way we curate the entire itinerary, take care of the logistics, and produce beautiful photoshoots that can truly build a fashion portfolio.

Together we go

One of my favorite parts about this trip was the ability to all travel together on this beautiful Mercedes Sprinter Bus! It wasn’t an ordinary bus either. The seats were incredibly relaxing and it was such a warm safe haven from the cold climate. It was nice to be able to park up at a beautiful scene, rush out and enjoy the martian landscape and then come back to comfort and warmth! We hired a driver so both Cat and I could stay present with everyone along the trip and bond every moment we could. That was so important for us! It really felt like gliding across the landscape as you get to look at the changing views through the big windows while sitting in those soft plushy seats.

Did I mention we had wifi?! On one of the days one of our attendees Carrie had something due for a client and she was able to send it off while we were on the way to another destination. So if you have to work, it is possible to do. After each little stop, we would also do airdrop parties where we’d send photos to each other as well.

A special thank you to the company Hidden Island for hooking us up with this sweet ride!

One thing I wasn’t expecting was just how much our driver became a part of the experience. Aaron was such a witty charming bad ass. He was considered part of the group on the first day and we already can’t wait to be back again! He became our little impromptu model as he was always stylish in his collection of beautiful sweaters.

It’s In The Casual Moments Where You Learn The Most

I am always fascinated and love getting to know creatives. I find it so incredible that we can all have different approaches to the way we shoot, what we shoot, and the results we get. I think we can learn a lot from each other. When you meet someone and only have a few hours with them, you often don’t get a chance to really know them. Once time has passed and you see who they are when they’ve settled into the friendship, you begin to have conversations that are more authentic and you learn beyond the upper layers the person presents of themselves. I think it is within those moments you truly begin to understand who someone is, who they are behind the camera. Spending that week together made me get close to people, learn about their backgrounds. I feel like this casual environment together really was the perfect backdrop for conversations that are beyond the ordinary as well. It seems to lead conversations to places that have more “AHA!” moments. 

We leave the trip finding answers to questions we aren’t aware of before we say “yes” to going on. You don’t know what you don’t know, and it’s often been exactly how I’ve found paths I never knew I should have been searching for to begin with! 

This is my favorite part about how this event is structured, the road-trip style lends to life-long connections and friendships and learning opportunities that plant a seed in people’s minds. It’s a great reset and unplugging as needed. 

Vacationing Is Better With Other Photographers

When I am on vacation, I always want to stop at spots that my friends that I am with who aren’t photographers just don’t! The best part is this trip was specifically about stopping at all the awesome spots. That it in itself felt like some fantasy wonderland! With tours, you also aren’t with people who can appreciate the same level of beauty as like-minded creatives can. So this felt like an awesome in-between experience that is curated for our own interests!

Cool Photos Of Each Other

On these trips I carry my camera in hand because I love taking photos of everyone having a great time being in their element. Seeing people get to totally unwind and create in this most beautiful scenes is not only awesome but the photos turn out beautiful. Walking away with photos of yourself is really like having a full lifestyle shoot done of you in far-away places.

Picking The Locations - Exclusivity For Photoshoots

A common issue I see with Iceland is that most people seem to stay on the south coast of Iceland. The issue is that it is insanely crowded so you don’t get to experience the When I asked Cat to come up with the perfect itinerary, she told me that she intentionally crafted it to touch on the north of Iceland instead. I honestly knew very little about it. But after seeing her star-studded map, she deliberately picked an itinerary that not only had a variety of locations along the way, but should we have encountered any unforeseen obstacles with a couple of the locations, there would be other spots to explore. Not a moment would be wasted and we were ready for whatever came out way!

I was truly amazed at how unique each place was. From epic waterfalls to Lord of the Rings inspired scenes to going to Mars, it kept changing so fast. I couldn’t believe something like this existed. The best part is how empty these places were, in sharp contrast to how crowded the South coast was at the same time!

Curated Fashion Shoots With Our Lovely Models and Team!

One of the best parts about this trip was being able to find models who really fit with our crew. Usually we have one model traveling with us but for this trip we had two!

Dane Halo is a world-renown model who I’ve known for years and have always wanted to work with! Just a few months before, I was in Hawaii and it just so happened that she was also going to be there and she would land the day before I left. Somehow we ended up connecting and figuring out a way to get a sunset shoot planned! I drove 4 hours to see her on the other side of the island and we just made the shoot. We had an amazing time, and I just knew she was the perfect person to join us! I asked her to be in Iceland and she said yes!

Our other model Liska was based in Iceland and complemented Dane’s style perfectly. She had such a beautiful style about her and I am so happy she agreed to join us on this trip! Her open-presence inspired a lot of wonderful conversations that bonded all of us closer.

We got to work with a lot of local fashion designers, and this was important because the styles worn were inspired often by the landscapes around them. Seeing it all come together is truly beautiful! Before the trip began we would go across the city collecting beautiful pieces.

Another key element is assistants! As Cat and I were often focused on being present, helping when needed or providing tips and education as necessary, we wanted to have someone there who could be present with extra hands as needed, additional behind the scenes images of us, and someone who has extremely good technical knowledge. I was honored to have my best friend Emily Teague join us. She was really the glue that kept everything together and running smoothly for me.

Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts

All these words are great but it’s the feeling that I still have a hard time defining but welcome everyone the opportunity to explore. I hope they at least provide a little more context of the experience. To learn more about upcoming trip in September and see other images from the trip, check out www.iceland.solsticeretouch.com. I hope this inspired you to come to our next Creative Adventure!

Special Thank You!

And as always, feel free to follow our amazing friends who were part of the trip:

Will Barnwell - @willbarnwellphotography
Carrie Roseman - @carrierosemanstudios
Tina Leu - @tinaleufotos
Kaela Speicher - @kaela_speicher
Emily Teague - @_emilyteague
Dane Halo - @theredbomb_model
Liska - @pronounceit_liszxchka
Aaron - @a_thomas494
Cat Gundry-Beck - @catgundrybeck