In this article, Bobby shares how a wife, a dog, and a solo 1 AM hike in a 90-mph Icelandic storm shaped his path from iPhone snapshots to his award-winning aurora shot at Búðakirkja, plus four hard-earned lessons on gear, patience, and building a career from passion.
My passion for the outdoors and photography really comes from stepping outside my comfort zone, and for that, I have to thank both my wife and my dog.
I grew up doing a lot outdoors (skateboarding, snowboarding, riding ATVs), but I never had much desire to explore beyond my local surroundings. That started to change when I met my wife. She pushed me in the best way, helping me grow, travel more, and open my mind to what else is out there. After some years together, we adopted our dog, which gave me another reason to get outside and explore. All three of us got more serious about hiking, then backpacking, and the travel bug just caught on from there.
This evolved into something deeper: a genuine curiosity about the world and an appreciation for how much beauty exists beyond what we see every day. Photography became the way to capture those in-between moments and the places we travel together. It allowed me to capture the core memories between the three of us, and share that with friends and family back home. Starting with just an iPhone, I eventually leveled up to my first APS-C Sony camera, then full frame, then a drone — and it’s changed my life for the better ever since.
For me, the outdoors and photography go hand in hand; one constantly fuels the other. I’m also extremely passionate about health and fitness, which also aligns very well with the lifestyle outdoor photography brings. Plus, getting outside provides that dose of vitamin D and the mental reset we all need.
The transition from treating photography as a hobby to building it into a side business has been a process of steep growth.
Creating a website, developing a personal brand, setting up a professional workflow, reaching out to potential clients — it all opened the door to something much bigger. It helped position me not just as someone who takes photos, but as someone who can provide real value to businesses and partners in a professional manner. That part has been incredibly rewarding — hearing how the work helps take someone’s brand to the next level is a genuine feel-good moment, and I want everyone to succeed.
What I learned most through this process is how much happens behind the scenes. There’s so much more than what people see as just “taking a photo” — the communication, planning, editing, delivery — it all matters and can be very time-consuming.
That shift from hobby to “hey, I can actually do something more with this” has led to meaningful partnerships, new opportunities, and the chance to travel and connect with people and places I otherwise never would have found. When I am older, I want to look back on a body of work filled with places I once never imagined I’d experience on this planet. More than anything, I want those photos to bring back the feeling of being there — the memories, the effort, and the journey behind each one. Whether it came from a once-in-a-lifetime personal trip or a collaboration with a tourism brand, I want that feeling preserved.
The shot was taken toward the end of a 12-day trip to Iceland with my wife, right in the middle of winter. We drove the entire country, capturing everything along the way, and this moment happened on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula — an area known for its unpredictable and often extreme weather.
During our time there, we got hit with intense snowstorms, hail, and wind gusts pushing close to 90 mph. Conditions were rough enough that official storm warnings were issued — and when those come out in Iceland, a country that’s so used to this stuff, you know it’s serious. But I was determined to end the trip by capturing one final scene: Búðakirkja, aka “the black church.”
I woke up around 1 AM, quietly slipped out of our lodging, and drove out to the church, which sits alone on a lava field. The weather was brutal, but that also meant I had the entire place to myself. As a photographer, that is very much appreciated.
I spent time moving around, testing different compositions, waiting and watching the sky in poor weather conditions. I was soaked, and my extremities were freezing, but I stayed persistent. My goal was to capture the northern lights aligning directly above the church. After a lot of patience — and honestly, a bit of luck — the aurora began to form in a way that felt structured enough to complement the scene. That was the moment everything came together.
A lot of aurora photos focus purely on the sky, which can be beautiful but also very abstract. I wanted a strong subject on the ground to anchor the image — something with character and history, like this iconic black church — paired with the movement of the northern lights above. Including the church added context and balance. That contrast between the stillness of the church and the motion of the sky created a more complete story.
For the edit, I worked with two frames — one exposed for the sky and a longer exposure for the foreground, given how dark it was. Pretty standard for nighttime shots like this. My approach was simple: keep it natural, but intentional. I wanted just enough light on the church so it reads clearly as the subject, without making it feel like daytime. For the sky, I enhanced the colors carefully to brighten up enough to stand out, but not so much that it felt unrealistic.
I leaned into cooler tones overall and paid close attention to balancing light and color. The foreground stayed muted to reflect the natural feel of nighttime, dark enough to feel real, but with enough detail to guide the viewer’s eye. For the sky, I wanted the aurora to pop but not overpower the scene. The sky has a slightly bluer tint than your typical green aurora. That subtle shift helped the image feel a little different while still staying true to the moment. That balance between subtlety and impact is really what made the image come together.
I believe I can achieve what I create today as a result of all the lessons learned over the past years. Of course, there is always a bit of luck at play, but there is also the preparation and mindset.
In addition, I have learned a lot from the creative community. Some of my biggest inspiration comes from other creators, and that exchange of ideas is something I never want to lose. Those connections have opened a lot of doors for me, and I would encourage everyone else to make the most out of the community, building relationships and learning from each other.
In this article, Bobby Paulshock shares how a wife, a dog, and a solo 1 AM hike in a 90-mph Icelandic storm shaped his path from iPhone snapshots to his award-winning aurora shot at Búðakirkja, plus four hard-earned lessons on gear, patience, and building a career from passion.
In this article, Christoph shares how a childhood dream of the far north became a life in northern Sweden, from his award-winning blue hour image of a lone tree to his top photography spots and four lessons that keep his work grounded.
In this article, Massimo shares seven practical strategies, from embracing atmospheric haze to mastering complementary contrast, that transformed the way I approach golden hour.
Raised on film photography and shaped by years of architectural study at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Christian Stark brings a structural eye and a traveler’s instinct to everything he shoots. Now based in Sweden, he photographs the world from camper van roads across Europe to cold mountain summits in Germany — always with an open mind and often with just one camera.
Mehdi Tadlaoui is a visual storyteller blending cinematic precision with a refined sense of composition and emotion. Shaped by art, film, and a background in 3D and VFX, he uses photography to explore atmosphere and narrative. This foundation guides his fieldwork, where fleeting moments become carefully composed visual stories.
Driven by a desire to witness the world in its rawest states, Sebastian Tan pursues remote landscapes with patience and precision. Blending meticulous planning with resilience, his work transforms fleeting light into immersive fine art. Recognized internationally, Sebastian bridges the wild and familiar, inviting others to see through his lens.
Known for capturing nature’s raw intensity, Filip Breda creates atmospheric landscapes shaped by storm, fire, and light. Winner of the 6th ColorPro Awards for Thunderstorm, his work reflects years of persistence, exploration, and a deep emotional connection to the elements.
Toruń, set along the Vistula River in north-central Poland, is a UNESCO-listed gem where Gothic brick façades glow in the last light of day. Small and unhurried, it’s a city made for slow wandering, and for watching golden hour turn terracotta rooftops into crimson and gold.
