There are some landscape photographers that need no introduction. Both their photography and personality speak for themselves! This is exactly the case of Chris, an incredibly talented landscape photographer who is well known for his ability to capture dramatic lighting with beautiful scenery.
Switzerland, The Faroe Islands, Indonesia or Thailand are just a few examples of the countries Chris has visited. Better known as @chrispoops, our guest is today one of the most influential landscape photographers in Instagram and the originality of his art is remarkable! The pursuit of new angles and perspectives have become part of Chris’ DNA as a photographer and the community certainly values his vision of the world.
Chris is currently traveling with Meagan, they are both partners in crime! Together they are sharing a once in a lifetime experience and a journey that has taken them close to nature, humanity, and even closer to themselves!
In order to know a little bit better who is Chris and learn about his photography and lifestyle I asked him 11 questions. The following was the outcome!
Welcome Chris! One thing that caught my attention quickly is that nowadays you are traveling with your couple! A dream for many people! What are the benefits of traveling with someone else?
Traveling with Meagan changed everything. We often reference “one day” we’ll look back at these unforgettable moments on the open road and cherishing how lucky we are. There’s rarely a comfort zone, and it opens up endless possibilities to get on each other’s nerves. After all you spend almost every breathing moment together. On the contrary, there’s endless opportunities to get to know each other. You quickly learn how to find balance, how to dig deeper into each other’s hearts and most importantly, how to accept your similarities as much as your differences. This strengthens every aspect of your relationship. We found a rhythm working together on projects and also set aside time to not get lost in our work. There’s always new challenges, especially ones you don’t expect but conquering them together is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. It’s a dream.
How do you sustain a life full of travels? Is there any trick or tip you can share with us?
Great question! I’d say trust the process and know what you want while you’re stuck behind that office desk. I worked hard for almost 2 years, and instead of spending all my money on a social life- I saved up for the gear i wanted, took weekend trips and SAVED. Traveling with friends in the beginning made the weekend more economical (and more fun). I spent my free time learning marketing tricks and simply following my favorite photographers on Instagram to see how they branded successfully. Although I felt like I was wasting time initially, I stuck to my long-term plan and eventually took the risk of freelancing (now 2 years ago). Having a financial cushion helped me stay confident when times were harder, and then it was all about challenging myself to find the opportunities. Apply yourself and don’t be afraid to tell people what you want out of this life.
What is your approach when it comes to planning your trip and finding your ideal locations?
For a while my camera roll was full of random unorganized screenshots, but life changed when Instagram rolled out their Collection feature to save other photos. If I see a location I think I can work with, I tab it to a designated folder and when I’m ready to plan- I reference back to the collection. Coupled with massive outreach to friends that recently traveled to where I’m headed, or local photographers that know the area- it usually all comes together. Google Maps is a good resource. And having no plan at all is sometimes the best way to “chase the light” and see what you find spontaneously.
You have been to well known places all over the world. Yet, your work always shares a different angle and perspective. I truly believe this is something that the community appreciates. I am sure that this approach can be quite challenging sometimes. Am I right?
When I first started, it was very challenging. You see the same spots captured so many times online, you start to wonder how you’ll shoot it differently BEFORE you’re even there and that frustrated me. Photography isn’t always about ensuring you capture something “different”. It’s about walking into the unknown and trusting your abilities to visualize in the moment. Knowing when you want to shoot the location is important (sunrise or sunset). Having general ideas is a good start. But the creative element happens in relative time. You learn to trust your eyes and let God walk you through his creation.
Traveling can be really satisfying, but when you travel for a long period you can lose the energy or motivation for a while. It can happen, and the same goes with photography. What are your tricks for staying motivated and pushing past creative blocks?
Oh man has it been a struggle to learn that slowing down is a necessity in life. I don’t care who you are, finding time to rest and regather your thoughts is vital to longevity. I’ve been relatively healthy and in decent shape my whole life- but traveling challenges you. Some trips I eat terrible (endless hot dogs for weeks in Iceland) and other trips you are subject to foreign diseases (I was hospitalized for a week after my Bali trip and never received an official diagnosis). When you’re at these lows, it’s a hard realization to find balance with your body and master the art of slowing down. This not only helps maintain your health, but motivation and creative blocks are less of a struggle to counter.
On the other hand, being outdoors exploring new and exciting places can be really rewarding! Can you tell us the most notorious anecdote that ever happened to you being outdoors?
I’d have to say my time spent on the Faroe Islands really changed my perspective in life. The landscapes are sincerely out of this world. But what changed me there is the people. We ended up meeting a local named Sigbritt and her family who gave us a home for 3 days. They treated us to dinners, taught us the Faroese history while hiking with us to local secret spots, sharing laughs I’ll never forget and learning a culture that’s just so real. Her 5 year old daughter out-hiked us everywhere and never once did we see her absorbed in a cell phone. She didn’t complain about anything. All she wanted was to be outdoors, feeling the raindrops on her face and wind in her hair. Always smiling, wanting the occasional piggy back ride and simply immersing herself in the world and in her company. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a kid who holds those qualities, even though they are out there. It just really stuck with me.
As a photographer, I am sure that you feel attached to all your photos. All your pictures represent unique moments of your life. However, among your works, do you have any picture that you really like? Which is your favorite photo?
Definitely the first picture I snapped of the Matterhorn in Switzerland.
Meagan and I drove hours after landing in the country, to sleep in our freezing tiny Mercedes (my legs were crammed against the trunk) in Tasch. We took a train into Zermatt at 5am, grabbed coffee before jumping on the Gornergrat up to the top and my jaw dropped. The colors in the sky were beyond surreal, the reflection perfect and walking into that moment with the love of my life completed the memory. It was the first and only photo I’ve shared RAW with no edits.
Among all the extraordinary places you have been to, what landscape impressed you the most?
This has to be a tie between the Faroe Islands and Switzerland. Completely different yet equally so satisfying everywhere you turn. There’s nothing like these two countries.
Learning a new skill requires practice and time, but useful tips can accelerate our learning process! What are the 3 most important pieces of advice you would give to young talent pursuing a career as a photographer?
Spend time with your camera and post-processing platform; and dive deeeeeeep into messing with the features. It’s worth it. 2) You gotta GO. If you want to travel somewhere, you are capable of getting there if you stop making excuses- that alone will provide you with opportunities to challenge yourself. 3) Ask for help- if you want to be successful, the world needs to know what you want to do. It’s harder to be handed the life you want then it is to work your bottom off for the life you want.
Is there any artist/photographer who has inspired your art? Can you name three?
Garrett King (@shortstache), Alex Strohl (@alexstrohl) and Zack Melhus (@zmelhus).
Can you fix the world in one sentence?
No matter what, love each other.
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