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AJ Rezac
@thewandertravels
Landscape photographer based in the US
Introducing AJ Rezac
When AJ Rezac was 14, the whole family moved from Minnesota to Hawaii in search of adventure. This move brought them closer together as a family and was the start of great things, among which his passion for photography. Shooting everyday, upgrading from his iPhone to proper camera gear and decisively pursuing his dream to become a travel photographer one day, he got the opportunity to do a photography workshop organized by National Geographic when he was 16. Lots of hard work and effort to be able to pay for it was put in, and his dedication resulted in a scholarship for another workshop with Nat Geo the next year. That was a decision making moment: no college, but “work, save, travel and repeat” was his motto. Until he could buy a 1985 Ford Campervan and left to road trip across the country, where his career kicked off.
AJ is only 22 now, and is living the dream he had as a kid. As icing on the cake, he worked with Google last year to create a short film commercial about his travels in his van. Going from amateur to professional, he says, “is a long, hard and grueling time, but you’ve gotta power through and stick to your heart to make it to the other side.” Facing the challenges in this process and the stress of traveling, he always tries to balance his mental, physical, and emotional states. Limitless dedication, focussing on the art and his love for the craft helps him.
AJ is a perfectionist, which can make it all more complex. However, he always aims to seek and share the magic, as he believes that no matter what bad things are happening around the globe, somewhere, some place, everything can be perfect, even for just one moment. The way these moments are being captured, is totally up to the photographer, he says. “The goal is to enjoy the process and do what makes you happy, not be someone who gets a lot of likes on social media”, AJ mentions. However, consistency and finding a specific style is key.
AJ openly shared his exciting journey of growth with us, his vision, and of course useful tips that have helped him thrive. Keep reading!
Interview
Welcome AJ!
At the age of 14, you and your family sold everything and left Minnesota to pursue a dream of living on Maui, Hawaii. Without the prospect of schooling, housing, or jobs for your parents. How was it for you, as a teenager, to have such a huge and quite uncertain change?
Moving to Maui taught me so much about life. At the time it was definitely scary, but we were also very excited for our new path and what was to come. From Farmington, Minnesota to Maui, Hawaii is a huuuuge difference, both culturally and the way of life, and of course, the climate. We were excited to face all of the challenges ahead of us, but also we knew that if the worst came to worst, we were all together in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Immediately, myself, my sister, and my mom and dad all became instantly closer as a family. We had so many people that had doubted us about the move, even straight up saying to our faces that we were insane, this would never work, and we were making the biggest mistake of our lives. So just the four of us were all we had. For the first few months and really the first year after we had moved, neither my sister or I had any other friends other than each other, so we became best buddies. That may have never happened if we had never moved, our family bond became so much stronger. It really taught us to put our trust and faith in the universe that everything is happening for a reason, and that each and every moment in time has an affect on your future.
"It revealed so many new and amazing opportunities for all of us, and opened so many doors that have made a lasting effect on our lives that would never have happened otherwise."
Having in mind that your parents initiated the move and were brave enough to pursue their dreams in those times, I assume that they are adventure seekers (too). Do you think you inherited their travel spirit? What is the source and reason of your drive to discover and explore the world?
Growing up, my parents have always been experienced and seasoned travelers. When I was young my dad used to travel internationally for work, and my mom has been to 6 out of 7 continents, and dozens of different countries, so I feel that traveling is in my blood. When she was in her early twenties, my mom dropped everything and bought a one way ticket to Indonesia with a plan of backpacking through 10 other countries for 6 months. That is where I get my wanderlust from. The courage to be able to drop everything and believe in myself to experience the world comes from her. My parents have instilled so much self love, confidence and belief in me, and have taught me that no matter what ups and downs may happen, the best outcome will always come out of it. The thing that drives me and keeps me going is the love and the rush of exploring and discovering a new place.
"I can’t explain the amazing feeling I get seeing the beauty of a new place for the first time!"
You started with photography after having moved to Hawaii. How did you grow into a professional photographer? What were some tipping points that boosted your work and chances to enter the field and build a career?
My eight year journey to become a professional photographer has been many years in the making, and has only recently become my full time job in the past two years. I started out this journey by taking snapshots on my iPhone 4 way back in 8th grade when we moved. I wanted to simply take some pictures of the scenery to send back to my friends in Minnesota, teasing that it was 80 degrees and sunny on Maui when it was 20 below and snowing back in Farmington. By doing this, I quickly discovered that I was falling in love with photography at a rapid pace. I then started using and messing around with the family camera, a Canon T3i, if I remember right. I watched loads of Youtube videos and tutorials, fully immersing myself learning everything I could about settings, composition, you name it. I would shoot every single day. Looking back on the photos from this time, I can honestly say they were truly awful compared to now, but that is how everyone starts! I was just excited to find a hobby and learn something new, and have fun doing it. After about a year or two, I then had saved up enough money to buy my first camera, the Canon 7D Mark II. I was so happy and proud of myself for saving up enough to buy something of my own!
Shooting everything I could, weddings, portraits, high school basketball team photos, shooting for the school yearbook, anything I could get my hands on, and always for free in the beginning. I knew that I would get better each day, and that it would get me to where I wanted to be, my dream of a full time travel photographer.
By the time junior year came around, my mom had scrolled past an ad for a photography workshop put on by National Geographic. At the time, as a young aspiring photographer, working for National Geographic was a dream. Those were the big dogs in my eyes! Something inside me knew that I had to apply for this workshop. The opportunity to get to learn from and work alongside some of the greatest photographers in the world happens very rare.
"So I applied for the program and was accepted to attend their workshop in Prague, Czech Republic for 10 days, and learn from National Geographic Photographers themselves."
I was overwhelmed with excitement and couldn’t wait, especially since it was my first international trip ever! I learned so much about not only the technical side, but about the business side of photography as well. All in all, it was an amazing experience that will last a lifetime. However, it was a very expensive trip. To attend one of the top student photography workshops is definitely not cheap, especially to a 16 year old kid whose parents were living paycheck to paycheck. I had fundraised the trip myself, by selling my work, doing photoshoots, organizing fundraisers, raffles, you name it.
A year later after the trip was my Senior year, which was the last year of eligibility for the Nat Geo program. I knew that I would not be able to attend the workshop again this year, simply because it was too expensive and I wouldn’t be able to raise the money again. So I applied for a scholarship for the workshop, and to my amazement, I was one of twenty students in the world that received a full ride to attend another National Geographic workshop, this time, in Switzerland and France. My parents and I immediately broke down in tears, so happy and grateful for another opportunity to learn from the best and launch myself even closer to my dream.
"Let me tell you, I truly believe that I learned more in those two weeks traveling through the Swiss Alps than I would have in four years sitting in a college lecture hall, that is a fact."
"After high school I decided to go full pursuit for my dream, and chose not to take the college route."
Instead, I would work two jobs, saving up and putting any extra cash and coins in my travel jar on the dresser in my room. Work, save, travel and repeat. That was my motto. After about 2 years of clocking in and putting my head down working my regular jobs, (all while shooting anytime I could and doing small photoshoots on the side of course), I got the idea of buying a van and road tripping across the country. And that is when it all kicked off.
I searched for months to find my van. Not too big, not too small, not too broken down, not too expensive. It had to be the perfect one for me. After searching Craigslist ads all over the country, I finally found the perfect one in a small town about 3 hours from Seattle. I called immediately and after chatting with the owner for about 5 minutes, bought it over the phone on the spot, sight unseen. It totally sounded like a scam on my end haha! I was like “Hello, yeah I promise I’m not a scam please don’t hang up, but my name is AJ and I live 3,000 miles away in Hawaii and want to buy your van without even seeing it. ” Hahahaha but I did! After all of my working and saving up, I sold my car, bought a one way ticket, and went to pick up my “new” 1985 Ford Campervan in pursuit of my dream. Looking back, it is so crazy how everything has fallen in place.
"I can’t believe that everything has worked out perfectly, even though it may not seem like it in the moment, but one thing I can say is that I truly trusted my gut at every turn."
Throughout your journey, what has been the biggest challenge to overcome that you are most proud of? What makes this one so special and meaningful to you?
I would say that my biggest challenge was getting over the hump from “amatuer” to “professional,” from part time, to full time. That is a long, hard and grueling time, but you’ve gotta power through and stick to your heart to make it to the other side. It is a lot of frustration, hearing “no” and being ghosted on projects and people trying to undercut the value of your work. Things all of us still go through today, but those first few years especially are tough to get out there and create a name for yourself. But, in comparison to the hardships of moving our entire family across the country, across the ocean, to a place where we had no jobs, no school, and no house, there is no comparison. That’s why I truly believe that anything that I set my mind to is possible, and nothing will be harder than that experience.
What makes me so proud is that I was just a kid sitting in his room daydreaming about wanting to travel and take photos for a living, and looking at myself now, that is exactly what I am doing.
"It takes a lot of hard work and determination to go after your dreams, but life is short, and it is always worth it in the end."
In what way has living in a van/road tripping a lot benefitted your photography, you think?
Being on the road has definitely benefited my photography. The versatility of being able to go anywhere and always having a place to stay makes it super convenient not having to rent a car and stay in hotels, I always have my home with me. It is also way more cost effective and financially way easier than flying all the time. While I am on the road, I am really only paying for food, gas and the occasional campground for the night. All of these things add up to making it a much more efficient way to travel, and easier to shoot every single day. Rather than seeing one national park every couple months, I have the flexibility and capability to drive to a new park every day if I wanted to. Maximizing my shooting locations is a huge money, time, and energy saver. More locations means more time to work on my craft and shoot every day.
You have traveled to so many different countries, capturing a diversity of wonderful landscapes. What has been one of your most impressive moments during your travels and what made it so special?
Traveling to different countries in the world and living in my van has really opened my eyes on how many good, and decent people there are. We see so much negativity whether it be on social media, or the news all the time, and when you really get to step out and experience and talk to people from these corners of the world, you quickly realize how genuine the human experience really is. While traveling in Hong Kong in early 2019, my friend Karl (@karl_shakur) and I were trying to find a trailhead to hike up the mountain for sunrise. While looking all around and unable to find the trail, an old local lady came up to us and started speaking to us in Mandarin. The problem was, neither Karl nor I knew any Chinese. By using hand signals and very broken english, we somewhat were able to understand that she wanted us to follow her, so we reluctantly obliged. She ended up hiking up the entire way up the mountain with us, and took us to an amazing overview of the city, at over 60 years old! After spending the whole morning with us, she took us to her house, invited us in, and then took us out for lunch, all while speaking hardly any english. She was one of the kindest, most pure souls we had ever met, and the grandmother that everyone loves. It really put it in perspective for us of what life is really about.
"Spread love and kindness to everyone, even strangers, and it will go a long way."
What inspires your art and feeds your creativity? And related to that, how do you incorporate this into your art afterwards?
I am definitely a perfectionist. I want every shot to be perfect, but the reality is, we’re not in a perfect world. I believe that it is my life’s purpose to explore these beautiful places and share them with the world. I want to show that no matter what bad things are happening around the globe, that somewhere, some place, everything can be perfect, even for just one moment. I think that is really beautiful. That if you’re having a bad day or there is craziness happening, somewhere on earth there is something magical taking place. I want to seek and share the magic. That is my creative inspiration and every time I pick up my camera, I am inspired to capture these moments.
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, what is your favorite photo? What makes this your favorite one?
I am a true believer in that I have not yet taken my best or favorite photo. That keeps me inspired and keeps me working hard to continue creating to the best of my ability, and to constantly grow as a photographer. I feel that if you constantly say “this is my best photo”, then you will never outdo yourself or create better work if you have already made up your mind that that is your best you can do.
Although, I can say that out of my previous catalogue I do have a handful that have a special attachment to me. My photo from Arches National Park at Mesa Arch under the night sky with the stars behind will forever stick with me because that is my first trip in the van and that was a monumental moment in my life. All of my photos from my recent trip to Iceland also are also rooted in amazing memories traveling with some of my best friends, and we had such a blast exploring and shooting there. My photos from my trip to Switzerland over 5 years ago have a special place in my heart, although they might not be the “best.” That is where I first really discovered my niche and love for landscapes, and it was on that trip that I decided I wanted to become a travel photographer.
Nowadays we see so many young talented artists pursuing a career as a full time travel/landscape photographer. What four pieces of advice would you give them?
Find what you like to shoot. Having a specific shooting style is important. Add your own twists and creativity! There is no rule book, you are in complete control. Your eye and style comes with time, so the more you shoot, the better you get. Which leads me to the second piece of advice, shoot every chance you can get. You only get better by putting the work in. Shoot everything you can think of, soccer games, wildlife, plants, events, weddings, school yearbook, everything under the sun. You want to have a well rounded background and be very versatile. For example, I worked as an assistant to a wedding photographer for two years, and I personally do not enjoy shooting weddings. Some may love it, but it just isn’t the type of shooting that I enjoy. But the things I learned while doing weddings have now translated into what I shoot now in lifestyle and landscape photography, and I could easily shoot an entire wedding by myself because I have the experience.
The next thing I would say is be consistent, post your work every single day. You never know who’s set of eyes may land on your work, who you might meet, or what projects may come out of it. Consistency is key!
And finally, what I think is the most important piece of advice, don’t focus on the likes, followers and statistics. Shoot and post what you like, and all of that will come with time and hard work. It’s not about the likes, it’s about the art. Some of my favorite photographers only have a few thousand or a few hundred followers. If you enjoy your work, then that’s all that matters! I may post an image that I worked super hard on and that I am really proud of and I think is absolutely sick, and it ends up doing terribly on Instagram. But that isn’t the goal. The goal is to enjoy the process and do what makes you happy, not be someone who gets a lot of likes on social media. At a certain point, you can’t control the likes and followers, so why get down on yourself if one gets 50 likes instead of 100.
"Enjoy shooting, creating, and sharing. That is the key to success."
You have worked on different projects involving photo and video. What project have you enjoyed the most in terms of the type of content creation and theme/purpose/location? Also, what is one of your dream projects to realize in the (near) future? What is your motivation for such a project?
My all time favorite project I have ever worked on has to be my collaboration with Google last August. The amazing team at Google reached out and wanted to work with me on creating a short film commercial about my travels in my van, and I was so stoked to get the opportunity! We shot for three days in Banff, Canada, and I had the absolute time of my life. There were production teams, directors, producers, and an entire crew that flew in from all around the world to work on the project, and it was a total dream out of a Hollywood film set. I had hair and makeup which was hilariously awesome, and we shot a commercial about me and my van that had myself and my family all in tears. It was so surreal to think back on a young 19 year old kid that worked and saved up to buy this van, and had no idea the amazing things that would come of it, and there I was shooting a commercial with one of the biggest companies in the world.
One of my dream jobs has always been to have one of my photos as an Apple wallpaper. Ever since I started photography that has been one of my all time dreams, and it would be the biggest thing in the world to have my photos on the screen of every iPhone and Mac in the world. That would be one of the best things to ever happen to me, so I am putting my energy and my hard work out into turning this dream into a reality, just like I have done so many times before.
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