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Matthew Shearer
@indefinitely_lost
Best of the week 35 at #nomadict 2021
Since I won the Best of the Week 50 last year, I went first to Indonesia for New Year to meet the girl that’s now become my girlfriend. At the beginning of the year, we moved to Mexico to travel and create content full-time. She is a creator as well and it’s amazing to get to do it together and it is much more fun to share experiences and have someone you love to create with all the time. Although, it can also be challenging as we have different styles.
Photography and video have definitely improved since I won the contest, but I got my hard drives stolen in South America with all my content and new videos I’ve been working on, so I won’t get to show my evolution to anyone, unfortunately. I was asleep on a night bus in Peru and someone went into my bag and took them while I was sleeping. I was heartbroken in the morning. All my work from the moment I picked up a camera was there!
"Nevertheless, it’s just one of those things where you have to look forward and not backward."
Not having luck on my side, I got very sick and had to return home. What helped me get through all these setbacks was knowing that grass will always be greener in the future if you still have the burning desire to do well, to create, and a strong mindset. I am blessed with an amazing family and girlfriend to stand by me through tough times like the ones I went through. My life turned upside down within a month but I knew I could turn it around if I’d come up with a plan and execute it with dedication. I ate healthily, got the right medication, rested to give my body the time to heal and recover, and also tried to work as much as possible while spending as little as possible to be back on the road the first day I’d physically be able to. Slowly I started to look up again and feel fit.
"The winning photo was actually taken in Lofoten one day after another setback - I had an accident and broke my shoulder."
It was really spontaneous as I was asked to come on the trip five days prior to departure by three other creators. Even though I had the accident, I still went on the trip and although it wasn’t easy and maybe not the best idea, it was definitely worth it!
We had a car and stayed in Airbnb’s all over Norway. The winning shot was as little planned as the trip itself. We were just droning bridges and mountains in the Lofoten islands trying to find awesome layers or textures and I came across a great composition of a bridge leading to a pointy mountain at the end of it. The editing was tricky because as you can see, there are a lot of clouds rolling in over the top. We got the shot just in time because 2 minutes later the landscape was all covered in clouds.
"The blue in the water was really good and with the editing, I wanted to bring that out a bit and increase the shadows to make that blue pop even more."
As I have sort of a contrast editing style so it ended up working really well! I wish I could have shown you a before and after to show you my editing process, but as my hard drives got stolen I don’t have the shots from Norway anymore. But, at least I can tell you that every time you fly your drone or pick up your camera you get better or come up with a new idea. Every day I’m out shooting I learn something. It can be, though, that you learn it when you are editing as you realize how you could have done it a little differently to make it better. That’s why reflecting on your actions and your work is so important for growth.
Now I am all better and ready for adventure, I will be moving to America in October to live in a van and get back to full-time content creation. We want to head north in the beginning to catch the last of the fall colors. I’ve been dying to go to Washington for years and then head more southwest where it will be a bit warmer, Arizona, California, etc.
I will always keep in mind that, with the right mindset and attitude, my grass will always be greener if I keep fighting for what I want and thinking positively – even if I am enjoying the current shade of green as well!
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