Tell us about your background and how you found your way into landscape and adventure photography.
My background is actually not what you might expect. I was always creative as a kid; I loved drawing and art in particular, but when it came to my education, I went down a very different path. My undergraduate degree was in economics (hardly creative). However, one thing I’ve always loved to do is travel. My photography is more a by-product of this thirst for travel and adventure. I absolutely love it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the very act of travelling that is my true passion. Photography is just a beautiful and rewarding means to document it. I’ve always loved the more obscure destinations. Places that are not always easy to get to, or easy to travel round, or even remotely appealing to the vast majority of people. Since my early 20s I started to make travelling one of my primary goals, and photography for me combines my love of creativity with a way of telling the stories of my travelling.
Where have your most recent travels taken you and what was shooting there like?
Last year the most notable places I visited were Kyrgyzstan and the Svalbard archipelago. Both very different places, and both very challenging to shoot in and traverse, albeit for very different reasons. Shooting in Kyrgyzstan was a very mixed experience. There were definitely some challenges, one of which starts before you even get there: research. It is not a frequently visited place, so finding information on it can be tough. Google Maps doesn’t even work over there so we had to find a way around that too.
Once we got there, we quickly understood that Kyrgyzstan has a very dry and arid climate, so dust can be a real problem. Tasks you ordinarily wouldn’t think about, like swapping lenses, become really difficult out there. On the other hand, it rarely rains, and we didn’t encounter especially strong winds either, which was great for the drone. In Kyrgyzstan you’re surrounded by beauty, so I was spoilt for choice in terms of composition.
Svalbard is a collection of islands off the north coast of Norway and is the most northern permanently inhabited settlement on Earth. I was there in February, and I can’t even begin to describe the sensation of the cold. The lowest it got to was -26°C. Shooting with two pairs of thick gloves on is nigh on impossible. Also, at those kinds of temperatures, batteries die so much quicker, which means taking your gloves off to change them all the time. Don’t forget that for almost four months of the year Svalbard is in complete darkness, so a tripod is necessary for all shots, and camera settings have to be changed all too frequently.
It is possible to get around, but outside of the town limits of Longyearbyen (the only town), you have to have a guide with you at all times due to the polar bear risk. And due to heavy snow and lack of roads, a lot of the time you have to hike. And let me tell you, hiking up a mountain is made five times harder in snow shoes.
As difficult as all this sounds, the challenges are what make these places so enjoyable to me. It makes the images worth so much more, and the memories attached to them so much more vivid.
Where in the world has felt most to you like a different planet?
There are a few contenders for this but ultimately, I have to choose Iceland. The stark black landscapes, the rivers of red, blue, gold and everything in between, the layered mountains that jut out of the flat landscape from nowhere. It is truly unique – unique enough to keep me going back again and again.
Where would you recommend everyone go at least once in their lifetime?
My recommendation is not actually a place, it’s an approach – to travel in a way that pushes you out of your comfort zone a little bit. For me, some of the best life experiences I have had have been through me pushing myself to visit and traverse the more difficult places. South America, Kyrgyzstan, Svalbard etc. These were not easy places to visit, but they made me feel more alive than anywhere else. The same can go for more visited places too. For example, plenty of people visit Iceland and do the classic tourist activities like visiting the Blue Lagoon, northern lights tours, etc. But fewer people will hire a car, drive to a remote part of the island and find a more obscure natural hot spring, or go and chase the northern lights themselves without the help of a guide. For me, taking these challenges on makes it feel like a proper adventure. I guess I’m addicted to that feeling.
What are the destinations on your bucket list you’ve yet to explore?
I want to visit some more obscure countries and areas. Georgia, Oman and Namibia have been on my list for a while now. Hopefully I will get to tick these off before too long.
As a seasoned traveller, do you have any secrets to make the travelling experience better?
My friends and I meticulously plan out our trips before we go. We create a custom map with all the pins for areas/spots we want to see, and then break it down by day, to see what we can realistically see in the time we are there. This helps us prioritise. I should also mention that it really helps to have like-minded people to travel with. My friends and I are all completely aligned with what we want out of these trips. Roughly speaking, that means minimal sleep, and maximum effort! We will completely tire ourselves out going from place to place. Huge hikes regardless of weather, very long drives and plenty of early starts.
What essentials can you not travel without?
Besides all my camera gear, there are only two other things. The first thing is a base layer. A relatively boring answer, but this is such an important item for me. It keeps me warm when it’s cold, but when I inevitably heat up, I don’t overheat. I think I’ve had the same base layers for almost four years now. These never get left behind. The second are pairs of waterproof socks. There have been too many occasions in brutally cold and wet countries like Iceland where I have had wet feet for me to forget these now. They are a must.
How have drones changed the nature of landscape photography?
They’ve completely changed it, especially for me. I love the freedom they give you, and the near-limitless compositions they offer. I understand the hardcore old-school photographers when they say it’s a much less “romantic” form of photography. But for me I love to maximise the images and videos I can get from a place – it provides a whole new way of remembering the experience. I’m all for them.
Where’s next?
In the next two months I will be travelling to the Faroe Islands and the Canadian Rockies. And I’m extremely excited for both trips.
Discover Jordan’s incredible work on Instagram @jordlg or at jord-lg.com where you can purchase a selection of prints
