Svalbard

In 2011, I embarked on my first expedition dedicated entirely to photography, traveling to Svalbard, Norway, as close to the North Pole as one can reach without chartering a plane. This Arctic archipelago had captured my imagination long before I arrived: the Global Seed Vault buried in the permafrost, the abandoned Soviet mining town of Pyramiden with its derelict machinery frozen in time, and remote weather monitoring stations scattered across the barren landscape.

This trip marked a turning point in my practice, a deliberate commitment to photography as an art form separate from my music career. I brought six different cameras: Mamiya RZ67, Lomo LC-A, Polaroid SLR680, Polaroid 195, and an iPhone, determined to explore how different mediums would respond to the extreme environment. Working in sub-zero temperatures where film pods freeze and film winders stopped winding, each camera presented unique challenges and possibilities.

The expedition took place during polar winter when the sun never fully rises, instead skimming the horizon for roughly seven hours in perpetual golden hour. This extended twilight transformed the ice-covered wilderness into something otherworldly, painting familiar photographic concepts of time and light in entirely new terms. In a place where it’s literally illegal to die due to the permafrost preventing decomposition, every technical decision carried weight.

These images captured not just remote Arctic landscapes, but a pivotal moment of artistic discovery. The series established the foundation for everything that would follow in my work: the pursuit of extraordinary light in impossible places, the willingness to push equipment and process to their limits, and the understanding that some images can only exist when you’re willing to venture beyond the familiar into the sublime.

A red airplane covered in snow is parked on a snowy runway in foggy weather, its silhouette glowing with a futuristic aura reminiscent of drone light painting.
A silhouetted person stands by water as bright orange and yellow abstract textures, reminiscent of drone light painting, fill the nighttime landscape scene.
Snow-covered hills and distant mountains bathed in soft yellow and pink light create a dreamy, futuristic winter landscape reminiscent of nighttime landscape photography.
A tall ship frozen in ice with snowy mountains in the background under a dusky sky, captured through the lens of a fine artist.
A lone flag flutters on a pole above calm, misty blue water under a hazy sky, evoking the quiet ambiance of nighttime landscape photography.
Rows of tall, metal antenna structures are reflected on a smooth, white, and foggy surface—evoking the surreal beauty often captured in nighttime landscape photography.
Hazy yellow landscape with rolling hills and a glowing sun low on the horizon, casting bright light—reminiscent of a fine artist’s palette or an ethereal drone light painting.
Large, weathered industrial structure on tall stilts stands over a snowy, misty landscape, reminiscent of a fine artist’s nighttime landscape photography.
A concrete building partially buried in snow against a snowy, mountainous landscape under a cloudy sky, reminiscent of a fine artist's vision or a photographer's approach to nighttime landscape photography.
A small boat moves through a snowy canyon flanked by towering, rugged cliffs under a pale sky, capturing a scene worthy of a fine artist or photographer’s eye.
Close-up of a person in a helmet and goggles, face frosted, riding in snowy, wintry conditions—a scene captured with a fine artist’s eye for detail and atmosphere.
Futuristic aurora and star trails grace snowy mountains at night, with vibrant green and purple hues painting the sky—a stunning example of nighttime landscape photography.
A snowy canyon with steep cliffs, captured by a photographer as a group of sled dogs travels the frosty path below—a scene perfect for nighttime landscape photography.
Aurora borealis glows over snowy mountains under a starry night sky as a photographer captures the scene, adding a touch of futuristic flair with dazzling drone light painting.
A weathered, abandoned building with Russian text stands in a snowy, desolate landscape—a haunting scene reminiscent of fine artist techniques in nighttime landscape photography.
A small group on snowmobiles beside a hut in a snowy, foggy landscape, with swirling patterns of drone light painting illuminating the winter night.
Faded photo of footprints in snow, tinted with a pink and yellow hue, evokes a futuristic feel reminiscent of drone light painting.
A tall smokestack emits smoke in a snowy, industrial landscape with mountains in the background, as a photographer captures the scene enhanced by subtle hints of futuristic drone light art.
Three snowmobiles covered in snow are parked side by side on a snowy surface with a pink tint, capturing a futuristic vibe perfect for nighttime landscape photography.
A car with bright green headlights drives through heavy snow and fog on a desolate road, evoking a futuristic scene worthy of a fine artist or photographer’s vision.
A photographer wearing ski goggles and a helmet, face covered in frost, stands in a snowy, cold environment, capturing the scene with futuristic drone light painting swirling in the wintry air.
A vintage Mamiya RB67 camera on a tripod stands ready for a photographer against a plain, light blue background.
A red airplane covered in snow is parked on a snowy runway in foggy weather, its silhouette glowing with a futuristic aura reminiscent of drone light painting.
A silhouetted person stands by water as bright orange and yellow abstract textures, reminiscent of drone light painting, fill the nighttime landscape scene.
Snow-covered hills and distant mountains bathed in soft yellow and pink light create a dreamy, futuristic winter landscape reminiscent of nighttime landscape photography.
A tall ship frozen in ice with snowy mountains in the background under a dusky sky, captured through the lens of a fine artist.
A lone flag flutters on a pole above calm, misty blue water under a hazy sky, evoking the quiet ambiance of nighttime landscape photography.
Rows of tall, metal antenna structures are reflected on a smooth, white, and foggy surface—evoking the surreal beauty often captured in nighttime landscape photography.
Hazy yellow landscape with rolling hills and a glowing sun low on the horizon, casting bright light—reminiscent of a fine artist’s palette or an ethereal drone light painting.
Large, weathered industrial structure on tall stilts stands over a snowy, misty landscape, reminiscent of a fine artist’s nighttime landscape photography.
A concrete building partially buried in snow against a snowy, mountainous landscape under a cloudy sky, reminiscent of a fine artist's vision or a photographer's approach to nighttime landscape photography.
A small boat moves through a snowy canyon flanked by towering, rugged cliffs under a pale sky, capturing a scene worthy of a fine artist or photographer’s eye.
Close-up of a person in a helmet and goggles, face frosted, riding in snowy, wintry conditions—a scene captured with a fine artist’s eye for detail and atmosphere.
Futuristic aurora and star trails grace snowy mountains at night, with vibrant green and purple hues painting the sky—a stunning example of nighttime landscape photography.
A snowy canyon with steep cliffs, captured by a photographer as a group of sled dogs travels the frosty path below—a scene perfect for nighttime landscape photography.
Aurora borealis glows over snowy mountains under a starry night sky as a photographer captures the scene, adding a touch of futuristic flair with dazzling drone light painting.
A weathered, abandoned building with Russian text stands in a snowy, desolate landscape—a haunting scene reminiscent of fine artist techniques in nighttime landscape photography.
A small group on snowmobiles beside a hut in a snowy, foggy landscape, with swirling patterns of drone light painting illuminating the winter night.
Faded photo of footprints in snow, tinted with a pink and yellow hue, evokes a futuristic feel reminiscent of drone light painting.
A tall smokestack emits smoke in a snowy, industrial landscape with mountains in the background, as a photographer captures the scene enhanced by subtle hints of futuristic drone light art.
Three snowmobiles covered in snow are parked side by side on a snowy surface with a pink tint, capturing a futuristic vibe perfect for nighttime landscape photography.
A car with bright green headlights drives through heavy snow and fog on a desolate road, evoking a futuristic scene worthy of a fine artist or photographer’s vision.
A photographer wearing ski goggles and a helmet, face covered in frost, stands in a snowy, cold environment, capturing the scene with futuristic drone light painting swirling in the wintry air.
A vintage Mamiya RB67 camera on a tripod stands ready for a photographer against a plain, light blue background.