In 2025 I returned to Iceland, one of my favorite places, this time in winter. It is a country that never runs out of surprises. The same locations transform completely with the seasons, and each visit feels new. I could easily spend a lifetime photographing Iceland alone.
That pull toward colder, more remote places led me farther north to Svalbard, Norway’s northernmost territory and home to the world’s northernmost year-round settlement, just eight hundred miles from the North Pole. What I once thought would be a once in a lifetime trip became something truly memorable. Traveling aboard the MS Virgo, we departed Longyearbyen and spent two days docked directly to the polar ice cap, an experience few people ever have. We waited patiently for a lone female polar bear to appear, and when she did, she gave us the rare chance to photograph her alone on the ice. Seeing her there, healthy, calm, and completely at home in her environment, was unforgettable. I am already looking ahead to new travels in 2026 and a return to Svalbard in 2027.