Becoming a photographer was completely accidental for me. In 2004, I began my short lived painting career. In 2007, I decided that I needed a camera to photograph my paintings. That's when I purchased my first camera: a Canon 30D.

Shortly after my purchase, I lugged my camera around everywhere I went and began shooting friends and who ever would brave standing in front of my lens. It's fun to look back at my early photographs and relive those moments. The unseriousness of living and shooting in the moment during those times were what made me fall in love with photography. It was that freedom to finally capture the beauty that my imagination saw that made me fall head over heels for photography.

I've learned a lot through making a lot of mistakes. Being completely self taught, there was no way around this. Fortunately, I've met people along the way who have become my mentors and have guided me along the way. With the aid of these mentors and my willingness to make mistakes, I grew. I evolved. And to this day, I constantly am still doing just that. Growing and evolving. If I ever stop learning, life will become unquestionably boring.

In 2009 I participated in an event called the Mongol Rally. It was a 36 day adventure of a life time that took me through 19 countries over 10,000 miles of some of the most difficult terrain I've endured. Starting in England I drove across Europe, down into Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, ventured on a ferry across the Caspian to Kazakhstan, Russia and finally a brutal 12 day drive through Mongolia.

Traveling is in my blood. I grew up on summer vacations in a Suburban. Once when I was a child, my father drove my family from Wisconsin to Mazatlan, Mexico. It was all these epic family vacations that instilled my love for road travel. Sure, planes are cool but staying at a 5 star hotel in Monte Carlo doesn't nearly excite me as much as visiting Gates of the Arctic.

I’m a firm believer in being able to teach yourself anything. Put your mind to it and what isn’t possible? Ask questions. Make a lot of mistakes and learn from those mistakes. Learn from everyday experiences and as long as you keep learning and progressing, you’ll be alright.

Always push yourself. Forward progress. Never stop

PUBLISHED
WINK Magazine - Winter 2010

AGENCIES
Ford
Photogenics
Pinkerton
Q Models
Otto
CESD

All images © Tim Navis 2011