Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
0 Likes
0 Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • Photography
  • The ML Interview

The Pursuit of Perfection with Adventure Photographer Krystle Wright

  • June 19, 2020
  • Mountain Life Media
Total
13
Shares
12
0
1
0
0
0
Total
13
Shares
Share 12
Tweet 0
Pin it 1
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Pursuit Of Perfection Krystle Wright Swimming To Surface
Kimi returning from an underwater meditation.

words & photos :: Krystle Wright.

Bobbing around on the surface of jet black waters off Skjervøy, Norway, Kimi Werner and I surrender to the gentle rock of the ocean. Once again, we’ve missed an encounter with the pod of orcas. Typically we would swim energetically back to the Zodiac to set up for another attempt to get the shot, but instead we rest—at one with the rhythmic slosh of the sea. 

The short days of the winter months means we are coming up on the last licks of light to shoot on this trip. The challenges of bringing this obsessive pursuit together is becoming all too clear—a specific image that has been haunting me will have to wait. Just as we’re ready to call defeat, birds begin to gather above us and small fish debris floats to the surface—signals of action below. Hastily, we draw a breath and dive into the darkness towards the shoal of herring.

Pursuit Of Perfection Krystle Wright Swimming With Orcas
Art has the power to move hearts and open minds, to evoke emotion—regardless of the ‘perfect frame’. A moment captured of Kimi flowing with the pod.

The faith that athletes entrust in me, to be a part of these artistic visions I present them with, continues to pervade my own belief that these wild ideas can be brought to fruition. At our first meeting, Kimi—a woman who competed as a spear fisher and now focuses her time and energy towards free diving ocean exploration, environmental awareness and activism—agreed to join me in the freezing fields of Norway on the spot. A fortunate stroke of serendipity was that she had always been drawn to orcas, having had reoccurring dreams of these whales as a child (a random theme for someone born and raised in Hawaii where ocean life is abundant but certainly does not include the killer whale).

For a project like this, it doesn’t matter how passionate I am about the purpose, or how much time or money I throw at it—I’m not entitled to the shot.

Fast forward a few months and it feels surreal that we are swimming into the depths of the Arctic Sea to fulfill unorthodox dreams of pirouetting with the magnificently powerful black and white beauties of the ocean as they feast on billions of herring. The purity of our intention was to create art to illustrate just how tiny we are as humans in contrast to nature, to evoke emotion and to raise awareness of why we should take care of the ocean and its inhabitants.

Pursuit Of Perfection Krystle Wright Fins Above Water
Cruising dark waters of northern Norway, Kimi and Krystle let their fins catch some air on the back of the Zodiac.

The tail whip of an orca slams into a herring ball, displacing thousands of fish like a plate of china smashing into the tiniest shards of white porcelain, as black shadows move through the chaos to feed on the stunned fish. My heart races as I hit the trigger on my water-housing, both from the freezing waters and from witnessing something straight out of an Attenborough documentary. My chest tightens as the last of the oxygen in my lungs fades—time to go back up.

Ten metres from the surface, a bull makes a surprise appearance from the depths and brushes past only a few feet away with immeasurable finesse, sending an underwater surge of energy into us. This rush of energy was the embodiment of what we set out to capture: a reminder of how small we truly are in the presence of these tactile predators. But alas, the frame I built in my mind was unattained. 

Pursuit Of Perfection Krystle Wright Orcas Swimming
Orcas are known for their complex social dynamics, often made up of tight-knit matrilineal groups led by older females, as well as their ability to feel and express emotion.

As light dimmed to darkness, the sinking feeling of knowing I would need to return to fulfil this vision became apparent. The images that haunt you as a photographer become obsessive objectives.

For a project like this, it doesn’t matter how passionate I am about the purpose, or how much time or money I throw at it—I’m not entitled to the shot. How humbling it is to know that a camera in hand holds no true power—nature is always the one calling the shots, interacting when she feels drawn to. Some of these adventurous gambles have delivered reward and recognition, but, more often than not, the pursuit of perfection has failed. 

Art is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of our planet, to see how small we are in the grand scheme of it all, and offer up a glimmer of hope that not all is lost in a  time that seems so bleak for our oceans.

Failures and raw experiences inspire evolution as a photographer, keeping me on a path where curiosity reigns supreme over common sense. I often get resistance from having this perspective on life—people question my motives. These individuals seem to value a guaranteed return on investment, be it time, travel or finance. But I continue to err on the opposite side of the spectrum. Like most passionate adventure enthusiasts, I joke to my friends that if I am to go down in flames it will be in spectacular fashion completely entrenched in the unknowns of exploration. 

Pursuit Of Perfection Krystle Sunrise
There are limited hours of daylight in Norwegian winters, with the northern regions sitting in darkness 24 hours a day for several months of the year.

The path to actualizing our dreams is chock-full of ups and downs. We may as well celebrate them all and enjoy the ride, because to ignore our calling is not open for discussion. 

To Skjervøy, Norway and the orcas, we will see you again soon. sealegacy.org  —ML

Just recently, a story of success, the Norwegian Labour Party recently voted to permanently protect the Lofoten region of Northern Norway from any further oil exploitation. A strong movement created by Sea Legacy was one of the main protagonists in creating awareness of the situation and the plight to save this fragile environment.

Total
13
Shares
Share 12
Tweet 0
Pin it 1
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Mountain Life Media

Previous Article
  • Snowboarding

Legendary Snowboarder Nicolas Müller Dropped by Sponsors Over Political Views

  • June 17, 2020
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
Mustang Survival Callan Shorts reviewed by Mountain Life Media
  • THE GEAR SHED

Summer Paddling with Mustang Survival

  • June 21, 2020
  • Ned Morgan
View Post
You May Also Like
Kathryn-Corbiere-artist-Indigenous-Ontario-Blue-Mountains
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Ontario
  • The ML Interview
  • Women

Artist Profile: Elevating Awareness 

  • Editor
  • May 29, 2023
Paul-Manning-Hunter-Kananaskis-River-surf
View Post
  • In This Issue
  • Photography
  • Rockies

Mountain Life Takes Home Multiple Awards

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 23, 2023
ML-Blue-Mountains-cover-trilliums-crop
View Post
  • In This Issue
  • Mountain Biking
  • Mountain Lifer
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Photography

ML Blue Mountains 20th Anniversary Issue Out Now

  • Ned Morgan
  • May 18, 2023
Lara-Shea
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • The ML Interview
  • Videos
  • Women

ML Podcast: Award-Winning Filmmaker Lara Shea

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 9, 2023
morocoo_kari_medig-026
View Post
  • Photography
  • Skiing

ML Podcast: A Conversation with Photographer Kari Medig

  • Editor
  • March 30, 2023
Mountain-Life-20th-showreel
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • On The Trail
  • Photography
  • Videos

20 Years of ML

  • Editor
  • March 24, 2023
Unceded-Vancouver
View Post
  • Photography

UNCEDED: A Photographic Journey into Belonging

  • Editor
  • February 21, 2023
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • On The Trail
  • Photography
  • Stay & Play

Let It Roar

  • Sarah Bulford
  • February 9, 2023

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts
  • chu-chua-festival 1
    The Reconciliation Trail
    • June 5, 2023
  • Kathryn-Corbiere-artist-Indigenous-Ontario-Blue-Mountains 2
    Artist Profile: Elevating Awareness 
    • May 29, 2023
  • Mike-Traslin-Andy-Traslin-ski-touring-KootenaysBC 3
    The Traslin Brothers: 200 Months of Earned Turns
    • May 30, 2023
  • Leslie-Timms-Devils-Glen-Nutcracker-Colin-Field 4
    Behind the Devil’s Glen Climbing Route Closures
    • May 25, 2023
  • ML-5-panel-trucker-cap-black-white-front 5
    Father’s Day Gifts for Active Dads
    • June 2, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • John-Haines-Simcoe-Street-Collingwood2-at-CreativeSimcoe-Street
    Tribute: ML’s Map Artist John Haines
    • June 1, 2023
  • Fisher-Monahan-illustration-illustrator
    Sweetgrass Chronicles: Walking from BC to San Francisco
    • May 26, 2023
  • benno_bikes-46er-sea-otter-tour-web2
    Gear Shed: Picks for Spring & Summer
    • May 24, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM

Warning: preg_match(): Unknown modifier '0' in /home/customer/www/mountainlifemedia.ca/public_html/wp-content/plugins/powerkit/modules/lazyload/helpers/helper-powerkit-lazyload.php on line 146
avatar
mountainlifemedia
Mountain Life
25K Followers
“I have nothing to reconcile,” Tom Eustache says plainly to a room of 200 white people, followed by a small but exasperated chuckle into his microphone. 9 2
Here's your reminder that Father's Day is June 18th! 16 1
Check out our signature 20th Anniversary tees that just dropped in our shop! 🔥 13 0
For 15 years the Ontario artist drew ML’s gatefold map for both the Blue and Coast Mountains editions. 20 1
Just your average day on the trails…nothing to see here. #mountainlifer #onewheel 25 4
How many turns did you earn last winter? Most skiers and boarders would be proud to say they logged a week with no chairlifts and zero auxiliary help to the top—or toured exclusively for a month. 55 2
onekwe didn’t set out to become an artist. She first became a welder with the intention of establishing herself in the trade. But, as good welding jobs are few and far between where she lives on Manitoulin Island, she began doing commissions for architectural pieces and modern furniture. “From there, I found the opportunities and the abilities in myself to create art,” she says. 76 1
ML and partners offer a gear list curated for spring-summer stoke, including the latest sunnies, trail shoes, sun shirts, e-bikes, headlamps, racerback tanks, Rollerblades and sun hats. In alpha order. #linkinbio to check out all picks! 23 0
"Alright—where to begin? Between the months of July and November 2022, I walked about 2500 kilometres from British Columbia to San Francisco. Yes—I walked." 48 4
🚫The sweet sound of the wilderness at Devil’s Glen… 78 5
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

“I have nothing to reconcile,” Tom Eustache says plainly to a room of 200 white people, followed by a small but exasperated chuckle into his microphone. 6 2
Here's your reminder that Father's Day is June 18th! 16 1
Check out our signature 20th Anniversary tees that just dropped in our shop! 🔥 13 0
For 15 years the Ontario artist drew ML’s gatefold map for both the Blue and Coast Mountains editions. 20 1
Just your average day on the trails…nothing to see here. #mountainlifer #onewheel 25 4
How many turns did you earn last winter? Most skiers and boarders would be proud to say they logged a week with no chairlifts and zero auxiliary help to the top—or toured exclusively for a month. 55 2
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.