Christopher Behrend

I took an introductory course in photography in my senior year of high school, all the way back to 1998. Digital cameras hadn't arrived yet, so I was grateful I learned all about film, fixer, and manual cameras. I enjoyed the process of exposing the film in dark rooms and the chemical process it took to make my shots come to life. It was a last-minute experience that I thoroughly enjoyed as the world stood on the brink of a new century and the age of digital everything. Everything else I've learned so far has been self-taught or from the experiences of other professionals on the Internet.

My first shot ever happened a long time ago in the late 80s or early 90s when I was a kid. All I had access to was a cheap Kodak camera, but that was all I knew how to use at the time. I vaguely remember taking pictures of nature from camping trips with my parents. Thanks to them, I experienced a lot of outdoor beauty as a child through summer camping.

For the past six years, I've been using a Sony a99ii camera system with two amazing zoom lenses and a 50mm Prime. Of the two zoom lenses, my Tamron 600mm was my biggest glass asset. Especially when it comes to landscape work. In addition, I currently own a DJI Mavic 3 drone that is an extraordinary piece of flying hardware. I use a carbon fiber Manfrotto tripod and some other peripheral hardware to help out where needed.

At this point in my career, I would very much appreciate the continued exposure of competing in national/international exhibitions/contests such as this one, but even more is my desire to connect with other photographers and artists to share work, talk shop, collaborate and hopefully find some artistic friendship.

I have an epic drone shot of Mt. Kallur in the Faroe Islands I took back in 2017 and while staying at a B&B one weekend, I shared it with the owner on my iPhone during a short conversation. He was so moved by the beauty and awe of the mountain. Its color and depth brought him to tears. I didn't know what to say and I'll never forget such a deep reaction to my work.

Nature and our world are the most profound inspirations in my life, both artistically and spiritually. When I'm in the zone with those two dimensions, I shine. It moves me in ways that can be hard to describe.

Thank you! I am a 'one-man operation' and it means a lot to me to receive an honor and award like this. We all strive to reach milestones in our lives. In this case, as an artist and photographer, I am very humbled and grateful that the judges saw fit to select my photograph for such a remarkable award. I'm glad it had such an impact on them, as it did on me.

Rennandi Island is an aerial photograph of a remote glacial river on the southern island near the Westmann Islands. The river itself runs through a vast black sand beach and is not easy to find or navigate. In addition, the winds and weather in that part of Iceland are notorious for changing at any time and making aerial work quite risky. Truth be told, I flew my drone over 12,000 feet to reach this glacier river and I barely got the drone back with 1% battery left. It was an absolute miracle that my drone didn't fall into the sand or become lost in the landscape from strong winds.

Development comes from trust and I am sure I speak to all the fantastic photographers who have benefited from the NY Photography Awards that an achievement like this is a huge boost of confidence, not only for the artist but also for those who appreciate and invest in his/her work.

"I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful – an endless prospect of magic and wonder." – Ansel Adams

"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." – Henri Cartier-Bresson

The Internet has had a profound impact on everyone's life around the world, especially in the world of art and photography. Considering how over-accessible cameras have become to anyone in the world with the advent of smartphones, I know how closed one can feel from the endless amount of images uploaded and tossed around digitally daily. For many, it has ceased to be anything special. But it's organizations like the NY Photography Awards (and thankfully many others) that keep the bar high for those of us who come from the days when photography was worshipped as a unique and special art – pursued only by those who could capture the world around us with an 'eye' to shoot something amazing, without the burden of disruptive need to slap it on social media and pray for views.

For my part, I believe that a successful photographer must be so driven to seek out and find that particular place, person, or scene that he/she will do whatever it takes to complete that journey from start to finish. The best stories come from absolute passion, and there's nothing more satisfying than chasing that dream to the end.

Photography is an ever-changing industry, both commercially and artistically. New hardware, amazing lenses, cool new features and software or just watching someone create their work online all contribute to the ever-changing world of what we do. I don't believe in the old-school excuse, 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks.' I think that's nonsense, and it's those who don't make that statement that can keep pushing their work forward and finding new ways to stay competitive and push their work to new heights.

I have no friends or peers to nominate as I don't know anyone from the awards just yet!

Again, I have no friends or peers to nominate as I don't know anyone from the awards just yet!