Martin Gregus moved from Slovakia to Canada back in 2004, little did he imagine what the future might hold for him. Martin recently won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year award from the Natural History Museum for his now-viral photo series chronicling the summer lives of polar bears on the western coast of Hudson Bay. The first time I saw those images on Instagram, I had a hard time believing they were real, I've just never seen polar bears shot in such a way or in such a setting before. His photos really show the bears in an intimate way, as if giving you a peek into their personal lives & personality. Martin has won multiple awards and has had his images published in many publications including the coveted National Geographic. In order to get these amazing photos Martin had to spend 33 days in the Canadian Arctic, getting close to the bears and making sure they are comfortable with his presence so that he can document their incredible lives.
Martin and I discussed:
- Where his love of photography stems from
- How one prepares for such an adventure in the Canadian Arctic
- The patience needed in order to be a wildlife photographer
- The Canadian government’s lack of environmental accountability
- How he got comfortable being so close to Polar Bears
- Why he feels that the indigenous community has been misrepresented
- Learning from Wildlife
- His insane growth on social media
- The logistical undertaking of a 33-day Arctic expedition
And much much more...
My Take: That old quote "find what you love and let it kill you" while extreme has kernels of truth in it. If you believe in what you're doing, all the sacrifices made in the name of achieving that goal are worth it, and all the hardships & hurdles are but the price you must pay before you arrive at your destination.
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