We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Colborne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I think the biggest misconception with photography is that outsiders can look at an image and not understand the level of effort and creativity it takes to create it. Yes an image is a specific moment in time, but a good photographer has put in countless hours practicing their craft.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I don’t know specifically what makes my photography different, but I think I take a different approach in the process. I am interested in the technique and technical elements of photography. Having a science background, I am very analytical and I think that shows in my work. I have been taking photos for 12 years now and I think the biggest lesson I have learned is to trust the process. Art is an interesting topic as art is very subjective and different images resonate with different people. Having confidence in my work is something that I struggle with, but I continue to build my confidence as time goes on.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Arizona has some of the most incredible landscapes so I would definitely focus on spending time in the desert.

If my friend has a week in Arizona, here’s a rough itinerary:

Day 1 – My friend arrives in Phoenix and we spend the afternoon visiting a couple local breweries, then grab some pizza at Pizzeria Bianco

Day 2 – We would drive out to the Biosphere outside of Tucson. We would spend the day learning about the project (the nerd in me loves space science!) before. After finishing there we will drive into Apache National Park where we will camp for the night.

Day 3 – We would get an early start and continue north into the Petrified Forest National Park and spend the day hiking the Painted Rim Trail. We will stay the night in Chinle.

Day 4 – We will spend a few hours driving and sightseeing in Monument Valley (most likely stopping every 5 minutes to take in the views. If we don’t get too delayed by stops, we will make it in time to watch sunset at Horseshoe Bend. We will spend the night in Page, and have some fried chicken at BirdHouse.

Day 5 – We will start this day with a tour of Antelope Canyon. After soaking in the amazing slot canyon, we will head towards Kanab and stop at The New Wave and Toadstool Hoodoo points of interest. We will hop back and forth across the border between Arizona and Utah a couple times until we arrive in Kanab. We will grab some barbecue at Ironhorse and stay the night at the iconic Parry Lodge.

Day 6 – We head southeast at drive the scenic route to the Grand Canyon. We spend the day pulling in to the different viewpoints as well as hiking the South Rim Trail. We spend the night in Grand Canyon Village and call it a night early.

Day 7 – We head back to the Grand Canyon for sunrise. We take in the incredible views for a couple of hours before we race back into Phoenix so my friend can make their flight.

The week will fly by, we will exhausted and we will leave Arizona feeling inspired.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh man, there are obviously too many people to cite in this journey that I am on. The obvious answer would be my partner. She is right by my side in every moment, and she has always supported me and my decisions. Outside of her, I am constantly inspired by other photographers. Being in the digital age, it is so easy to find great artists and great images are accessible to everyone.

Instagram: @secretlymeancanadian

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