I asked pro photographer, Reuben Krabbe, to give me an impression of what a “day in the life” of his world is like. He said he’d have to give me a week or even a month to really get an understanding of what he does. As I look around the walls of the FireRock Lounge, where his canvases now hang, I start to know why.

Adventure at a Moment’s Notice for Reuben Krabbe

On any given day he might be hunkered down in the snow for that perfect ski shot, waiting for the aurora borealis to appear in the night sky or a raven to spread its wings.

With typically a 1-2 month notice time of trips taking him to places like Alaska, Israel and the Yukon, he has to be ready for the next adventure at all times.

“I toss as many irons into the fire as I can and see what works out. I really want to go to a remote set of islands in the Indian Ocean – that could pan out in two months or three years, my schedule is never set.”

It’s his inquisitive attitude that has him in Saskatchewan this week shooting an urban ski crew in a place no one affiliates with the sport. It’s capturing these stories that keeps Reuben intrigued, and the likes of Skier Magazine invested.

However, it did occur to me that living from adventure to adventure must mean a relatively sporadic pay cheque.

In the beginning I was always close to failure – usually one pay stub away from being broke and doing whatever I could to stay debt free. It’s my job to put as much distance between failure and myself. The only way to do this is to keep projects and ideas flowing – you often don’t know which one’s going to work out, but that’s life.

Great ideas do not seem to be a problem for Reuben. With that in mind I asked him to talk me through a few of his top career moments to date…

1. Biking in Israel

A last minute invitation through the Israel Tourism board saw Reuben jump on a plain to Israel last fall. He rode down ancient trails where merchants would have traded spices.

It was the furthest away from home I’ve ever felt. The landscape looked like Mars. We were surrounded by broken red and yellow dessert as the Muslim call to prayer would echo through the valleys.

2. Skiing in the Aleutian Islands

It was like something out of National Geographic. We hiked a 7,500-metre mountain and it was then only a four-mile ski from the summit to the ocean, which surrounded us in every direction.

3. Waiting for the Aurora Borealis in the Yukon

We’d been focused on the skiing part of our trip, but on the last night we were exposed to the full glory of the Northern Lights. In my photos I’ve tried to capture them as they were, but also how they made me feel – full of awe.

What’s next for Reuben Krabbe? For a man with an inquisitive attitude it could be anything.

Reuben and the FireRock Lounge are celebrating his new gallery opening on Tuesday, February 17. It’s Locals Live Night so it will be an incredible fusion of music and art, as well as a raffle raising funds for the Squamish Watershed Foundation.

The event is open to everyone so come and enjoy some great photography, local musicians and a few beers.

For more information on the evening visit us online. To look at more of Reuben’s work visit his website.