In Pursuit of Passion, Purpose and Penguins

As a digital strategist in the Montrose area, part of Tarik Trad’s passion for his job comes not just from his company's mission but also from outside activities, such as wildlife and landscape photography in the local foothills. However, not long ago he found himself in a prolonged creative slump, just going through the motions. While he could conceal it from others, he knew something was off.

Despite his love for photography, simply getting outdoors with his camera this time was not enough. With encouragement from his family, he traveled to Columbia, Missouri to capture the Great American Solar Eclipse. When he shared his eclipse photos on social media, his friends were interested in purchasing them. They ended up raising enough money for local food banks to provide more than 5,000 meals.

This experience sparked an idea. He and his wife founded Focus Relief, an organization dedicated to helping combat hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. by selling photography to raise funds for local food banks. To make an impact, he needed more photographs to sell. That's when his friend and fellow photographer, Robert Knight, invited him to join a group of photographers on an expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula.

With one of his sons about to get married and the other with ambitions for medical school, he was unsure about taking such a trip. His wife, Dalia, however, was less ambivalent. “You're not seeing the big picture,” said Dalia. “With your eye for photography, just imagine how many one-of-a-kind images we can sell. Plus, think of the exposure. Do you know of anyone that has been to Antarctica? People will be begging you to tell your story and share your photos."

A few months later, he joined Robert and 14 others on an epic air, sea, land, and ice expedition to the coldest, driest, windiest, highest and harshest environment on Earth.

Their expedition to Antarctica wasn't without its challenges. It took 24 hours of flights and airports just to get to the southern tip of Chile in South America. From there, they navigated at times through heavy sea ice and harsh weather conditions. While on the continent of Antarctica, they were struck by the contradictions of its serene yet dramatic beauty.

In the water, they observed an iceberg graveyard, compressed blocks of ice big and small, weathered and worn, some as large as football stadiums. They encountered countless seals, humpback whales and orcas. Much like the icebergs, they got perilously close but never in harm’s way.

They discovered penguin colonies on near-vertical cliffs, high above the dangers of apex predators – killer whales and leopard seals – waiting in the frigid waters below. Tarik says being just steps from penguins in nature was almost comical. And the odors from these colonies? Don't ask.

Inside the Antarctic Circle, just before an unforgettably quick sunset-then-sunrise, their relatively small ship, the Ocean Nova, was stuck in sea ice for more than 12 hours. From a safe harbor port on an active caldera to the southernmost post office in the world, he often repeated the expression: “From the sublime to the ridiculous."

While he had an idea of what he was going to see, Antarctica wasn't at all what he expected. The experience left a profound impression on him – visually, emotionally, spiritually. “Antarctica is uniquely beautiful, yet undisturbed, as if it's another planet,” Tarik said. “These were experiences I never could have anticipated. Experiences not just dreamlike, but transformative.”

After the pandemic, he was able to document the trip in a limited-edition, hardcover coffee table book, “Antarctica – A Photographic Expedition," selling out all 250 copies. Best of all, through a matching donor at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, sales of the book were able to provide more than 80,000 meals.

“Photography has the power to make an impact in many ways. It is quite fulfilling to use it to give back to the community,” says Tarik. Needless to say, his creative slump vanished. His passion helped him find purpose in his work and beyond.

Reprints of “Antarctica – A Photographic Expedition" in paperback are scheduled to be available later this year. For advanced notice, subscribe to the Focus Relief mailing list.

See "The Way South," a short film documenting Tarik's photographic expedition.