CALENDARS
As 2023 comes to a close, I look back and I can’t help but feel proud. I rode out the lows, I hung in there. There were times I relied on friends and family to help me get through, and there were times were I flat out had to just dig deep and find it in myself. In doing that, I eventually made it to some of the best days of my life. And thank you to my wonderful aunt Ann, those particular days were spent in the country of ICELAND.
Simply put, it is the most spectacular place I’ve ever seen.
We hiked, explored, kayaked, and climbed our way across the country, spanning eleven beautiful summer days and the entire length of the island. The first few days we lived like kings, enjoying the full-on tourist life that Iceland’s top tier hospitality industry has to offer. Then we pulled the plug and went off-the-grid (and damn near off the map) for a four-day, three-night hike through the eastern fjords. No phone, no wi-fi, no contact with anything but the beauty of Iceland. It was such a moving experience - the trip as a whole, of course - but the hike in particular, that I wanted to do something special with my photos.
Granted, I can still reach most of my friends, family and supporters by posting to Instagram, my long-time outlet for sharing content. But I just couldn’t help but feel like I needed to do something more with these. I worked too hard, got too far out there in this beautiful world to get 47 likes and one fire emoji comment.
So, again, with the help of my aunt, I present to you: my very first calendar.
It took me a long time to decide on the thirteen images that make up the calendar - these are not necessarily my “best” photos from the trip (although a few are) but the ones that I thought would make for the best calendar. That means they have to be cropped to landscape, print well, and have a vibe that matches the month that the photo is representing. This may have been hard elsewhere - I was only there 11 days - but the diversity of the island is so extreme there that I had no problem covering all four seasons. The need for a 2x3 landscape crop eliminated any phone shots (took a couple thousand of those) and all the panoramas (hundreds of those). That left me with ONLY a few thousand photos to choose from.
Here is what I came up with:
“I know, what it’s like, to be nowhere.”
THE COVER
The cover is a dedication to desolation. It’s a testament to life with persistence. It’s a shoutout to anyone who found growth in a place they didn’t feel they belong in.
The image itself is taken from a moving tractor, in the middle of a black sand desert on the south coast of Iceland. If you put the coordinates for the location of the photo into Google Maps and ask how to get there from my place in Myrtle Beach, IT SAYS IT CANNOT BE DONE.
It can, of course, and on this particular trek we had ridden 30-40 minutes through the sand without seeing anything but the grayish horizon. Anything except… this single land formation. And if you look very closely, there is definitely some foliage on the rock mound. Signs of life, as green as can be, in the literal middle of nowhere.
And as we pushed on, another 10 minutes or so to the coast, we were eventually found we were looking for: an enormous colony of Puffins on one of their last days before taking to sea for the rest of the year.
I chose the photo because it screams "KEEP GOING". We did. I did, and you should too.
January’s photo was taken at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon on the southeast coast of the island. It’s a world famous location, but not necessarily for the towering icebergs you see here; but more for what happens to them after. As the icebergs in the lagoon break up and float out to the ocean, the sea spits them back onto the beach, shining against the black sand. This is known more famously as Black Diamond Beach. I enjoyed that as well, but I thought the size and color of the icebergs and lagoon water were so breathtaking (there is a bird on top of the iceberg for size reference!) that it made for a great January pic.
Cold, bold and inspiring. Here’s to a great new year.
For February I chose a photo that springs hope… for spring. Taken mid-glacier hike (that’s the ice in the foreground) the sun broke through the clouds just long enough for me to capture it glistening on the green patch of grass, contrasting with the varying, much harsher terrains that surround it. In this single photo you can see ice, volcano ash, sweeping green pastures, and a desert-like rock formation. That to me really encapsulates the diversity of Iceland’s landscapes, as well as reminding the viewer to remain hopeful. Spring is on the way.
This year, as it happens, is actually a leap year, meaning we get an extra day in the "same amount of time." I mean, a year is a year right? But this year we get a 'free play' as they would say in football. I encourage anyone reading this to take that day to do something special, something out of the ordinary. I, personally will be throwing for the end zone.
“Three sixty-five, 366 in a leap year”
I took the March photo on the backside of a 10-hour hike through the eastern fjords. We hiked up and over a mountain, climbing through the fog on the way up, sitting atop it for lunch, and climbing back down through it to get to our hut for the night. This afforded me the opportunity for some really moody, mysterious photos. I’d hate to say “ominous” or “eerie” because its literally the safest place on earth - there’s no crime, no dangerous wildlife, and in this case - no people at all, but there was a certain mystique to much of the hike. There are, however, endless - and timeless - stories of the "hidden people" - Iceland is BIG on ghosts. My pops would love it.
The flowers are harebells and dandelions, little bits of color in the mist of gray, meant to remind the viewer that if spring hasn’t sprung yet, it soon will.
Purple & blue harebells, green grass and blue skies. The world is in full bloom. Taken on the fourth and last day of the hike, just when we said it couldn’t get anymore beautiful… of course it did.
There’s something exciting about summer to me. It can be electrifying. It can change the course of a year. It can feel different. It doesn’t matter how old you are, summer is something to look forward to. This image to me embodies that spirit. Sure the grass is green right here, but imagine what’s right around that corner?
SUMMER. That’s what.
Nothing more pleasant than a summer evening stroll. It’s both the source and subject of this photo, an ELEVEN PM sunset walk through the town of Hofn, Iceland. That’s right, the sun only goes down for a few hours in the summer time there, making sunsets and sunrises fairly hard to come by. Between the day-long hikes wiping me out and the unorthodox times, I only saw the sun go down a few times and did not see a single sunrise.
The town of Hofn was incredible, which I did not realize until I had been there for nearly 8 hours. Read about that adventure here (link coming soon).
Another shot from Hofn, this time from the port right across from our hotel. As the fog rolled in throughout the evening it gave the the surrounding mountains a floating effect. The entire place felt other-worldly, and only got cooler as the midnight sun set.
The vibrancy of the ships and the warmth of the sunset felt like the heat of summer to me.
15 minute car ride to the airport. 5 hour flight to Minneapolis. 7 hour flight overnight to Reykjavik. 5 hour bus ride to Ingólfshöfði. 40 minute tractor ride to the bluff. 15 minute hike up to the cliffs.
That’s what it took to see the puffins. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I chose August because that’s when the photo was taken, just days before they depart for sea.
What a journey.
So is a calendar year. Another reminder to keep going.
“Can’t even see me, I’m way outta here, too far in sky”
This feels like the end of summer, and it feels like Wyoming. And it’s my dad’s birthday month. So I picked it and stuck to it.
Nicknamed "The Sleeping Giant" by a loved one for its resemblance to a giant’s face on the right half of the photo (actually made up of mountains + clouds) and emphasized by the tiny hikers climbing the ridge… this is currently my favorite photo of the trip. I’m sure that will fluctuate over time, but as it stands right now, out of 5000 plus, this is the one. I have it printed and hung on my living room wall, right next to my front door. It’s the last thing I see before I leave for the day.
Fun fact: we eventually became those tiny hikers, which is where I took the "February" photo from.
Bonus fun fact: This was on the SAME DAY as the puffin hike. Coolest day of my life, until the next day, and then again the day after that.
Another photo taken on the backside of a hike (going down the mountain instead of up) and one of the few photo subjects that I’m not sure if the group I was hiking with even saw. It was actually facing the opposite direction, and because of my constant stopping to take pictures, the group was often times a ways ahead of me. In this case, I think when they traversed this spot, the mountain behind us was still concealed in the fog. By the time I got to that portion of the hike, and paused to take panoramic video, the mountain peak had revealed itself. I waited for a few more minutes to pass and snapped this photo as the mountain fully revealed itself behind us.
I think warm colors when I think of November - fall leaves, thanksgiving themed decorations, lit candles at the dinner table - but I’m also from Iowa where it’s already cold as hell in November. I felt this photo captured a little of both. It also reminds me to stop and look back once in a while, both figuratively and in this case, literally. It’s a great time to reflect, of course be thankful, and in some cases remind you that the best can still be yet to come (big holiday season guy, haha).
I’m gonna be honest with you, I think this looks like where Santa and his elves would chill at in the offseason. So that’s my December pic(k).
Taken in the town of Vik, on the south coast of the island. Merry Christmas!
THE BACK COVERS
I ended up doing a few different "special editions" of the calendar. While the photos for the 12 months are consistent (I think that’s important to consider it one cohesive project/piece of art) there are some things that set the special editions apart, most obvious being the back cover.
The Base Edition
This the copy available to the public (shoot me an email). It features a super wide photo of a small church surrounded by mountains and glaciers, with some more of that low hanging fog in the background. We actually stumbled a upon that church on a Sunday, once again in the middle of nowhere. I had stopped in a beautiful church the previous Sunday in Charleston and said a prayer, so I figured why not keep it rollin’ here, I had a lot to be thankful for.
Note: If I were in that church right now I would pray for a do-over on that back cover blurb, ha. Coulda used an editor there.
The back cover for the base edition. Available for sale via email stew@stewgetsbuckets.com
FAM Edition - /8 - For direct family only. Hand-written "Fors" on the cover. Printed dedication to my grandparents on the back, with space for a hand-written message on each. The inside has hand-written happy birthdays, anniversaries and holidays and doodles. Delivered the first copy in-person to my dad this past weekend.
"Loved Ones" - /15 - For the ones I called when I was down. The ones who know where the bodies are at. The ones I’ve known since I was three feet tall. If anyone with this copy needed an organ I’d go into surgery without asking what they’re taking. I’ll figure it out later. Personalized with messages and happy birthdays, hand-written "Fors" on the back and numbered to 15 in two places. Wanted to the homies to know these ones are special (and be able to sell them for an absurd amount of money if I die and become a posthumously famous artist. No, seriously.) Back cover features a photo from the bluffs where the puffins were found, showcasing the immensity of the black sand desert we had to cross to get there, a metaphor for the time and great lengths I would and have gone for these people, and more importantly, vice versa.
"Rosecast Edition" - /2 - For Rim and AB. Age old friends who keep me company on all my travels, both spiritually via their combo of cant-miss podcasts, and in this case literally; I caught up with AB several times over the trip and sent some photos and vids just for him. The back cover here features a shot of my favorite portrait shoot of the year - one of myself in a Rosecast tee on a black sand beach in a profoundly desolate section of the eastern fjords. I sent AB a 360 video showing him it was literally just me and the wild sheep grazing the beach out there. Always refer a friend month, baby. Included some hand-written thank yous and /2 stamps.
"The Snug" Edition - /1 - " FOR USE IN THE SNUG ONLY " - a special copy for my favorite place in the world, the backroom at Need Pizza aka "The Snug". The room itself is pretty ordinary, of course, it’s the people that make it special. Several of my loved ones frequent The Snug, and really, only Need family is welcome. The back cover features a shot of me wearing their classic zip-up hoody in front of a waterfall in a super remote corner of the east coast. 1 of 1 PRINTED on the front cover, and it looks awesome. I hope they use it for a time-off calendar and that someone writes their goddamn name in it to come see me lol.
INSPIRED BY
Definitely my aunt Ann. Thank you kindly.
The 'limited to' / serial numbered idea is definitely inspired by the baseball card hobby, which I haven’t taken part of since I was a kid, but still admire from afar. Stamped 1/1’s, signatures in Sharpie, slightly different colors for the different editions - all fun shit inspired by the hobby.
Speaking of the Sharpie, I’m clearly inspired by Virgil there. I already write in all-caps but the idea of scribbling a message to your homie on a rare piece of physical art - that stems from his influence (and/or just taken from him directly, RIP).
While those are inspirations for the presentation - I can confidently say that the content inside those pages - those thirteen images and these words that accompany them - are the most uniquely "me" thing I’ve ever done. I was so far from my support system, my habits and routine, so outside of my comfort zone, that I was really stripped down to just ME out there… Not what I do or who knows me - the things that you think make you who you are - but just ME, and THIS is what I came back with. I am truly proud of it.
Happy New Year, I hope you have the best 366 of your life.
Thank you for reading.
UPDATE 1/1/24: A few photos above of the finished product. About 2/3 of calendars have been sent out, it has been quite the project haha. If you haven’t received yours yet please hang in there I promise it’s coming soon.
UPDATE 1/11/24: About 90% of calendars have landed, the rest should be out today or tomorrow, just waiting on few mailing addresses.
UPDATE 2/17/24: Ended up with a few extras and sent them off to some folks who I think will appreciate them. GREEN SHARPIE on the last 4 to go out, and they are special… we’ll call those the "Early Supporters" edition. I’m officially out of calendars and it was an overwhelming success. THANK YOU so much from the bottom of my heart to everyone. This is my favorite project ever and I’ve never been more proud. I WILL be following up with another, but it won’t be until the 2026 calendar year. Same idea, new locations. The trips already booked. Stay tuned!