Riley De Ryk

Introduce yourself and what you're up to these days?

My name is Riley, I'm a photographer, I have worked in the outdoor recreation industry, and lover of all things natural! I have been traveling in Europe for a few months with my partner, Ava. We are bouncing from small organic farms across Europe; working, learning, eating, camping, hiking, swimming, making friends and soaking in as much as we can in 4 months of travel in the rural countryside's of Europe.

You recently left a job to pursue a simpler life - what was making this decision like for you?

It's always been an itch I have felt that I've needed to scratch and Ava as well, that is, to seek out a different way of living. To be clear, we don't want to live on the road indefinitely, we want to learn what it's like to live close to the land, the seasons, and the highs and lows of relying on yourself and what you can produce naturally. Back home, like many of us, we participate in things like hiking, camping, kayaking, backpacking, birding etc.. I've always felt that being a steward of the wild places you explore is a responsibility of people who call themselves "outdoorsy".

We want to eventually create a space where we can live off the land while having the least amount of impact on it and in the best-case scenario, leave it better than we found it. If I can apply a little bit of this attitude to the outdoor industry when I return to the "real world", I will be satisfied. I guess I didn't answer your question yet; deciding to quit my job to pursue this was an easy one because in a way I felt like this was part of my personal responsibility.

What would your advice be for someone in a similar place, going through a big life/work decision like that?

You're not defined by your job. You're not defined by social media, your inbox, targeted ads, or even what people say to you. I know this is rich coming from a social media manager and photographer but keep in mind that all these things are best used just as tools to aid you in your passions and creative endeavors. Step back, precisely define what is important to you and go for it.

Tell us more about your photography journey… What do you tend to capture?

I tend to capture the natural world as I move through it, however that manifests itself. I look for light and colors and compositions that catch my eye. I like the idea of using photography to remember things, but I get to choose exactly how that memory looks in a frame. I love shooting film, and even when shooting digital I go for a film feel. I brought a small digital point and shoot camera on this trip, and I've been challenging myself to shoot it like I would a roll of film: once I push that shutter that's the image I get, good or bad. I don't always follow these rules of course but it it's a nice way to take off a little pressure and just have fun with it.

We're stoked that Nocs are in your toolkit. In what situations do you find yourself grabbing your Nocs? How are they helping your craft?

I almost always have them on me. They have become a daily carry for me. My interest in being a naturalist started when I was a teenager, it was the coolest thing to me. I love the idea of observing for the sake of observing. I have the books, I have the apps but if I'm being real with myself the best way I tend to learn is just actually being out there. Nocs give me a heightened sense of observation and I find it satisfying to track a bird (or anything) from a good distance. My absolute favorite moments with Nocs is when I bring them even if I'm not sure I'll use them, and then the perfect moment arises to use them.

If you could describe yourself as any creature or animal, what would it be?

Kestrel's have been a motif on this trip of ours. If you haven't seen them, look out for them. They are small birds of prey that floats against a wind current, they look like they are levitating and appear motionless. I'll pick a Kestrel, cause of the cool floating thing. There's got to be a metaphor in there somewhere.

Anything on your calendar that you're looking forward to? We'd love to stay in touch! Where can we find you these upcoming months?

Currently we are wrapping up in northern Italy. Our next stop is halfway across the world in Whistler, BC for a month. Keep in touch on Instagram @riley.deryk ! Thanks Nocs and friends <3