The beginning of my Photography Journey
Karim Iliya - photographer, video maker, whale swim guide, upcoming space traveler - Photo Fanny Lindström
When I first started taking pictures, I had no dreams of being a professional photographer. I was terrible at drawing but I found photography as a creative outlet that let me explore worlds that are too small, too dark, and often overlooked. I enjoyed documenting everything around me and share that with friends and family.
Photography became a vehicle that took me to far reaching places from the underwater world where whales battle for mates, to the edge of volcanoes where the earth spills its molten guts into the sky and forms new land. It took me to ice worlds and deserts, above the clouds with drones, the tiny details of little insects, and vibrant human cultures that struggle and thrive across our planet.
One of my specialties is underwater photography and filmmaking. Photo by Charyse Reinfelder
Litli Hrútur Volano in Iceland, 2022
Ice captured on a drone flight in Svalbard, 2022
Two kayakers on Little White Salmon River in Washington, 2016
Close up on an elephant in Cambodia, 2013
A beduin Making dinner in Egypt, 2015
A portrait of a frog in the jungles of Costa Rica, 2018
I love photography. It lets me see the Earth in a new way and to take my time looking at the details that you don’t normally see, and are difficult to process so quickly. Beyond anything I could have dreamed of, in the next few years, it will take me onto the largest rocket ship that has ever flown, off our planet to document the first civilian trip to the moon.
Photo: Charyse Reinfelder
Beautiful encounter with a Humpback whale in Tonga, 2018
The eye of a Humpback whale in Tonga, 2018
Northern Lights over Iceland, 2014
This blog is a way for me to take you on my journey and show you a little glimpse of our beautiful planet.
Thanks so much for your support!
