Monochrome Mongolia

I recently returned from a life-changing month in the remotes of Mongolia, where I was co-leading a photography workshop for OFFBEAT that saw us take two groups across the Gobi Desert before heading into the wilds of western Mongolia.

I last travelled to Mongolia back in the spring of 2019, and it was, in a word, incredible to be back in what I consider one of the most photogenic countries in the world. Sure, the natural landscape there is incredible…but what makes Mongolia, for me, is the culture. Outside of the capital of Ulaanbaatar the people are sparse, but the warmth and hospitality we encountered in each encounter was beyond.

I love wide open spaces (maybe that’s why I loved living in the Canadian Arctic so much), and this place…well, it’s where your soul sours. It's a place to get lost and find yourself again.

I have a number of colour images from this trip, but my focus was primarily the monochrome medium. Black and white speaks to me in ways I can’t explain. The running joke with our group during this trip was my constant refrain of “Hey, I think this would look really great in black and white….” (I think they’re making me a t-shirt with that as the slogan).

Interested in heading back to Mongolia with us in 2026? Join the OFFBEAT Mongolia Notification list here!