Lessons from the Road: JK Winders on Travel, Adventure & Storytelling

You've been selected as a pioneer. What's your definition of a pioneer?

As humans, we constantly search for examples- people who have gone before us achieved the status that we want to achieve or have become the type of people that we aspire to be. If you're struggling to find that example for yourself, then it's probably your sign to become the example. By my definition, that’s what a pioneer is.

Can you introduce yourself and your profession?

My name is Joshua. Most people call me JK and I'm an artist of many trades, a full-time nomadic explorer, and a redhead with a soul.

How did you first discover your passion for photography? What drew you to it?

That's a long journey. Going back to the days of film, when I was maybe five years old on family vacations, I was always the one interested in the family camera, packed with a roll of 24 or 36. It was such an honour to decide what moments were worth capturing with those limited exposures. Throughout my life, photography has given me opportunities to adventure, explore, and seek out things worth seeing and capturing.

Can you describe your unique aesthetic and characterise your work in portraiture, adventure, and documentary photography?

I've always been driven by stories, even before I delved deep into photography. I wanted to be a filmmaker because I loved movies; stories of heroes and noble quests. I always wanted to make something identifiable in my photography that people could relate to and find aspiration in.

Whether it's the adventure of going beyond your known horizons, standing on the edge of great cliffs, or chasing horses on your motorcycle, I've always tried to capture moments of people being their own heroes.

In addition to photography, you mentioned being a writer and musician. How do these intersect with your photography?

If you're not exploring other areas, other mediums, and other crafts, you're not growing to your full capacity. I've always been a collector of different interests and hobbies, and it has definitely elevated my ability to create.

I may not be the best musician or the best writer, but the exploration of those areas has pushed me to expand my horizons in all aspects of creation.

Can you share insights into your creative process and projects that have brought out your multi-creative abilities?

That's a tough question. Every project I’ve worked on is a huge privilege and each one has one main criterion: telling a story. Whether it's a product, a tourism bureau, or a family capturing moments, everyone wants to tell their story and figure out how to do so. It’s always an honour to aid in that process.

There have been seasons where it's about the destination and others where it's about the journey. More often than not, when it's fluid, it becomes more rewarding because it becomes an exercise in my own discernment as an explorer.

As a solo traveller, you experience decision fatigue. You're making all the decisions yourself—where to go, where to stop, where to eat, where to sleep. That constant choice-making can be exhausting but also freeing. Sometimes, I just flip a coin and go with it.

What determines your next destination?

Sometimes it's intuition or just a desire. There are times when a job dictates my next location, giving me a clear purpose. Other times, I get to use my freedom to explore places I haven't been.

In those moments, discernment really kicks in - you have to decide what story you want to tell, how you want to tell it, and in what setting. That ultimately impacts the direction I take.

Would you rather drive an RV or ride the Triumph Thruxton?

Triumph Thruxton, hands down. Every day, all day, until the end.

Many people are now exploring a nomadic lifestyle. What advice would you give to them?

If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be to never look for the easy way because it's not easy, but it is incredibly rewarding.

Travelling alone can be isolating. How do you build connections and collaborations on the road?

Spending as much alone time as I have has made me realise how much of a people person I am. I can spend two or three days alone exploring, but after that, I need interaction.

I am fortunate to have at this point to have a very widespread community and countless interests from photography to motorcycling, so there are lots of people that I can just go on a hike with. People with different interests can help you explore different areas of yourself and different areas that you could delve deeper into and that's always something that I'm searching for.

Connecting with people is an essential part of my journey. Whether it's through collaborations, storytelling, or simply meeting others on the road, those connections fuel me just as much as the travel itself.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals?

Goal-making and building my own aspirations is something I find really difficult because the script for my life has changed so many times. Every time it does, it gets harder to predict where my path might lead. But ultimately, my goal is to just keep going—keep seeking out amazing people, because there are so many. Keep exploring beautiful destinations,because the world is overwhelmingly beautiful. And keep cultivating a beautiful world within myself. I’ve realised that the world around me is only as beautiful as what’s inside of me.

And what keeps you moving forward, even on the hard days?

I want to keep learning, growing, and becoming the best version of myself through exploration. And I have to remind myself that there are more good days than bad days. The bad ones can be tough, but we have to stop expecting life to be handed to us in a neat little package. It’s our responsibility to go out, create the lives we want to live, and write the stories we want to tell. And that’s all I’ve got to say about that!

Stay up to date with JK on socials @jkwinders