Shane Wheel. The majority of the breathtaking photos appearing on the pages of the iRewild website and publications have been taken by the award-winning, environmental photographer and advocate, Shane Wheel.

Mr. Wheel asks, “Have you ever been totally consumed by a photograph that seemed to capture the true essence of a place? One that magically takes you to the place pictured, where you could feel the warm summer sun setting on your face or the brisk morning waves crashing into your body, all the while mesmerized by the surrounding beauty.” These are the same types of images that inspired Mr. Wheel to pick up a camera, travel around the world, and share the images of the incredible beauty that he witnesses.

Mr. Wheel’s journey in photography started at an unusually young age. When he was just three years-old, his mother would bring him to the college dark room and set him on the counter as she developed photographs. His mom taught photography classes at the college. As he grew older, he would attend these classes, learn, and eventually assist the students with their photographic projects. As a teenager, life started to change and so did his interests. He stepped away from photography for many years. It wasn’t until the intersection of art and technology — photography entered the digital age — that Mr. Wheel decided to jump back in.

Mr. Wheel has always loved being in nature. Photography has given him an excuse to hike mountains, backpack into wild and remote places, and travel the world in search of awe-inspiring landscapes.

For the last several years, Mr. Wheel has been guiding photography tours and workshops for Lofoten Tours, owned and operated by the talented Stian Klo & Arild Heitman. He has also had the pleasure of working with Max Rive, guiding backpacking trips to photograph locations rarely seen or photographed. These trips have taken Mr. Wheel to some of the farthest and most remote places on the planet, including Greenland, Iceland, Norway, The Faroe Islands, and more.

Mr. Wheel has found that he enjoys guiding these trips as much, if not more, than shooting for himself. One of his favorite things to witness is the expression on a client’s face when they see these mind-blowing landscapes with their own eyes for the first time. He is thrilled at the idea of others finding even a hint of that special feeling of awe or wonder as they take-in our planet’s amazing landscapes.

Mr. Wheel has received numerous photographic awards and recognitions, and has been displayed in galleries, newspapers, and magazines, including National Geographic, Popular Photography Magazine, The Smithsonian, Huffington Post, Fox News, ABC News, Yahoo, Thrillist, The Daily Beast, The Daily Telegraph, and more.

Mr. Wheel’s talents reach beyond photography and into the world of technology. Mr. Wheel is the chief operating officer for AuDigent, the leading audience and data platform technology company, with headquarters in New York City, New York.