- Today.

I'm not just experiencing nature.

I'm capturing it.

♪ The circle of life.

♪ We're going off the beaten path on an extreme photo adventure.

- Get in the lake.

- Let's get wet!

Oh my goodness.

We're alive!

(upbeat rock music) - It's the starting point of grandma's marathon.

It's also home to the state's oldest, continually running lighthouse.

And it's the birthplace of 3M.

We're here in Two Harbors and like the marathon, we're gonna use it as the starting point for our photo adventure.

As we make our way up the north shore to Split Rock lighthouse.

Photographer Christian Dalbec of Two Harbors embraces the frigid extreme conditions of Lake Superior and promises to get me out of my comfort zone to find a unique perspective of the north shore.

This adventure combines several of my interests.

So I'm really looking forward to meeting Christian.

Let's go.

(soft beat music) All right, here we are with Christian.

Tell me a little bit about this spot.

What's the significance?

- We're right here on the shores of Lake Superior.

I basically grew up right down the road about a half mile from here.

This actually is the first spot where I put a wet suit on and got back in the lake.

Cause I used to scuba dive back in the day and this is where we started.

- [Chance] All right, so your photography, I see it hanging all around town.

You know, what does photography add to your life?

What is it about for you?

- The photography kind of helped me find nature again.

When I started it, I wasn't sure what my subject would be but Lake Superior, it just threw me in like everyone else from all around the world.

I see so many people enjoying the shores of Lake Superior.

- [Chance] That's the thing about it, right?

In your backyard something you might have become disconnected with just by taking it for granted, you rediscovered what was always there.

- [Christian] Yeah.

- [Chance] Brought out that appreciation.

All right.

So what are we doing first?

- Well, we're gonna go take a walk in the woods and take some photos and then we're gonna go up the shore towards Split Rock.

- Hey.

All right.

I'm ready to get it.

Let's go.

(soft music) So Christian, I've taken lots of hikes before but what's the difference between taking a hike and taking a hike with a camera?

- I think if you're just gonna go take a hike it might help you get out there and get you where you can relax and get some bad things off your mind, or just your day off your mind.

And maybe getting out there with a camera it's gonna help you just relax even a little farther.

You're gonna start looking for other things out there in front of you to stop and focus on like snow on a branch or when it's real cold, the frost that comes out on all these needles and stuff and your hike might become more of a crawl.

When you start seeing nature, It's hard to, to pass it by.

- [Chance] Yeah, it's very well put.

I like the, just the whole scope of things.

When you look at the forest for the trees and then you just look at an individual tree and then you just look at an individual branch and then you just look at an individual pine needle.

- [Christian] Yeah.

- [Chance] And it just gets pretty amazing.

- Yeah.

Even the trees that are dead in here are full of life because they're full of bugs which brings the woodpeckers to 'em.

And I mean, that's full of pileated woodpeckers in here and lots of other birds, so.

♪ The circle of life ♪ (Chris laughs) (soft music) So what kind of stuff catches your eye?

- [Christian] Usually something out of the ordinary that maybe it would've walked right by.

Like right over here on this tree that somehow it looks like that crack has been developing like a growth on it.

- [Chance] Yeah.

Like you came outta the inside of it and just grew out.

(camera clicks) Yeah, it's really nice to have a reason to look in all directions.

You can always get hyper focused on just your next step and on a sunny day like this you got all the light and the shadows and the contrast.

- [Christian] Yeah.

- [Chance] Yeah.

That's the perks of winter in Minnesota, there's no mosquitoes and the bears are asleep.

(camera clicks) Power of nature.

It can really just turn your day around, bring you back back to earth, back to center, simplicity.

A little bit of cold is good for you.

Just, you know, just to remind you you're alive.

- [Christian] Yeah.

I like it.

- [Chance] So speaking of cold, I'm thinking I kind of want the true Dalbec experience.

What do you think?

- I don't know.

Are you ready for that?

(Chance sighs) - As ready as I'm gonna get.

(Christian chuckles) - I think we gotta find the lake then.

- I've heard of one.

Pretty big one right down the street.

- It's Superior.

(Chance laughs) - Let's get it.

(soft upbeat music) All right here we are at Split Rock.

It's pretty amazing.

The view, the sun.

Man, that's beautiful.

So I see a lot of rocks and stuff out here.

What's the plan?

Are we going far out?

Are we, what's going on?

- [Christian] Yeah.

The rocks are pretty sharp and will hurt your knees if you bang against it and could even rip your suit.

And then you got a lot of cool old water coming in.

- [Chance] Yeah.

Let's try to avoid that.

So this place is obviously beautiful, but is there anything else that like draws you into the water here?

- [Christian] It's kind of set up just perfect for me for everything I love with doing wave photography.

There's a lot of different depths and stuff here and putting that lighthouse right in the back of my shot.

So it's in the back of wave.

- [Chance] Iconic.

- [Christian] That's what brings me here is that's majestic.

- [Chance] Yeah.

I love it.

- [Christian] I love it.

It's my style of photography would be Lake Superior.

Looking back at you.

- [Chance] All right, let's get equipped.

- Let's get suited up.

- Let's suit it up.

All right.

(soft upbeat music) - [Chance] All right, I guess there's only one thing left to do.

- Get in the lake!

- Let's get wet!

- [Christian] Wee!

- Holy Lord!

Oh yes.

- [Christian] Are we ready?

- As ready as I'm gonna be.

This is wild.

Oh yeah, there it is on my back.

Oh my goodness.

- Here will take the selfie with this.

I've got long arms.

- Hey.

Alright.

Woo!

We're alive!

- [Christian] And this is pretty unique.

Little, a little 35 degrees in your face.

(water splashing) - It's refreshing.

My neoprene suit is doing its job though.

I'm cold but I'm not like, in panic mode or anything.

My lips feel a little frozen and I can't talk out of my nose.

(camera clicks) - The sun's just hitting the, the hill up there.

It's gonna start thinning itself out.

It's gonna make it perfect to get out here and watch the light disappear as it comes up the cliff.

- [Chance] Do what we gotta do for the shot.

- [Christian] Oh, anything.

(upbeat music) - [Chance] Yeah these are unique shots.

- [Christian] I just got hit with a iceberg.

- [Chance] That's a good shot.

- [Christian] No, no, no.

- [Chance] I like those icicles goes over there.

(camera clicks) That's a good still shot.

- [Christian] Nice shadow.

- [Chance] Woo!

(Chance laughs) Christian.

We're alive.

My wet suit feels like it's becoming solid the longer we stand here.

Thank you so much for having me.

Man, seeing the way you capture your photography, it translates the magic, the love of the experience goes into those pictures.

So thanks for letting me be a part of that, man.

- Thank you, Chance.

And I'm glad you had a chance to get outdoors with me.

And actually see this place with your own two eyes.

- It's crazy.

I will not forget this.

Awesome.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) Feeling is returned to my fingertips.

What a day.

We got to go to Two Harbors, spend a little time at Split Rock and got to hang out with Christian sharing his passion and joy for outdoor photography.

Even got a little wet and perspective I can't say I've ever had before.

What a sweet day.

Remember, don't let your comfort zone be a cage.

Life is meant to be experienced.

So until next time, Chance signing off.