BeautifulNow
Travel

RANDOM BEAUTY OF WANDERLUST: SEAN ENSCH

Wanderlust leads to unexpected adventures and surprising beauty! See incredible travel photos by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “We are all so small.”

SEAN ENSCH

True wanderlust leads truly passionate travelers to random places -- the go where the spirit moves them. Photographer Sean Ensch can attest to this. We are treated to his incredible journeys, as documented in his travel, landscape, and underwater photos.

Some of Ensch’s photos are iconic, with familiar emblematic scenes, albeit with his own twists and angles. But many of his photos capture random beauty, in ways and in places we haven’t seen before.

Originally from southern California, growing up along the beaches, Ensch first was inspired to photograph the beauty of oceans. As an avid freediver and spear-fisher, he could capture the ocean from below as well. He began studying photography in high school, learning to shoot on film. Later, he taught himself digital photography and post processing.

Beautiful setting sun behind the Kirkjufell Mountain with stunning waterfalls. Iceland. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “The Last.” Kirkjufell Mountain. Iceland.

When the travel bug bit, Ensch quit his job of 8 years, sold most of his belongings, packed up and headed out with his girlfriend in search of random beauty.

Fork in the blue river leads to snow-capped mountains in Norway. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “The Grand View.” Andalsnes. Norway.

Ensch has traveled and lived throughout parts of the Caribbean, Latin America, the western United States, Europe, and is currently living along the coastal fjordlands of Norway, the 2nd happiest place in the world. (Norway was the #1 happiest place in the world in 2017, and was just recently surpassed by Finland).

Beautiful pink sunset at the beach on the island of Dominica, in the Caribbean. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “Picard Beach at dusk.” Picard Beach. Portsmouth, Dominica.

At one extreme, Ensch takes us to the paradise of eastern Caribbean, with its warm, clear water. His photos of the undeveloped island of Dominica, with its rugged mountains, lush rainforests, endless rivers, and waterfalls, are simply stunning. He was so enamoured, he spent 2 months living there.

Ensch also explored the western Caribbean, the Roatan of the Bay Islands, in Honduras, a pure tropical paradise of white sand beaches, cays, and one of the largest barrier reefs in the world.

Woman freedives in water at Laguna Beach, California. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch.  "Shooting Eryn Krouse under the surface for Midori Bikinis.” Laguna Beach, California.

On another trip, Ensch began at his own native Southern California and spent 2 months on a road trip up the coast to Oregon and northern Washington, then headed back south and across to Utah and Arizona to visit all the national parks along the way.

Beautiful cottony white Eriophorum flowers bloom in meadow with mountains in background in Norway. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “Eriophorum.” Møre og Romsdale, Norway.

Next, Ensch headed to Norway, his girlfriend’s native country, where he explored beauty at another extreme, with small towns that line the majestic fjords and mountains. He settled here (for a while at least), but uses it as a home base for European travel.

Northern lights over Iceland. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. Northern Lights. Iceland.

“At the end of the day, I’m very passionate about storytelling through images, conservation of our oceans and nature, and exploring,” Ensch says.

Check out more of Ensch’s images below and on Instagram!

Boat looks tiny as it sails through giant fjords in Norway. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “The Pass.” Geirangerfjord, Norway.
Road zig-zags along mountainside in Norway as low clouds fill the valley. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “Dancing on Trollstigen.” Rauma, Norway.
Woman freedives underwater off the Greek coast. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. "Going down.” Zakynthos, Greece.
Whale breaches the water in western Norway. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. Trollstigen, Western Norway.
Gorgeous azure blue waters off coast of Zakynthos, Greece. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “Drifting Storms.” Zakynthos, Greece.
Periwinkle glow and fog rises off the water below the mountains of Norway. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch.  “Below Giants.” Isfjorden, Norway.

Read more about Beautiful Randoms all this week on BeautifulNow. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

Sandy beach and otherworldly rock formations look like there are on Mars. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “Life on Mars.”

Want more stories like this? Sign up for our weekly BN Newsletter, Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. Join our BeautifulNow Community and connect with the most beautiful things happening in the world right now!

Mountains reflect in water at dawn in Iceland. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “Valhalla.” Vestrahorn, Iceland.

Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition.

Beautiful golden sand dunes. Photo by Sean Ensch.
Image: by Sean Ensch. “Golden Waves of Sand.”