In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we spoke with legendary photojournalist and entrepreneur Christopher Michel. Chris has a knack for the extreme, traveling and documenting places like the North & South Poles, Everest, and even the edge of space. We get to the root of how Chris views motivation, pushing to motivate himself and others through purpose rather than financial incentives. After 7 years of active duty in the Navy and 16 years of service, Chris developed a deep understanding of the problems facing many of our service members. This lead him to found Affinity Labs and Military.com, which aim to provide social and financial benefits to groups like firefighters, nurses, policemen and those in the military. After not picking up a camera until after his military career, Chris is making up for lost time and believes that memories are the true currency of our lives. His most recent project called New Heroes, in partnership with Leica, highlights 30 scientists in emerging fields. By telling the stories of these scientists who have dedicated their lives to solving the incredibly difficult challenges that threaten our existence, Chris is changing the narrative on who we define as our heroes. From traveling 70,000 feet above the Earth in a U2 spy plane to bringing back stories from the edge of Earth, this episode is for anyone with a thirst for adventure.