l lost so much sleep, maxed out credit cards, even had hair fall out from the making of my film Under an Arctic Sky… all risks that I don’t regret to this day. Even if there’s the slightest chance of the culmination of elements to make the photograph that appears in your dreams happen… it’s worth the effort to try. Just the sight of the Northern Lights dancing about that wave was a once in a lifetime experience, but to capture it, tell its story, was something beautiful in whole different way. With the fast movement of the surfers and the Aurora, I eventually landed on the @sonyalpha A7SII to tackle the challenge with the high sensitivity capabilities for this type of situation. See my new YouTube review of the A7S at the link in my bio
There’s an unmistakable magic at the foot of these Giant Sequoias… that comes with 3000 years of age, wisdom with such a large amount of life lived. It makes our lifespan seem like a blip in comparison and I often wonder about all that’s happened underneath their branches. This time it happened to be an assignment for @natgeo capturing these beautiful trees in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. We’re fortunate to have these intentional places to preserve the older parts of the world that are sometimes forgotten but encourage a healthy state of wonder & calm
There’s an unmistakable magic at the foot of these Giant Sequoias… that comes with 3000 years of age, wisdom with such a large amount of life lived. It makes our lifespan seem like a blip in comparison and I often wonder about all that’s happened underneath their branches. This time it happened to be an assignment for @natgeo capturing these beautiful trees in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. We’re fortunate to have these intentional places to preserve the older parts of the world that are sometimes forgotten but encourage a healthy state of wonder & calm
There’s an unmistakable magic at the foot of these Giant Sequoias… that comes with 3000 years of age, wisdom with such a large amount of life lived. It makes our lifespan seem like a blip in comparison and I often wonder about all that’s happened underneath their branches. This time it happened to be an assignment for @natgeo capturing these beautiful trees in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. We’re fortunate to have these intentional places to preserve the older parts of the world that are sometimes forgotten but encourage a healthy state of wonder & calm
There’s an unmistakable magic at the foot of these Giant Sequoias… that comes with 3000 years of age, wisdom with such a large amount of life lived. It makes our lifespan seem like a blip in comparison and I often wonder about all that’s happened underneath their branches. This time it happened to be an assignment for @natgeo capturing these beautiful trees in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. We’re fortunate to have these intentional places to preserve the older parts of the world that are sometimes forgotten but encourage a healthy state of wonder & calm
There’s an unmistakable magic at the foot of these Giant Sequoias… that comes with 3000 years of age, wisdom with such a large amount of life lived. It makes our lifespan seem like a blip in comparison and I often wonder about all that’s happened underneath their branches. This time it happened to be an assignment for @natgeo capturing these beautiful trees in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. We’re fortunate to have these intentional places to preserve the older parts of the world that are sometimes forgotten but encourage a healthy state of wonder & calm
Alaska, 2020 on assignment for @billabong just before the pandemic
We had taken a boat to a rivermouth in search for a wedge I’d heard about breaking near the rock formations. After some fruitful waves, I put up a drone to capture a more expansive angle and to my surprise, we found a bush plane parked on the beach. Evidently, that little stretch of coastline served as a runway for the inhabitants of the little cabin just overlooking the shores. It really struck me in that moment how off the grid people really live… the only way you can access is by firing up a cessna, crossing a river via kayak, and going home to a little home that you built with your own hands. Alaska is still a frontier in so many ways… one of those places that’ll change you every time you visit
I always promised myself that I would keep things authentic in this space…Only sharing what was meaningful and true to my heart. I was ready to share another one of those “end of the year- best photograph’s I’ve ever shot” type of posts – but that didn’t feel quite honest. I look back at 2023 with immense gratitude for these two very important people – my mom & grandpa who both have survived cancer. Between them they have had 20 surgeries and endless complications to the point where only in the last few weeks has my mom been able to leave her house after almost 3 years. To see them both happy and healthy, out in public and celebrating a wedding no less has taught me what it means to be resilient and truly cherish and Fight for life.
Needless to say, at one point, I worried I wouldn’t be able to celebrate anything with these two ever again. Most of my life’s subtle “wins” over the last years have been dulled by knowing that those I love most cannot be apart of it…so this moment felt truly special.
Happy New Years. Hug someone you love
I always promised myself that I would keep things authentic in this space…Only sharing what was meaningful and true to my heart. I was ready to share another one of those “end of the year- best photograph’s I’ve ever shot” type of posts – but that didn’t feel quite honest. I look back at 2023 with immense gratitude for these two very important people – my mom & grandpa who both have survived cancer. Between them they have had 20 surgeries and endless complications to the point where only in the last few weeks has my mom been able to leave her house after almost 3 years. To see them both happy and healthy, out in public and celebrating a wedding no less has taught me what it means to be resilient and truly cherish and Fight for life.
Needless to say, at one point, I worried I wouldn’t be able to celebrate anything with these two ever again. Most of my life’s subtle “wins” over the last years have been dulled by knowing that those I love most cannot be apart of it…so this moment felt truly special.
Happy New Years. Hug someone you love
When @chris_sharma went to Hampi, India in 2007 for a bouldering trip, I remember feeling inspired to visit such wild and somewhat unattainable destination filled with exotic creatures and dense jungles. 10 years later, I found myself trekking through those same jungles in Hampi on a shoot for @prana …. hearing the sounds of snakes killing birds & trying to keep my distance from truly aggressive monkeys who watched from above. Setting foot in a such a unique corner of the world felt surreal after being inspired by a climbing film all those years ago but I was truly excited to have an adventure of my own.
When @chris_sharma went to Hampi, India in 2007 for a bouldering trip, I remember feeling inspired to visit such wild and somewhat unattainable destination filled with exotic creatures and dense jungles. 10 years later, I found myself trekking through those same jungles in Hampi on a shoot for @prana …. hearing the sounds of snakes killing birds & trying to keep my distance from truly aggressive monkeys who watched from above. Setting foot in a such a unique corner of the world felt surreal after being inspired by a climbing film all those years ago but I was truly excited to have an adventure of my own.
When @chris_sharma went to Hampi, India in 2007 for a bouldering trip, I remember feeling inspired to visit such wild and somewhat unattainable destination filled with exotic creatures and dense jungles. 10 years later, I found myself trekking through those same jungles in Hampi on a shoot for @prana …. hearing the sounds of snakes killing birds & trying to keep my distance from truly aggressive monkeys who watched from above. Setting foot in a such a unique corner of the world felt surreal after being inspired by a climbing film all those years ago but I was truly excited to have an adventure of my own.
When @chris_sharma went to Hampi, India in 2007 for a bouldering trip, I remember feeling inspired to visit such wild and somewhat unattainable destination filled with exotic creatures and dense jungles. 10 years later, I found myself trekking through those same jungles in Hampi on a shoot for @prana …. hearing the sounds of snakes killing birds & trying to keep my distance from truly aggressive monkeys who watched from above. Setting foot in a such a unique corner of the world felt surreal after being inspired by a climbing film all those years ago but I was truly excited to have an adventure of my own.
When @chris_sharma went to Hampi, India in 2007 for a bouldering trip, I remember feeling inspired to visit such wild and somewhat unattainable destination filled with exotic creatures and dense jungles. 10 years later, I found myself trekking through those same jungles in Hampi on a shoot for @prana …. hearing the sounds of snakes killing birds & trying to keep my distance from truly aggressive monkeys who watched from above. Setting foot in a such a unique corner of the world felt surreal after being inspired by a climbing film all those years ago but I was truly excited to have an adventure of my own.
When @chris_sharma went to Hampi, India in 2007 for a bouldering trip, I remember feeling inspired to visit such wild and somewhat unattainable destination filled with exotic creatures and dense jungles. 10 years later, I found myself trekking through those same jungles in Hampi on a shoot for @prana …. hearing the sounds of snakes killing birds & trying to keep my distance from truly aggressive monkeys who watched from above. Setting foot in a such a unique corner of the world felt surreal after being inspired by a climbing film all those years ago but I was truly excited to have an adventure of my own.
When @chris_sharma went to Hampi, India in 2007 for a bouldering trip, I remember feeling inspired to visit such wild and somewhat unattainable destination filled with exotic creatures and dense jungles. 10 years later, I found myself trekking through those same jungles in Hampi on a shoot for @prana …. hearing the sounds of snakes killing birds & trying to keep my distance from truly aggressive monkeys who watched from above. Setting foot in a such a unique corner of the world felt surreal after being inspired by a climbing film all those years ago but I was truly excited to have an adventure of my own.
Short films are genuinely one of my favorite ways to authentically tell stories… and this one I made particularly for my boys.
I always want to inspire them to pursue something they’re passionate about… And make it a point to let them know that every time I leave for an expedition or a shoot, I GET to walk out the door rather than I HAVE to. It’s a small distinction, but makes a huge difference.
A few years ago I wanted them to understand those reasons why I GET to walk out that door, why I love doing what I do – so I made this about it in Alaska’s beautiful Wrangell St. Elias National Park as a gift to pass on to them someday. It’s called North to the Future
A behind the scenes of my favorite shoot in 2023. I place a heavy emphasis on personal experience over everything else. That’s what drives me to share things and even choose what I would define as a “favorite” moment from shooting this year. This assignment for @natgeo in Death Valley was probably the most near and dear to me because it just felt like play. Like a couple people having fun with cameras and lights creating images. @jeffreybrundage & @mitchellquiring joined me on this project and we hiked through the dunes till early morning looking for a perfect comp. We set up the @sonyalpha a7s with the 20mm f1.4 and literally just played around with exposure and lights until we made something we were happy with. This is what I love most about photography.
Iceland summer nights like these – exploring under midnight sun, makes the memory of long dark winter days quickly fade…
In 2016 we sailed around the Westfjords for a week through the Greenland sea, hiking and kayaking through remote fjords…. Sometimes waking up around 8pm to hike and soak in as much of the landscape since the sun was still beaming down from above.
On the last day we came to this natural rock arch… as the sun got low around 1am we had the idea to jump off this thing.. I had to follow suit. Jumping into that cold water (sans clothes) and swimming to shore was an experience I’ll never forget. I was shaking on the edge of that cliff despite the warm summer temps… scared to make the leap. One of those memories that inevitably brings a smile on my face
A little phone montage of the last week in California. First time I’ve been properly back in 7 months…. I missed a volcanic eruption and some epic snow in Iceland but that’s the trade off for having life in two places.
This basically defines my happy place.
It’s that time of year… we all find ourselves scrolling back through our camera roll looking for something to celebrate and acknowledge how good we had it or what moments truly stood out as special. If time has taught me anything it’s that the moments with my camera are often NOT those moments. It’s usually the ones where the camera has been far from me and it’s really just a moment for me, it almost cheapens it to share or to even pull out my phone but I guess old habits die hard.
For capturing the northern lights or astro photography, the @sonyalpha A7S III comes with me on almost every shoot with it’s incredible advantage for low light sensitivity… also playing an integral part in the filming of Under an Arctic Sky.
I’ve just released another episode in the “What’s in My Bag?” series covering this piece of equipment – check out the full review on YouTube. Stay tuned for the next & final episode coming next week. Link in bio
#sonypartners #sonyambassador
#sonysponsorship
The thought of California can mean a lot of things… but lately I’ve been remembering last year’s lush spring and all of the creeks & wildflowers that littered the hills surrounding my home… perfect place for a weekend ride that I hosted with the @maap.cc alt road team to share a little slice of my old stomping grounds. Idealistic, challenging, and also happened to be one of the worst cases of poison oak in my life… let’s just say it’s best to avoid riding through miles of it then crawling into a sleeping bag right after
These images came from a little disposable camera I threw in with me for the ride
With the release of my newest book, The Oceans, I’m offering a special bundle including a collection of some classic backstocked merch from my studio in California! Limited sizes & colors for the shirts so grab em while can!
$99 at link in my bio
Included:
– The Oceans Book
– Billabong A-div Long Sleeve Tee
– Under an Arctic Sky Photo Book
– Burkard Studio Sticker
– Alpaca Pin
– Hero Clip
