Painting with Trees and Cars.

November 15, 2017

This style may not be for everyone but I've always loved the way fall colors look in motion while being shot from a moving car. It gives an effect that crosses between fireworks and a painting. The idea is to create brushstroke like motions by adapting the cameras settings to capture the motion blur while preserving just enough detail of the leaves, branches, and trunks. With their painting-like style these images would make great wall canvases. Last fall I spent a few days in North Creek, New York and got a few of my favorites to date.

Slovenia Pt. 1

September 03, 2017

The Slovenians must have known we were coming, so they had a film crew and a mountain bike festival waiting for us... or at least that's how it felt.

After being in the country for little over an hour, we stumbled on a film set with a full production crew. We stopped for a few moments to watch them film and met our first local. He was a fireman charged with overseeing the bonfire used on this particular production. In a few short minutes he informed us of everything we would need to know for the remainder of our stay in Slovenia. He told us that Slovenians are all friendly, and excited to talk to foreigners. Most of them speak english and are eager to give directions. They used the Euro, and had excellent food options. Last but not least, he told us that stealth camping wouldn't bother anyone if we were out of the way. Slovenia is not densely populated, but is vary wooded with lots of mountains and valleys. It's beautiful, but not very conducive to side of the road camping. If you find a spot, take it. We thanked him and started back down the road looking for a good spot to camp.

No sooner did we start looking than we rolled up on the Trail Days Bike and Music Festival. Upon seeing our bikes and gear, a few of the participants inquisitively took us in. We made camp with this exciting group of downhill mountain bikers that were eager to hear about our journey. After dinner and a little time enjoying the festival, we headed to be knowing we had a big day ahead of us.

Before we had our tents packed up, this mobile downhillers dream village was already bustling, and at the peak of the skyline was our challenge; Vrsic Pass. Vrsic is the tallest point in Slovenia nestled in the Julian Alps. It has 55 switchbacks and is nearly 3000ft of elevation gain in just under 7 miles. When attempting this with a fully loaded touring bike, you should be prepared for a workout. With the approval and support of literally hundreds of badass downhill mountain bikers we put foot to pedal spinning towards our goal. Unbeknownst to us, this was the same route the downhillers were taking to start their adventures on the day. The result was unquestionably one of the most memorable parts of the trip in that litterally hundreds of downhill mountain bikers were ridding up next to us, patting us on the back, high fives, giving us a few pushes and encouragement from base to peak. I've never met a friendlier more supportive group, and they made us feel right at home despite our wheels of a different breed.

After a short rest on the top of the pass (where there was yet another movie being filmed) we began our descend into the town of Bovec. If Vrsic was the diamond, Bovec was the ring. This place has everything an outdoorsman could ever want. Climbing, hiking, kayaking, biking, ziplines, skiing, even their own airport for skydiving. And if that isn't enough, the views are to die for. Our plan was to pass through, we stayed for almost 3 days. It can be accessed from the famous Soca Trail, a hikers paradise.
It was hard to say goodbye to this little town, but we had to push on and make up for the extra days we spent climbing, trying a via ferrata, and taking in the WWI history.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO SEE SLOVENIA PT 2.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

August 27, 2017

Bosnia & Herzegovina

I'm still grappling with my experience in Bosnia, it's not an easy place to describe to someone who hasn't been there. Our travels only lead us to the southern Herzegovina section of the country into the infamous city of Mostar and then South East using a converted railway now bike trail.

It's been over 20 since a civil war ravaged the former Yougslovia, the wounds left behind are still yet to heal. The pride and strength that held the people of Mostar together is still apparent today in their boldly resilient spirit. In a city still surrounded by rubble, the people covered bullet holes with street art, put life back on the streets with authentic artisan shops and restaurants, and restored the Stari Most bridge; the symbolic heart of the city. It was truly humbling to be welcomed by people my age that spent their childhood in this once warzone. Even after everything that happened and the state the city is in, they still proudly call Mostar their home.

We left this beautiful city on the Ciro Trail, a railway converted to a scenic bike trail. The intention of the Ciro is to take you through the historic railway, but in doing so it also shows Bosnia's more modern history. A landscape that is somehow both eerie and bewitching, like something out of Kormac Macarthy's "The Road." There were long stretches with little to no contact with other people, only evidence of a modern civilization now overgrown after the end of the war. Land mines were an unseen relic that littered the countryside with warning signs and yellow tape. It was strange to think of the bend in morality that lead anyone to bury an object who's purpose was to remain hidden until it could kill indiscriminately. It is estimated that of the nearly 80,000 are still scattered across the country today.

The 2017 Great American Eclipse

August 21, 2017

Thirteen hours of driving was well worth the 2 minutes of splendor. My good friend Austin and I had talked about the possibility of making the drive to Wyoming to see the totality of the 2017 Great American Eclipse, but didn't make official plans until the night before. We decided to drive to Torrington Wyoming because it was the closest town in the path of totality where we thought traffic might not be a nightmare, and most importantly, the weather forecast looked good.

At 3am we headed up I-25 and we were not alone. Northbound traffic towards Cheyenne looked like the Denver Broncos, Rockies, and Nuggets fans were all let out of games at the same time. It was so congested it came to a standstill near Loveland. However, once we made it past Fort Collins the predawn rush hour subsided and we made good time the rest of the way and got to enjoy a Wyoming sunrise.

Many local businesses and residents were taking advantage of the massive influx of celestial onlookers by charging to park and view. Fortunately, we found a large unobscured parking lot outside a grocery store that had already accumulated some other tourists. With a few extra hours, we took the dog for a walk, had a snack, a nap, and then started setting up our equipment.

Austin had been thinking about this trip weeks in advance and had the foresight to order eclipse viewing glasses on Amazon. Looking directly at the sun, even when 98% eclipsed, can cause retinal damage so do your do diligence and research exactly how to view and photograph these events. Remember, looking into a telephoto lens is like putting your eye in front of a magnifying glass staring at the sun.

The event started at about 10:30am, but you wouldn't have noticed until the light in the small town began to dim around 11:15am. As the light faded, everything began to settle into a strange orange hue. Just before totality, a phenomenon called "shadow banding" occurred. Shadows appear to roll over the ground similar to light shining through water onto the bottom of a pool.

Finally, at around 11:45, totality set in. It is one of the most beautiful things i've ever witnessed with its stark contrast of a black moon shadow surrounded by a bright white crown. The event lasted for just over two minuets and was mesmerizing. My favorite part came just as the sun begins to peak back out around the moon where it lets out eclairci like beams on one edge.

I didn't think I would enjoy it nearly as much as I did and am already thinking about the next one only 7 short years away.

So Damn Gouda. Cheesy... in a good way. →

August 10, 2017

I just got finished wrapping up a shoot with Mike Keuler and the So Damn Gouda team for their new website and have to say, it was a fantastic experience. Mike and his team take the utmost care in selecting and preparing a tasty layout of artisan cheeses and snacks that are sure to impress at your next party and the best part is you never have to leave home to order.

We laid out all three size options that include hand selected cheeses from all over the world, surrounded by gourmet fruits and nuts and centered with Mike's house made jam and one of a kind signature cheese ball. Then we took aim at what I can honestly say is the cheesiest photo shoot I've ever done.

After finishing the shoot, Mike wrapped one of the sample cheese trays we used for me to take home. I can tell you from experience that it was So Damn Gouda! It was to much to finish all in one night, so I found myself snacking on the leftovers and should note that it stays fresh for a few days!

Thanks again to Mike and his team at So Damn Gouda, you'll be hearing from me on my next shin-dig! Order yours today at www.sodamngouda.com

August 10, 2017

What can I say? I love to travel.

I wanted to dedicate some of my blogspace to adventure, big and small. I just got back from an 80 day biking adventure across Europe and wanted to post about my experiences and what it took to make it happen. Taking an adventure is something we all want to do but conquering the fear of taking the first step is usually the hardest part. I can say that because it took a long time for me to do it.

I don't know how other people blog, and frankly, I don't care. My goal is simply to document what I've done in the hope that you can learn and get inspired to take your adventure. I can tell you, unequivocally, that my methods are not practical in any way. My maxim; just buy the ticket, the rest will follow.

Good luck out there,