The other night I heard a new song that struck me in a way that only something good can.  Whether it comes down to the timing of the lyrics with one’s own life, the creativity of the artist(s) or just the sound, hearing the right music at the right time can feel nothing short of magic and it certainly puts a time stamp on that moment for me.  It’s like folding the corner of a page when you read something you really like, it makes that moment easy to find if you want to go back to it.

            “Walking On A Dream,” by Empire Of The Sun was that page folding song for me on Sunday night.

            I heard this ‘new to me song’ at the exact moment when everything felt like it was where is should be; like it is in a good dream.  For a second I actually wondered what that feeling was, then I started reflecting and I realized that I spend most of my time looking forward and moving forward and that I sometimes forget to be in the present.  I bent the meaning of the lyrics a bit based on my first listen, but focusing on that present moment and everything that had led up to it truly felt like walking on a dream.

            Ten years in the making, it is a dream that I feel is only beginning.  The point is, I am very excited about the direction that my hard work has taken to this point, and for now, I am just going to enjoy that and share some news and publication updates.

            In thinking about my beginnings and the path I have taken to get to this point, it seems appropriate to announce that I have been asked to be one of four panelists discussing Strategies for the Emerging Outdoor and Adventure Photographer at this year’s first annual Outdoor Photo Expo hosted by PDN (Photo District News) in conjunction with Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I don’t want to give away too much of what I will be covering, but my journey to this point, including the ups and downs, the hard lessons, the victories and everything in between will be open to questions.

            This has been the story of my life for a long time now, so presenting on this subject feels like the perfect fit.  Thank you to the good folks at PDN for this opportunity to share more of what it takes to get started in this field, I really can’t wait!

            On a completely different note, I am very excited to share this new video shot for Polartec.  When I was asked to join in the shooting with heavy hitter adventure photographers Corey Rich, Greg Von Doersten and videographers Rex Lint and Josh Lowell to shoot stills and video for this amazing piece showcasing Polartec’s new line, I of course said yes!  This was my first forray into video with my primary responsibility being still images of skiing and snowboarding.  I did everything I could with my part of the assignment and ended up with a few video clips in the final edit after all.  Like I said, I was a very small part of the overall video, with the bulk of the credit going to Corey Rich, Rex Lint and Josh Lowell of Big Up Productions, but it was still quite the experience.

            I want to send out a BIG Thank You to Polartec, Aurora Novus, the above mentioned photographers and videographers and all of the athletes, spanning three states, who helped in pulling this off.  It looks great everyone!

            On the publication end, here are a few tearsheets since the last update.

(Top image used in Patagonia's June email marketing.)


(Double-page spread of Luke Hopkins, of Stride Standup Paddleboards, in Standup Paddler's Photo Annual.)

(Canoe & Kayak step by step instruction of a Blunt to McNasty shot with Eric Jackson on the Nile River in Uganda.)

(Image with a Canoe & Kayak story on safety at the Skookumchuck wave in British Columbia, Canada.)