Photographing a film photographer on film was quite the honor. Not just any photographer either, the crazy talented Lexia Frank and her really awesome husband. Portland and the Pacific Northwest had certainly been calling my name, and the chance to hang out with and photograph this happily married couple was icing on the cake. After crazy traffic, we explored a few of my favorite quintessential Columbia River Gorge locations that just can't be found any where else; Except maybe New Zealand or Iceland. Fortune favors the bold... Lexia and Dustin were looking for a change and a new city... Chose Portland, and have been really happy and haven't looked back. After our amazing shoot, we intended to head straight to an awesome brewery, but ended up detouring an hour and a half to bring stranded hikers back to their car. Needless to say, our shoot had no shortage of adventure.
Redwood National Park
On my second morning, on the way to Hidden Beach, traffic slowed on the main highway through Redwood National Park, and the fog that had eluded me finally materialized. I pulled over and was instantly drawn down in to the damp woods beside the pull off. There was no path, but I was instantly drawn to a hauntingly beautiful composition of alders, moss, and redwoods. There is something so wonderful and primal about being among the tallest trees in the world. Old growth forests with many trees exceeding 1000 - 2000 years old. A place where ferns are easily taller than you, and where you get the chilling feeling that either an Ewok or a dinosaur are watching you. If you've never had the impulse to literally hug a tree, you might among the Redwoods. Only to find that your outstretched arms don't even cover 1/10th of the circumference. The inside of some of these stumps are larger than some New York City apartments. Let's just say, it was a difficult transition coming back to Florida... And it had nothing to do with jet lag or the redeye flight.
"In the silence of the woods, you will not be alone" - Chief Seattle
Pacific Northwest
For the next seven days, I head to one my favorite regions in the country, the Pacific Northwest. Last September I flew in to Seattle to visit Mt. Rainier, and backpack through Olympic National Park. However, on this trip, I fly in to Portland (a city I already know I'll love), then head straight for the Columbia River Gorge. Based on the images I've seen, the stretch of wilderness along the Columbia River is home to some of the most lush and beautiful waterfalls in the world. After several days in Oregon and an awesome portrait session, I'll then head to the beautiful old growth forests of Redwood National Park, where I'll meet an old friend who just so happens to be a park ranger there. Needless to say, I could not have a better guide for the few days I'll spend among the tallest trees in the world.
"The idea of wilderness needs no defense. Only more defenders" - Edward Abbey
Earth Day 2013
“Everybody needs beauty...places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike.”- John Muir
Charleston
If this is what it looks like in the winter, I would love to come back in spring. The drive wasn't bad, the food was southern and amazing, and scenery absolutely inspiring. I returned home swamped with work, yet rejuvenated by the the beauty and charm of Charleston. This spring, I may not make it back to South Carolina, but I will explore several southern gardens and estates in Georgia. Nevertheless, I'll be in South Carolina again for a wedding in September, so I'm sure it won't be long before I make it back to this quaint and fascinating city. 
Cosley Lake
The thunderous sound of rain and hail against the tent kept us awake, but didn't bring down our spirits. In the morning, the rain dissipated, yet clouds drifted in and out of the distant peaks to the south west. A local volunteer told us the rain would clear, but as we approached our next campsite only 1.5 miles away, we got word that a supercell was heading our way with 50 mph winds and several inches of rain… The fun was only beginning. The rain, wind, frigid temperature, and soaked boots turned an amazing day hike it to one of most memorable experiences of my life. My only regret is that I left my camera behind.
Every step of the journey, is the journey.- Zen Saying
Top 12 of 2012
Going in to 2013, I’m asking myself the question - Can I possibly top 2012? To be completely honest, most of December, I was almost accepting that 2013 would be good, but couldn’t possibly top 2012. Through aggressive planning and goal setting for 2013, I’m slowly setting my sights higher and higher, and my outlook for 2013 just keeps getting better.In 2012, my goal was 33 weddings - I ended with 38. Of those, 4 were destinations and 4 were for photographers. While traveling so much and working with so many clients can feel overwhelming at times, the best goal I set for 2012 was to only work with clients I had a genuine connection with, and clients I was truly excited about working with. The result, I hardly ever felt like I was working.Before I move forward, I want to take a moment to reflect on an amazing year.So, here is my top 12 of 2012… (I made a list of 30)
In May of 2002, I read an issue of Adventure Magazine titled, Secret of the Great Parks. For Glacier National Park, a singular quote has stuck with me ever since – “The Milky Way up here is nearly as bright as the moon is elsewhere”. Needless to say, for more than 10 years, I dreamt of the day I would experience Glacier National Park.
The morning after viewing the most incredible stars I’ve ever seen, we began the journey to Ptarmigan Tunnel, which would become our first glimpse of the high country of Glacier National Park, on the clearest day I could possibly imagine. We opted to trek as far as we could to the tunnel… There was snow and the last mile or so was quite precarious, but if I’ve learned anything… The most valued journeys almost always require risk. Upon returning from this epic climb, we returned to base camp to meet some of the most amazing people from a place I knew nothing about, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 
Lake Superior is the biggest and cleanest of the great lakes, and has a gorgeous color, dramatic cliffs and dunes, and even has beautifully colored pebbles and stones along the shore. But there’s more, the miles of pristine shores have a certain personality, a certain untouched and unspoken beauty. In a town like Marquette, you’ll find 30,000 permanent residents full of pride that live at a slower place, and don’t take a single summer day for granted. I mean how could you, when the beautiful weather only lasts a few short months (I’ll argue that their snowy days are beautiful, but I’ve never lived in frigid temperatures). Those who live in the Upper Peninsula are fully aware of what they have; yet somehow they manage to keep the Upper Peninsula one of the best-kept secrets in America. This summer, I got to visit the Upper Peninsula twice; it was only toward the end of the second trip that I really began to understand. 
Six years ago, I traveled to a place beyond my wildest imagination. A national park where in one day, you can be among the towering sea stacks along the Pacific Coast, then a temperate rain forest with giant Sitka Spruce and Douglas Fir trees covered in moss, and finish the day off with Glacier covered peaks in the Olympic range. This September, I was fortunate enough to return, but this time, I ventured in to the backcountry. In the rainforest, we heard Elk bugling, we saw a black bear cross the Hoh River right near our campsite, and we trekked through a place where we felt small, but feeling small wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The ranger apologized to us as we entered the rainforest because she knew we wouldn’t see a cloud or drop of rain the entire time we were in the rainforest.
After spending an incredible night camped beside the Hoh River, we left the river valley and rainforest to make the grueling but epic climb to where the Hoh River originates, the Blue Glacier on Mt. Olympus. To reach the next camp, we climbed more than 2800 ft and traversed a rope ladder across a portion of the trail that was washed way by an avalanche. We turned in early, and rose at 4:30 AM to face a seemingly endless vertical climb. The entire climb, the rocky trail kept the glacier field and the peak of Mt. Olympus hidden. We persisted, and just as the sun broke the plane of the horizon, the most epic of views burst upon us. On the ridge, we saw the warm morning light gracefully illuminate the very tip of the peaks, and the steady wind reminded us of the temperature. We were close enough to actually hear the glacier creaking as it slowly carved its way beneath us. Time moved as slowly as the glacier itself. The only thing that took us away from the view was the 17-18 mile day ahead of us.
Destination Wedding
Never would I have dreamt of working with such gracious and amazing clients, in such a gorgeous and romantic setting. All that aside, this was officially my first international wedding. While it was just across the water in the Bahamas, it marks the accomplishment of a goal. If this is a preview of things to come, I cannot wait for my weddings in 2013. These clients went above and beyond to ensure that all the vendors were treated like family, including every member of the hotel and catering staff. The full blog post is coming soon.
This shoot also marked another accomplishment; this image alone received 238 likes, 14 shares, 23 comments on Facebook, and also shattered my previous record for visits on my blog. I’ll admit it; I’ve seen the notebook quite a few times… The last time I saw it was just a few days before I met with Courtney and Paul. Maybe they saw it on TV as well, because we had the same ideas for the engagement session… I had the perfect location to fit the shoot, and they had the perfect outfits.
Nothing says nostalgia like the single coated lens of an old Rollei and a Black and White film with high silver content. And nothing excites me quite as much as experimenting with new cameras and film. While I’m always pleased with my current film work, looking through a waist level viewfinder, shooting square format, and composing with a “mirror image”, are all things I’m unaccustomed to, and forced me to look hard, think long, and only then press the shutter.
I started shooting film again more than 2.5 years ago, yet I never took the leap of shooting 100% film for a wedding. If any client was going to understand the beauty of film, it was my right hand, Carissa. It is an absolute honor that she would choose me to shoot her wedding after so many hours of shooting and working together. I look forward to continue working together in 2013
Toyota Prius
Ever since I was in college, the conservationist in me wanted the Toyota Prius. In the past year, I was enticed by other vehicles, but in the end, I loved the redesign of the body, and I knew I would love getting 50 MPG. I also knew that always competing to break personal fuel efficiently records would make me a safer driver. So far, my record is 54.5 and 56.5 MPGS over 50 or more miles.
Every year, I pledge to shoot more personal work, yet it always seems to be put on the back burner. Starting in 2012, I started a project that is very close to my heart, modeled after one of my favorite books, the Secret Garden. In 2012, I tilled the soil for this personal project, and in 2013 I hope to see and photograph many blooms.
Out with the old, in with the new. My old personal and nature website, dated back to 2006. While many of the images remain the same, the new website offers a simpler and more beautiful place to showcase my work. So the new site has my newest images as well as old, and will have information on a 1 on 1 workshop, business consulting, and new and exciting print options.
2013 plans include a summer trip to Zion National Park, a Colorado trip in autumn, a continuation of the garden project, and hopefully more destination weddings and engagement sessions. I plan to make things happen this year.
Chelsey :: Bok Tower Gardens
Going back 10+ years, Chelsey was one of the very first people I ever photographed... Mostly on Kodak Tmax 400. So many years later, I've returned to my roots, but this time I shot medium format, and different films. However, the result was the same, I walked away with portfolio worthy images of Chelsey. The amazing thing is, it's pretty effortless for her. I love everything about her style.
The Hoh River
As the sun was setting, and we set up camp along the banks of the Hoh River, 12 miles of backpacking got the best of me. Instead of reaching for my tripod for this longer exposure, I opted to balance the camera on a rock. Of course that wasn't any easier, but in the end, the result was still the same. As the day turned to night, we made a roaring fire and we each found a comfortable place to lay on the stone strewn river bed. We watched the stars slowly turn and the sound of cool blue glacier water eased us all to sleep. The next day, we left the river valley and rainforest to make the grueling but epic climb to where this river originates, the Blue Glacier on Mt. Olympus.
The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness; and knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream - Kahil Gibran
