Following in a long line of epic road trips, earlier this month my buddy Mike and I hit the road in my Chrysler 300 to explore the Pacific Northwest of the United States. From Portland to Seattle, from the mountains to the ocean, from natural wonders to cultural landmarks - this road trip was filled with some absolutely incredible locations. Our days were filled with one memorable experience after the next, and my pictures still have me reeling from just how much we did.
My goal for this road trip wasn't just to get away, it was to search out a variety of places, some recognizable and some off the beaten path. From the top of the Space Needle in Seattle to the back roads of Oregon, from the coast highway to one-off shops in downtown Portland, we experienced such a random mix of roadside attractions that we were left feeling like we hadn't just seen the best of a region, but we'd tapped into a winning formula for an unforgettable road trip.
As you might expect, I took thousands and thousands of pictures. I've clearly got some editing to do now, but consider this my way of kicking off the spectacular photo sets to come in the weeks ahead. I can't wait to share them. Stay tuned!
As a big proponent of making the most of your time and chasing new experiences, I feel like it's time to take my own advice. I'm getting away and taking a break.
With an endless stream of projects, plenty of contract work, and my own demanding creative gigs, my year so far has been dominated by an ambitious schedule. Don't get me wrong, it's a good kind of busy. My videos, photo sets and various blog posts have reached tens of thousands of viewers in the last few months, and the opportunities that have popped up on the back of some of these things have been amazing. The correspondence, messages, and personal emails have opened so many doors, and I seem to have hit my stride. It's been incredible, exciting, and utterly exhausting.
I reached the end of July realizing that I hadn't taken much time to just enjoy myself without getting wrapped up in my work. My blog, as part of promoting and sharing these things, has also been a demanding part of the process. In the course of all of these extra projects it's only been more difficult to go out and actually have enough of a life to post about anything. I knew something was going to have to give - so here we are.
For the first time since 2010, I'm giving myself permission to take a break from my website for the very sake of making it better. I'm going on a few road trips, I'm going to visit with friends, I'm going to cross a few things off my bucket list, and I'm going to shelve ALL of my work for a few weeks. It's the perfect opportunity to come back with a vengeance when summer winds down - and at the very least, it will give my creatively-taxed brain a rest.
I love this site, and I love what it's become in 2013. It's not an easy thing for me to separate myself from a project that I've invested so much in, but I need some time to recharge without feeling pressured to share, post, or promote for a change. Seems reasonable, right? Enjoy the rest of your summer folks! I know I will.
Having shared over 100 final images from my shoot around the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede, it seemed like putting them all in a highlight reel would be a good way of concluding the series. Here's a look at the 2013 Stampede midway through my lens.
