But then there are the times in our lives where someone has faith in us, for whatever reason, they reach out and take a chance. This is what happened to two guys, both sharing the same first name, Eric. They started a small film making company, their goal was to pursue their passion for the craft and leave their day jobs. In the beginning they did small jobs and then one day, a customer they had worked with, took a chance, a very big chance. The gift they received changed everything. To quote the video.

It changed their business completely. But it didn’t change the way they did business.

Today they’ve turned that gift into something bigger than themselves and their company. They turned around and paid it forward by helping others out who shared their same passion. Giving them the opportunities to get their career started, the experience they need.

Enough from me, watch the video; the whole story is there.

~ Will

PNW Trip Route

To quote William Least Heat-Moon

Sometimes I wonder if people have forgotten the joy of the open road, exploring this great country of ours and the wondrous offerings it has in it’s beautiful places.

Today, about the time this post is published, I will be hitting the open road with the final destination being Seattle, WA. Most people act surprised when I say I am driving. Like I am crazy for spending the next 3 days on the road. But you see, for me, as they say, will I find the getting there part is sometimes more fun than the destination. Sure I plan on having amazing adventures and fun while in Seattle but I also very much enjoy driving across the country.

I enjoy planning ahead, what route will I take, have I taken that route before in the not so distant past. Then what really cool things can I see along the way. I am a big history buff so finding historical routes are always a joy. This particular trip will have two historically significant parts to it. One is that it will follow much of the first Transcontinental road, the Lincoln Highway. Some of it will not be the on the original route, to follow more the original route you would have to travel on Highway 30, but I’ll save that journey for another time. The other historically significant part is that it also covers some of the route taken by Horatio Nelson Jackson, the first person, along with Sewall K. Crocker, who just happened to be a former professional bicycle racer from Tacoma, WA. Anyway they with their dog Bud, which they acquired along the way, were the first people to drive across the country in 1903. As I drive across Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho, I will be traveling much of their route. I find it fun to imagine as I go along what these routes must have been like so long ago, in what from today’s standards appear to have been simpler times.

Another, maybe more practical reason, why I am driving is that I will be taking my kayak, two bikes, and of course Gort with me. So the Jeep will be quite the traveling adventure vehicle!

So follow along if you like. I’ll be posting things on my Facebook and Twitter feed as I go along. I am hoping to do some awesome mountain biking while there along with some paddling. I will also be photographing a downhill race which should be pretty epic!

Also, a big shout-out to my friend Christina who is going to be showing me around and the real PNW! She’s also a great photographer and I am sure we’ll be doing some shooting together.

Stay tuned for awesomeness to follow!

~ Will

For many this weekend, Labor Day weekend, is the end of summer. Most schools have started back, city swimming pools close, events that we think of as summer events are ending and everyone is preparing to face the coming winter. For me I have been thinking back about this summer and the year in general. It has been less than a stellar year for me with major changes occurring in my life; so major it saw a return to my home state of Indiana.

2012 Moving from Colorado

In early May I loaded up all my belongings like the Beverly Hillbillies and moved from Colorado back to Indiana after only a very short 6 months there. For me returning to something familiar was part of a healing process I was working through. You see, being in Colorado was a shared dream, one that became shattered shortly after I arrived. I am not going to go into the details because that’s how I roll. So you will just have to go catch an episode of Dr. Phil or Jerry Springer if you want that kind of stuff.

Nathan Kutcher climbing to a win, Ouray, CO January 2012

Suffice it to say the first several months of this year I had no interest in my photography. It is like when you are sick and your favorite food just does not taste good at all so you don’t eat it. There were times when I would pick up the camera and shoot. I went to Ouray Colorado in early January and photographed the Ice Climbing competition there, which ended up rewarding me with two publications and some nice print sales. Not bad for something I just went to shoot with no plans of anything outside of adding to my portfolio.

Pawnee National Grasslands Relics 1

As the year went on my taste for photography slowly began to come back. I took some trips and shot some personal passion projects. The solitude of being in up in the mountains or in the complete openness of the eastern plains where regenerating and inspiring. But by early Spring I was still hanging on by my fingernails emotionally. Then I started to receive emails from DINO.

DINO is an organization here in Indiana that organizes and runs a mountain bike race series throughout the summer. The previous two years I had photographed many of the races and had always enjoyed doing so. The emails I received were their pre-race season notifications of the upcoming race series. They sparked something in me, they got me to thinking about things back in Indiana and those familiar thoughts made me feel at peace; I guess as things familiar do. So began the thought process of moving, I actually began a pro’s and con’s list on staying or moving.

2012 DINO Downhill

Will, as you know I decided to move back. So what have I been up to this summer and how am I doing? I am glad you asked! I returned to Indiana just in time to catch the first DINO mountain bike race up in Warsaw Indiana. Last Sunday, August 26th, was their last race of the series and I am proud to say I made every race this summer. Well, except for one, but I did photograph the downhill the day before. I got to know some of the racers and made some new friends. Sales of prints and digital downloads from the races was exceptional and I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who purchased something from me!

2012 Chicago Bike the Drive

Upon my return I also vowed to go do the things I had always wanted to do here but always kept putting off. One of them was Bike the Drive in Chicago. It’s an event where they shutdown all of Lakeshore drive for the morning and thousands of cyclists take to it, riding it’s length. That was such a magical event and I am so happy I took part in it. On July 1st I rode the L.A.T.E. ride in Chicago. A ride that takes you around the various neighborhoods in Chicago with it’s ending leg along the bike path by the lake where I stopped and watched an amazing sunrise. I attended Beer Fest in Indianapolis where over 300 beers were on tap for the tasting. I went to Beers over the Wabash, a local beer fest here in Lafayette where I live. I did a 3-day backpacking trip to North Manitou Island Michigan with 11 other people that in the beginning were total strangers but in the end we’ve all become friends.

2012 Gort Hiking

One thing I missed about living here in Indiana is that I could take Gort out to some local trails and we could hike without crowds of people being around. I consider myself to be a very responsible pet owner but one thing I like to do is let Gort run off leash when we hike or trail run. As soon as we returned Gort and I hit the trails, I would hike with him first and then leave him in the Jeep and I would ride my mountain bike. We have done that just about every evening we could. Even more recently I tried riding my bike and let Gort run with me, off leash. I was concerned about how he would do, worried he would run then stop in front of me, but he quickly figured out that it was best if he ran behind me as I rode. It has been wonderful to go share my love of biking with him and let him have a good time running with me.

So was this a good move, I would have to say a resounding yes! My passion for photography is returning and I am getting back into the swing of things. A major update to my web site is just around the corner; something I thought about before but just could not find the willpower to do it. Cyclocross season is just on the horizon and my calendar has every weekend in October filled with a race somewhere to photograph. The 2013 UCI Cyclocross World Championships will be held in Louisville, KY this coming February and I am planning to be there.

On an even more personal note, something that struck me the other day is how okay I am now that it is just Gort and I.

So this year may have started off very slow but I feel like I am now at least back in the race and starting to find my stride again.

Stay tuned for my next big adventure. Hint, PNW!

~ Will

Pawnee Buttes, Pawnee National Grasslands

When one thinks of Colorado the first images that come to mind of are the majestic mountains. A little over one third of Colorado is made up of the eastern high plains. In their own right, and in my opinion, something of beauty.

In the northeastern part of Colorado, stretching up towards the border with Wyoming, lies the Pawnee National Grassland. My interest in this part of Colorado was peaked with a posting from a fellow photographer of his photograph of an abandoned building from a long gone era. I decided to take a drive up and see for myself this historically rich area.

Pawnee National Grasslands Relics 1

Upon arriving in the area my first observation was how isolated it was, you could look for miles and there was nothing. In researching later I read that it’s one of the least populated areas in the U.S. Not having much of a plan other than to just drive up and see what I could find I began to wonder around the land. My second observation was the number of gas and oil drilling that was occurring. I instantly began to think about the movie Gasland. Some of the people they visited in the movie where in Colorado. I have to say I was really taken aback by the number of sites I saw here, but more on that later.

I found a couple of abandoned sites on this first trip. The photograph above is from that trip. It was an overcast day which really help set the mood for the photograph.

Keota Ghost Town, Pawnee National Grasslands

After my first trip I decided to do some more research and plan for a second trip to the area. During my research I discovered a Ghost Town in the Grassland. Will, it’s not completely a Ghost Town, there are some new residents there but it’s definitely a shell of what the town used to be. The town is keota and at one point in it’s history there were 140 people living here with a major railroad running through town. Author James Michener used Keota as his home base during his time writing his epic Colorado novel “Centennial” which would go on to become a TV mini-series.

Not to far from Keota is probably the Grassland’s biggest attraction, the Pawnee Buttes. The photograph at the beginning of this post are of them. If you’re up for a little hike you can make your way out to them. I would have done the hike but I was worried about Gort as the grass is rather harsh and there are little cacti everywhere. I could see Gort hurting his paws on something so a distant photo would have to do.

Pawnee National Grasslands Relics 2

Continuing on I ran into some more abandoned buildings from that lost era of homesteading.

Cow remains, Pawnee National Grasslands

This land is a harsh environment. Everything is so remote and open to the elements. Mother nature takes no prisoners here, from the strong winds that can cut through you like a sharp knife to the hot boiling sun that beats down. I can only think about the cloth from which the people who tried to settle this land must have been cut. They were definitely of a different breed of people.

Old Train Depot, Pawnee National Grasslands

I drove into one of the few small little towns out in the area. Grover once was a stop on the railroad which is now long gone. Remaining is this railroad related building which has been turned into a small museum.

Wind Turbines, Pawnee National Grasslands

Now we see the modern side of the Grasslands. Being a part of Colorado where the winds often come gusting through the area at 60 mph it seems like a good place for some wind turbines. There was a large farm of them up on a high plateau. In my first image of the Buttes you can see them in the background.

The future, Pawnee National Grasslands

Now back to all those gas and oil sites I mentioned earlier. As the sun set you could see their burn-off fire, like the one in this photo, dotting the land as far as the eye could see. It really concerned me that something that you believe is set aside to be protected is being used in such a way. I guess I shouldn’t be after all the reports of such things but I guess when you see it in person it really hits home. I did some digging and found this recent Denver Post article specifically about the drilling within the Pawnee National Grassland.

The other side affect of this drilling is the amount of semi traffic. As I drove around, especially on one of the main paved roads, semis where quite prevalent and driving extremely fast. The posted speed limit was 65 mph, at one point I had a big rig on my tail and I pushed my Jeep up to 75 mph and he still decided to pass me.

All-in-all I very much enjoyed my two trips up to Pawnee National Grassland. Beside the historical aspects that always intrigue me I think the big ticket item for me was the solitude. Whenever I travel into the mountains I seem to always run into a lot of people. Traveling into the Grassland there was hardly anyone out there. The solitude was refreshing and I dared to try and understand how those who tried to settle this wild space must have felt.

~ Will

Here are some of the photographs that highlight my 2011. Enjoy!

I started off the year in January with a Yoga Shoot.

A personal project and one a lot of people really like, my last Mocha Art shot.

Another personal project, filming John Crosby who hand makes tabacco pipes.

My first Adventure Race, shot in May. This image was used in a newspaper article.

A shoot in New Mexico for a start-up called Game Scout.

Trekking Pole shoot in Boulder, CO for Easton MTN Products.

Personal shoot of kayakers in Lyons, CO.

Shoot done for an article in Trail Runner Magazine, shot at Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI.

Photographed the 6 day Expedition Race of Raid The North Extreme in the West Kootenay, BC.

Was able to only shoot one DINO MTB Race this past summer, it occured at France Park.

For 6 years I was the advisor of Purdue's Camera Club, this shot is from the first meeting of the year.

As a personal shoot I walked around the Starry Night Festival and photographed the performers.

Personal project of photographing the old windmill with the newer wind turbines.

Personal project capturing the Fall harvest.

My last walk around Lafayette just shooting before I moved away.

Team WEDALI crosses the finish line at the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Race Nationals.

After moving to Colorado this was from the first Cyclocross race I photographed, great crash.

Photographed my first Cyclocross race in the snow.

So there you have it, my 2011 with some photographs.

For 2012 I’m starting off strong. In early January I’m traveling to Ouray Colorado to photograph ice climbing at the Ice Festival. In February I’ll be headed to Vail Colorado to photograph the TEVA Winter Mountain Games.

Best wishes to everyone in this new year!

~ Will

Last year a bold, made for the web TV series came out. One that told the story of 5 athletes in various sports reaching for a goal within a single season. Snowboarding, downhill mountain biking, kayaking, bouldering, and climbing. Each had obstacles to overcome, some physical, some mental, but all inspirational. Running for 21 episodes and completely free online these stories moved you, inspired you to chase your passions. Created and told by a master at story telling Fitz Cahall, author of the popular podcast the Dirtbag Diaries.

Fitz and his crew have returned with a sequel. The Season 2 just began its run. The included video is Episode 1 from the series. You can find all newly released episodes on Arcteryx’s web site. They will also be made available via iTunes and on the official web site for The Season.

Take 5 or 15 minutes out of your day, watch the story as it unfolds and be inspired to pursue your passion, your folly.

~ Will

Camera Gear

I was packing my gear last night and it struck me that for Adventure Races the Teams participating have a mandatory gear list. Items they’ll need to keep them safe on the course or help them to navigate through the many obstacles they’ll face. Photographers have some mandatory gear as well, although not required by the race organizers but it would be tough to shoot a race without it.

In the images above I tossed out on the counter top some examples of the mandatory gear needed by photographers to successfully navigate shooting, will anything. Sure maybe this is all rather obvious to some but after making a list the other day of things I needed to remember to check and or stock up on I thought it would be worthy to share. Probably one of the more critical items to have, and something I had to run out and stock up on, are batteries. Sure I have camera batteries that I always make sure to have fully charged before a gig but what about batteries for flashes, wireless remotes, or even flashlights/headlamps. Then in this day of digital cameras there are memory cards, external hard drives to store images on, card readers, and of course my trusty MacBook Pro.

So besides thinking of the things I need to make my way around the back-country like a compass, first aid kit, proper clothing gear, or even ways to carry water. As a photographer I need to also make sure I have all my camera gear prepped and ready to go.

~ Will

Canada Route For ARTNX

2,094 miles, 1 day and 10 hours, yep that’s a drive! In about a day I’ll be making this drive to our great neighbors to the north. I’ve been brought on-board to photograph the epic Atmosphere Raid The North Extreme (ARTNX).

This six day expedition style adventure race is set to be the premiere race in North America. ARTNX has also been selected to be the North American qualifier for the 2011 Adventure Racing World Series with means teams will be competing for a paid entry into the AR World Championship to be held in Tasmania.

My route will take me through 8 states and some amazing country. I have always enjoyed driving, seeing amazing scenic views as you go along. Stopping here and there to grab a photo of some interesting site. I am a huge fan of historical or forgotten places so stopping to take a look and a photo is always in order. My hope with this route is to be pulling into race HQ sometime Friday, hopefully in the morning. No matter what it will be some fun driving and the CD case will be packed with music!

So follow along as I take this grand journey of adventure. I’ll be posting here when I can and as always on my facebook and twitter accounts.

~ Will

Route 66 Sign Tucumcari, NM

I have been spending the last few days hanging out in Tucumcari New Mexico. I’m out here working on a project that I will give deets on soon. While we have had some downtime we went exploring this historic little town that is snuggled in-between Amarillo Texas and Albuquerque New Mexico. At one time this was a major stop and way point for travelers along the famous Route 66 which runs right through the middle of town.

Tucumcari started out in the early 1900′s as many towns back then did via the railroad which built a construction camp here in 1901 which grew into a community and eventually was named Tucumcari in 1908.

In more contemporary times Tucumcari thrived as more and more people took to their cars and traveled what was known as the Mother Road, Route 66. Route 66 stretched from Chicago to LA and was one of the first major roadways in the U.S.. As with many towns along it’s path Tucumcari contained many Gas stations and Motels along Route 66 as it cut through town. Being a major way point between Amarillo and Albuquerque it buzzed with activity.

Tucumcari, NM Mural

Today Tucumcari is a shadow of it’s former self and to hold on to the history it shares with the historic Route 66 it has many murals painted throughout the town. Walking around the town I snapped a few shots of these amazing murals. They are painted on the sides of buildings and walls. Some really amazing works.

Tucumcari, NM Mural

Tucumcari, NM Mural

Taking a break we stopped in at Kix 66. An old diner that celebrates it’s history with Route 66. If you’re looking for some really great Smoothies this is the place to go!

Kix 66 Diner Tucumcari, NM

Many of the old Motels that once shined in their glory days are now bowing to the riggers of time and lack of up-keep. To walk down the Route 66 strip through Tucumcari feels as if you’re walking through a cemetery. The ruins of a time long gone are everywhere.

Abandoned Motel Tucumcari, NM

Old Motel Sign Tucumcari, NM

In some places all that are left are the neon signs that lit up the strip like Las Vegas. There have been recent attempts along the old Route 66 to restore and preserve some of the these lost treasures. Lets hope they can save them before this great piece of our history is long lost to time.

Old Motel Sign Tucumcari, NM

There is a draw for me to Tucumcari. There really isn’t anything to do here but I think the history pulls me in. I’ve always been fascinated with the days of old and items like Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway have always tugged at me. Tucumcari is a place where the simple days of travel and adventure on Route 66 come to life.

~ Will

Prepping Gear for 2011 DINO MISSION 18-HR AR

It’s spring, the flowers are blooming, the trees are sprouting lovely green leaves and the warmth of summer is returning. It also means it is time for adventure racing to return and time for me to get busy. There have already been a few AR’s taking place around the country but the first one for me to photograph is coming up this weekend.

The DINO MISSION 18-HR AR is a nice opener for the season. The beauty of this race is that it is actually 2 races in one. Beside the longer 18 hour race they also hold a shorter 4 hour race for those who have never raced an AR to get out there and give it a try.

Tonight I have been busy getting my gear together, charging batteries, running out to the store to buy extra batteries, formatting memory cards and organizing technical gear.

Being a photographer it is obvious that I would have a bunch of camera gear to organize and get ready but being an adventure photographer it also means getting technical gear ready, just as if I was racing myself to some extent. I need to have proper clothing, foot gear, camping gear, compass and other necessary out-of-doors gear. One never knows what will happen so it is always best to be prepared.

So tonight I have been busy laying out my gear and thought I would share some of that with you. What am I taking along with me for this awesome adventure.

In the photo above you can see some of my gear and most of the camera gear I’ll take along. Here’s the list broken down.

• Nikon D700
• Nikon D7000 (Great little backup)
• Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 VRII lens (This is my goto lens)
• Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens (Makes a great artistic lens)
• Nikon 18-105mm 3.5-5.6
• Tokina 12-24mm lens (Nice wide angle)
• Mamiya 645 (For some fun shots)
• Mamiya 80mm 2.8 lens
• Mamiya 45mm 2.8 lens
• Various filters, polarizer for every lens, graduated neutral density
• Nikon SB800 flash
• Big Agnes tent
• REI sleeping bag
• Therm-a-rest sleeping mat
• Leki Super Makalu trekking poles (just in case)
• First Ascent technical gear (I talked about this more in-depth in this post)
• compass
• Black Diamond Spot headlamp
• First Aid kit

That is a majority of the gear. Now I will not pack all of this into the woods but with this particular race I’ll drive from location to location in my car so will have it handy but will only carry a few camera gear items with me. If I do get away from my car I will put some necessary gear into my backpack and head off into the wilderness.

I will also bring along my Mac Book Pro with external drive so I can dump images as backups.

Don’t know if I will have any internet access while at the race but if I do I will work to do some updates from the race.

With that I am off to catch some Z’s.

~ Will

** UPDATE **

Photos have been posted from the race, follow this link.

Enjoy!