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I had a great time traveling to Coachella 2014 with my friends in STRFKR. I got to see some incredible acts, had a few random celebrity sightings, and got to kick it on stage and watch some of my favorite groups perform.
Last week, I had the privilege of photographing OTA 2014 in Sioux Falls at The Washington Pavilion. It was an action packed day filled with engaging presentations from world class speakers, interesting conversations and overwhelming enthusiasm for the creative and entrepreneurial spirits in the South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota regions. I had a few opportunities, in between making photographs, to let my camera rest for a moment and soak up some of the incredible stories and insights that came from the stage. Congrats to everyone involved on throwing an inspiring and successful event.
"Over 1,500 people have attended OTA events during the past four years, and that number continues to grow. Add to that the relationships we've developed with over 50 global leaders in technology, entrepreneurship, community building, charities, branding, marketing, social media and movements, and the impact OTA makes in this region is clear."
My band, Soulcrate Music, was getting ready to release it's 10th album: it was written, recorded, and produced. All it needed was an image to properly reflect the feeling of the title, Welcome Back From Wherever You've Been. I was really excited about tackling the task, and thought it would be cool to take the photograph myself. Over a 6-month period, I had taken a ton of photos with the intent of using one for the record cover. Some of the images were bad, some were okay, and some were pretty good - but we all agreed that none of them were “it”. The choice was coming down to the wire and we needed something soon. I was wracking my brain, searching through endless amounts of record archives and looking at classic album covers for inspiration. Still, I had nothing.
One evening, while I was sitting on my porch in my backyard, I got lucky. It was sunset with a clear sky that was a perfect gradient orange into blue. The stars weren’t out yet, but there was a bright visible dot, Jupiter, sitting just to the right of a perfect sliver of the moon. I happened to have my camera on my lap and casually started snapping shots of the view, not thinking much of it. Honestly, how many photos have been taken of the sunset? It’s nothing new or exciting right? A few minutes went by, and I snapped a few more photos. I sat back down in my chair, looking through them, when I noticed that an airplane had flown into the top right of the frame on the last picture I took. It was so simple. The moon, the planet, the plane, and the sunset all worked together in a very pleasing, simplistic way.
I didn't think too much of the photo until the next day when I had sent it to the other guys in the band. Shortly after, my brother texted me: “That’s it, that’s the one!”. We all agreed that this was the image we were looking for. It all happened when I stopped trying so hard to make it happen. It happened because I was willing to keep going; I was always ready to take the picture, and in the moment that I least expected it, I got the image we were looking for.
(The images below are all mock designs we had put together leading up to the completion of the album. )
This is the final version of the cover that ended up on the record.
The moral of the story: The more time you make yourself available to your craft, the more opportunities and luck you will have. I’m glad I picked my camera up that day and took another picture of an average sunset. This photo is very dear to me, not because it’s the best picture I've ever taken, but because of the way the photo came about. The more shots you take in life, the better your chances are going to be.
I recently spent a week in Nicaragua with 18 people - most of whom were friends from different places and different times of my life. I almost didn't go on this trip; I didn't think I could afford to be away for that long, I had too much work that needed to be done, I didn't want to hassle the grandparents with the chore of watching our 2 year old daughter for a week, and who was gonna watch our dog? After a little reflection, I realized I was being ridiculous and would truly regret missing out on this experience. My wife and I are fortunate to have family around us that supports our adventurous spirit, and if there was a way to make it work, I knew I should take the opportunity.
I bought my ticket late, but thankfully not too late. We flew into Managua, on a warm, sunny day in February. The escape from the harsh South Dakota winter was much needed, and we all enthusiastically stripped off our long-sleeve shirts and hoodies as we walked out of the airport into the warm Nicaraguan air. Two vans were waiting for us, accompanied by two men holding pieces of cardboard with our last names written on them in black marker like in the movies.
After a two-hour drive from Managua to Rivas through some rough terrain, we eventually arrived at Hacienda Iguana where our three houses were located - right on the famed Playa Colorado Surf Break. It was breathtaking. We literally had miles of white sand beach to ourselves. The vibrancy of the colors amazed me: brightly painted shacks contrasted by the dusty dirt roads and overgrown forest. The people were friendly. The fruits, vegetables, and seafood were fresh. The weather was perfect. The water was warm. And the waves were big.
We squeezed a lot of activity as well as a lot of relaxation into our week in Nicaragua. We spent a good amount of time on the beach and in the water: body boarding, swimming, and generally getting pummeled by the surf. We cooked everyday: rice, beans, fish, chicken, and an endless list of exotic fruits and veggies. We spent a day in the beautiful city of Granada, which was filled with historical sites, unbelievable architecture, vibrant colors, and delicious cuisine. We visited an active volcano and took a boat ride around Lake Nicaragua. We went fishing for Mahi Mahi, Red Snapper, and Grouper - and had an amazing fish fry with our catch. We played dice and dominos, ate, drank and conversed late into the the night, every night. Inevitably, the week went by quickly.
Visiting a place like this really made me think about where I'm at and what I'm doing with my life. It would be nearly impossible for a person to take this trip and not be inflicted with the travel bug. I know I look forward to next year's excursion, as well, with the same group of people, to yet another amazing destination.
I spent a lot of time documenting this trip - very rarely putting my camera down. I wanted to capture the feeling of this beautiful country, and I hope I did it justice. I encourage anyone wanting to scratch that travel itch to take the leap. Life is short. Everything will work out, and you'll come home with amazing stories and an even more amazing feeling.
