This interview in Sztuka Lowienia came out this summer, but I just got my hands on a hard copy. Gorgeous publication — thick, glossy paper and oversized feel. Luxe.
Big thanks to fellow photographer Arek Kubale for shipping a few copies of this beauty all the way to snowy Montana!
{ 0 comments }
… And tales of our Peruvian SUP adventure go live on another outlet, this time the ever-awesome SUP the Mag.
The words came from the darkness next to me, tinted with the lyrical tones of a Peruvian accent. We were all exhausted; soaking from a late-afternoon deluge as we’d stopped to unload the boats for the night and worn from a week of travel. But it was a satisfied exhaustion, one where life is just as it should be.
When in the midst of good people in an exceptional place, it’s hard to be anything but satisfied. And in these places when life is drawn down to its most simple aspects, it’s possible to see just how much experience changes us.
Our mission, on the outside, was fairly simple: mount our standup paddleboards and explore a region of the Peruvian Amazon in and around Manu National Park. Pepe Lopez, the expedition’s organizer, had assembled a largely-Peruvian team made of savvy river men, whitewater kayakers and seasoned standup paddlers.
Read the full story — and see the photo essay — here.
{ 0 comments }
I’m very thankful and proud to be able to call Global Rescue a partner. Wherever my travels take me — and whatever unexpected adventures lie ahead — it’s always comforting to know these folks have my back. I sat down with the Global Rescue team at last year’s ICAST Show and talk about why emergency evacuations insurance matters.
Watch the full video here.
{ 2 comments }
I had a fantastic time documenting a multi-day float trip on Oregon’s John Day River with Little Creek Outfitters last June. I’d just come off a SUP first-descent in the Peruvian Amazon, and was happy to undertake a trip with a bit less stress! We floated through the high desert country of Oregon, enjoying a bountiful smallmouth fishery and riding stand-up paddleboards on the John Day’s mellow waters.
The feature, an article with images, is in the March / April issue of American Angler magazine, and there’s a parallel online shoot essay running on the magazine’s website here. Give it a read and let me know what you think!
As always, thanks to everyone who made this trip possible: Marty and Mia at Little Creek Outfitters, the fantastic ladies on the trip who didn’t mind having a camera along, the eager bass of the John Day, and the stellar team at American Angler for running the feature!
{ 2 comments }
I’m notorious for being that person who is a zombie on the plane back to Bozeman after a trip. Travel means work, and work means long days and very little sleep… good light has a way of showing up during those hours we’d rather be in bed, and long-exposure night shots are surprisingly brutal in certain conditions. Whether your trip is a three-hour drive or a thirty-hour flight away, it can be hard to stay in top condition. Time zone changes, exposure to new viruses and bugs, sleeping away from your cozy, familiar bed — all these things can lead to you feeling a little run-down and possibly even getting sick.
Over the years I’ve developed a few routines that help. Sometimes getting sick on the road is inevitable (there was that week-long shoot in Belize where I got the flu and bartered a spare coffee thermos to a ferry operator in exchange for DayQuil). It happens. But here are a few things you can do to be proactive and feel in top shape at your destination. After all, when there are fish to catch, trails to climb and planes to catch, who has time to be sick?
1. Hydrate! The enemy of energy is dehydration. Especially if you’re some place warm and are sweating more than normal (and maybe more than you realize), be sure to drink. Make sure your water source is reliable — purify water if you’re not sure (I like the Grayl bottle) — or drink from sealed bottles. Certain countries are notorious for refiling / resealing plastic bottles, so be smart; sometimes sparkling / seltzer water is the way to go (it’s far harder to re-seal). Drink, drink, drink.
If I’m exerting and working hard, I’ll come back to the lodge / hut / camp at night and down one bottle of water mixed with a Nuun tablet for electrolytes, balanced with another bottle of plain water. It makes a world of difference, and those little tabs are especially important if you’re losing fluids due to illness or excessive sweating.
I’m also a big fan of Wellness Formula. Three of these pills twice a day when traveling helps keep the nasties away. They’re big and don’t taste great, but they work.
2. Ensure you have the appropriate immunizations for your destination, and research any other regional health concerns. The CDC Travelers’ Health website is handy, and if you have a Global Rescue membership (well worth the money), they’re more than happy to help advise. Carry a yellow card / list with immunizations; some countries will require you show documentation.
3. Bring snacks. Even if you feel confident you’ll be able to pick up food on location, you’ll be a rock star to your fellow travelers when you magically produce a quality bar of chocolate, a small bag of jerky or even a pack of gum. The small things make a big difference, and if you’re active it’s important to keep energy (and morale!) levels high. (I was introduced to Voke Tabs on a shoot several years ago by a friend and they’re always in my bag. Vitamin C and caffeine for the win!) It’s astounding how a little taste of something familiar from home can boost flagging spirits.
Going somewhere warm? Bring something that won’t melt.
4. Pack a first aid kit, and keep it accessible. Even if your friend is a paramedic and is bringing along enough medical supplies for a small village, bring your own. At least bring along basic wound supplies (band-aids, gauze, antibiotic ointment, duct tape, wipes and wraps) and medications (cold / flu medicine, anti-diarrhea meds, enough of any prescriptions for the trip duration plus several extra days, an antihistamine and ibuprofen). Over the years I’ve customized my kit and always keep it close in a roll-top stuff sack. You may have the world’s best first-aid kit, but if it’s back at camp when Bob gashes his leg on a log, it’s not going to do anyone much good. Keep it close, and keep it stocked. Replace expired medications and re-inventory after every trip. You’ll be surprised how useful a well-outfitted kit is. Adventure Medical Kits is a good place to start.
5. Going somewhere buggy? Spray-on clothing treatment is well worth the effort. I covered my clothing with this spray before an Amazon SUP expedition last year, and with a little extra effort and a lot of DEET, came away with only a handful bug bites after 11 days in the jungle. Just do a web search for insect-spread diseases and you’ll see the value. Sea to Summit makes an awesome Insect Shield Sleeping Bag Liner that does an admirable job of keeping insects away, and it’s light and comfortable for hot, sticky nights.
Lastly, sleep! On the road, what’s normally eight hours of sleep a night becomes more like four hours a night for a few weeks. That’s the reality. Learn to catnap where you can; when exhaustion hits, you’d be surprised what looks like a good place to sleep. Get the work done, ensure your gear is secure, and take advantage of that bus or helicopter ride for a quick doze.
*With the exception of Global Rescue, I’m not sponsored by any of these companies. I just like their products.
{ 5 comments }
Marley the psuedo-shop dog. Headhunters Fly Shop, Craig, MT.
Here’s to the good things in life: busy fly shops, happy dogs and meeting up with friends old and new.
Packing the bags once more; this time heading to the Northeast for a bit of play and work. Spending a couple days in New York City (celebrating my 30th birthday, why not?) and then heading out to The Fly Fishing Show in Edison, New Jersey, on January 26th, 27th and 28th. This will be my fourth year at the show; I always enjoy the opportunity to catch up with clients, friends and all manner of fishy folk!
Are you going to the show? Let me know, and let’s meet up!
{ 0 comments }
In the past six months, I’ve received a volley of emails from prospective photographers and writers, asking a variety of “how do I?” questions. I’m always happy to help, and love to see people taking the leap into the professional creative world. To that end I’ve penned a few articles and blog posts about in the past. This one, “So You Want to Be a Professional Fishing Photographer or Writer?” went from a casual late-night blog post to a requested magazine article in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to the advent of the internet and the burgeoning social media realm, we’re in a world of content generation. All those articles, listicles and funny tidbits you’re reading? Someone, somewhere, wrote them. Quite possibly in their sweatpants on the couch. Or barricaded in a corner of the local coffee shop consuming one too many lattes.
Contrary to popular belief, writing isn’t always sexy. It’s not usually this moment of divine inspiration; the heated all-night writing sessions that Hollywood would have us believe are the norm. Oh, it happens, sure. I penned one of my favorite pieces in the back of a Mi-8 helicopter trundling over the Russian tundra years ago.
But the reality of most writing is remarkably unsexy. Example? I have a contract to write a series of location-feature articles for a state bureau. It’s basic content writing, and when I first started the project I’d sit down, stare at the page and think, “I really don’t want to do this.” Now, nearly at the end of the contract, I’m left wondering just when I wrote this massive quantity of articles. It just happened.
Sure, sometimes your fingers will start to tap, your mind race, and you’ve got to pen something NOW. But the rest of the time, here are a few tips and tricks that have come hard-earned over the years.
1) Just get something on paper. Write drivel. Transcribe Russian. I don’t care. Write.
I’m notorious for just starting to write random things on a paper. Ever since I was in grade school, it’s been a way to distract myself, to let my brain process and think. I literally have shelves of notebooks filled with writing that will never see the light of day. If we’re ever in a meeting and you see me writing, I’m not ignoring you. I’m processing the project. It could be a to-do list, it could be the beginning of a historical essay. The lure of filling blank paper with words is just too tempting, and my brain’s working as those characters appear.
So, when you find yourself staring at the blank page, just get something on paper. Line out your workout for later in the evening. Write three sentences about your last trip — what you saw, felt, smelled. Pen a poem. Last week I was stuck on an advertising campaign for a client; I picked up my pen and paper and transcribed the Russian alphabet and basic words. Next thing I knew, my brain had churned over the campaign and I was ready to get it on paper. Just fill the page… I don’t care if it’s garbage or not.
2) Create an outline.
This is one of my favorite content writing tricks. Especially if it’s a topic that requires research, I’ll do my homework and then organize my notes into a basic outline. From there, it’s far easier to create a coherent article. This builds off the point above… you’re just getting something on paper, and an outline makes a big project seem a little more “biteable.”
3) Move yourself.
Sometimes you need to physically move. Leve the computer, abandon the notebook, and go for a walk. If you’re in an office, go get coffee. Squeeze in a workout if you can. In my days at Orvis headquarters, I’d go throw dries as brook trout in a nearby stream. This winter, the rowing machine is my go-to for mulling over new projects. Physically moving your body puts you in a different brain space, allowing your mind to subconsciously mull over creative projects while your body is occupied with something else. Keep a note-taking device nearby… I’ve definitely been that girl in the gym madly making notes on my phone as an idea crystalizes.
4) Choose your soundtrack. Consume caffeine.
Good music helps. Coffee also helps. Not a coffee drinker? Pick your poison… tea, water, kombucha, whatever. Fuel up and get those words on paper. Stream your music so you’re not constantly having to flick through songs and interrupt your creative flow. My happy space this week? Too much black coffee, a big jug of water and the Atomic Blonde soundtrack on Spotify. Next week the music selection could be Mancini. It’s anybody’s guess.
5) Write More.
As cool as it sounds to say writing is truly divine inspiration, it’s not that sexy. Writing is a habit, and like all habits, it needs to be nurtured. Write often. Write a variety of content. Stuck on the commuter train? Pen a poem. Long flight? Give yourself a prompt and write a 2,500-word short story. Tired and just not feeling it today? Too bad. Write, dammit.Some of the hardest writing I’ve done is on international assignments. When we’re in some remote corner of the world, it’s past midnight, I only have a headlamp, my body is screaming for rest and we have a 4AM wake-up to break camp, the last thing I want to do it take detailed notes in my notebook. But when we’re exhausted our brains do funny things, and I know that by the time I get on the plane ride home and feel like I have time to write notes down, I’ll have forgotten the visceral details that make stories truly compelling.
You can look back over my notebooks from years past and you’ll see notes like “f-ing tired” “fishing sucked” “peppermint-scented air” “too many snakes” “nurse provided antibiotics; not sure what they are” and “this is f-ing awesome.” (These were all literally trip notes from the past several years.)Write what you feel, even if it’s in little phrases. Take notes on maps (I have weird maps on my office wall from all over the world, smeared with dirt and blood and who-knows-what, but they’ve earned a place on the wall). Those comments will jolt you back into the moment later, and you can expound and get the article written on the long plane ride home. And, years later, you’ll be glad you did.
One more tip? Always, always jot down the names of place and people when you’re on location. Have the locals look at your list to ensure you’re getting the spelling right. Note nicknames, funny local terms, whatever. You’ll forget by the time you wish you remembered.
Now go forth and write, be it from the couch, the local coffeehouse or the far corners of the globe.
{ 8 comments }
