I'm The Guest Speaker for GoPro in a Live training Session For B&H Photo/Video

In this training session I discuss leveling up your photography and video using the power of perspective. It’s full of useful tips that people of all skill levels can learn from and put to good use right away.

Welcome to the World, GoPro HERO12!

Welcome to the world, GoProHERO12 Black! This camera brings with it some awesome new features that I know I’ll put to good use. From HDR video to the very first GP-Log with LUTs, challenging lighting and camera matching just got a much needed boost.

The new MAXLensMod 2.0 will be HUGE for me as someone who never seems satisfied with the widest of wide angles. This one gives us 4K/60 at 177 degrees.

The ability to record voice-to-video using Bluetooth and Air Pods as well as using this same technology for camera voice command will be helpful in so many situations and you all know how much I like to talk! I’ll be showcasing some of that here soon...

🤯 Up to 2X the battery life with the same Enduro batteries! 🤯 I’m the carry-a-million-batteries guy so this helps a ton.

And another thing I’m happy about is no need for extra 1/4-20 screw thread mounts so I can put my camera directly on my ball head and get some of those tricky long exposure shots in creeks or along the sea shore.

Stoked for today, for I have so many fresh new ideas of what I can do with an exciting new tool in my bag. Time to go make a splash! 💦💦

Super Moon Over The California Tower in Balboa Park, San Diego

The July, 2022 super moon rises behind the California Tower in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

Beautiful Video from a GoProHERO10 From Inside a Campfire

Have you ever wondered what it looks like from inside a campfire? Have you ever been curious if a GoPro can handle the high temperatures needed to shoot within a blazing hot fire? In this video I take you on a journey through our desert campfire using mesmerizing super slow-motion of 240 frames per second with my GoProHERO10.

While I don't recommend you try this with any camera, in order to limit the possibility I destroyed mine, the following is the technique I used. Approaching the fire with my GoProHERO10 mounted on a 270Pro Backpack extension pole I analyzed the campfire for paths I would send my camera though, then would quickly move my camera through them. I'd give the camera time to cool, check the footage in my Quik app using the slow motion feature to make sure my movement was slow and steady enough to get the desired effect. Then, if my path wasn't slow enough I would try again and repeat letting the camera cool between each attempt.

In all, I was able to shoot twelve trips through the fire without any perceived damage to my HERO10 by using the above technique. Please be careful if you try this, not only do you risk destroying your camera, but also burning yourself. As we all know, fire is no joke, but there is something so peaceful about seeing the world inside a fire in super slow motion. At the very least I'd recommend using a fresh SD card so in case something were to go awry, you won't lose any of your previously recorded clips from the day.

The New GoPro HERO10 Black - Here to Inspire

After a few months of testing the new GoProHERO10 Black. I’ve discovered and have been reminded of one very important thing.

My Photo From La Jolla is The GoPro Photo of the Day Across Their Social Channels Today

One of the most slippery spots on earth, this unusual section of reef looks like Mars and is called “Hospitals.” A favorite spot for photographers, and one heck of a location to test out the durability of the GoPro HERO9. It passed on all counts.

2021 Yosemite Firefall Season

It all started in January. The endless nights scouring the internet for clues of locations from which to shoot the Yosemite “firefall” from. Countless hours spent triangulating viewpoints on Google earth. Many dinners eaten while evaluating elevation gains on ledges and snowbanks. Night after late night spent doing four-mile loops up steep hills in my neighborhood in preparation. Most of us landscape photographers do this. When we aren’t working or shooting, we’re planning and visualizing our shots and getting our physical body ready.

Luckily for me, my friend Rick reserved a spot inside the park for peak firefall time and he invited me to join him. We made this pilgrimage last year, only to find an El Capitan cliff face with no water spilling over the ledge. We had a good feeling this time would be much different. Several storms lined up and blanketed Yosemite Valley with snow right before our trip and the forecast for our stay included both days of sunshine and possible snow and rain. At the very least, we’d likely have some ideal landscape photography conditions.

Preparations begin early for all of us.

As with any eight-hour drive that begins before dawn, we arrived relieved to be out of the car, but beat from working late into the night on final deadlines. This left us without the energy for any elevation hiking, so we opted to photograph the first night’s possible firefall from the north side of the valley with the rest of the crowds. A few years back, some irresponsible visitors cased damage to the Merced riverbank by overcrowding it. They damaged trees, left garbage and feces and trampled vegetation to get the best view. So now the park service has closed off the southern side of the valley, which in my opinion, is the best angle for this phenomenon. Even though Yosemite limited the number of reservations per car entering the park this year, most drivers grouped together with friends and many arrived early in the morning before the gate into the park is even occupied. This all lead to still massive crowds for firefall on the north side.

True influencer in the wild.

You can tell who’s done their research for this event, for they are the ones who stay all the way through the show. Most people are seen leaving before it even happens, tricked into the thinking the lit-up cliff wall is firefall. It isn’t. The real thing doesn’t occur until just before dark. Those who remain until the end are hopefully treated with one of nature’s rarest and finest light shows. Some years, like last year, it doesn’t happen at all. Other times the conditions are perfect, then a pesky cloud comes in at the last minute and blocks the light. This happened to us on night three of this trip.

Any visit to the wilderness is rewarding, in and of itself. From encounters with wildlife, to just getting away from the city for a bit of quiet time, us adults grow quite fond of getting out of a town for a bit of a recharge. I grew up in Oregon and when I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to leave all this behind and move to a big city where all the action is! It’s funny how we always seem to long for what we don’t have in our current situation.

Once in Yosemite for the week, we soon learned that so many photographers we knew through social media were also here to catch this event. For some, it was a bit of a reunion from last year, but we also met some great new friends as well who all share the love of landscape photography. It’s fun to talk shop, exchange ideas and just hangout in one of nature’s most beautifully iconic views. From helpful support up and down ridges to celebratory drinks after an evening’s shoot, the company we meet on these excursions are always a big highlight for me.

My camera gear for this trip were two GoPro Hero9 Blacks, two GoPro MAX, and a Nikon Z7 mirrorless. My lenses consisted of the new Nikkor 14-30 f4 S, Nikon 24-70 f2.8 G, my old Nikon 70-200 f2.8 G, and a Nikon 200-500 f5.6 E. My tripod is the FLM CP30-S4 II. I used the GoPro Hero9 Blacks for both time lapse videos and for photos when the 14mm just wasn’t wide enough, which can be often amongst these towering granite cliffs. I’m using my Z7 shots for prints, but now that the GoPro Hero9 is 24mp, it can easily serve this purpose as well. Since there was a very real possibility of snow in the forecast and already snow on the ground, I brought crampons, snowshoes and NRS Boundary Socks, which I cannot recommend enough. Especially if there’s a possibility you may need to safely cross the Merced River for a shot. I did and didn’t even feel the icy water.

El Capitan as the storm rolls through. Shot with the GoProHERO9 Black.

Fire of the earth. Horsetail Fall “Firefall” with Nikon Z7 and Nikon 200-500 f5.6 E.

The decision always has to be made, unless you’re sticking to shooting on the valley floor, which lenses to carry. I learned quickly last year that climbing anywhere in Yosemite takes a lot out of you, or at least it takes a lot out of out of me! With that said, I tried to keep my pack as light as I could. Ridge scrambling with a heavy pack can be dangerous and exhausting. I think next year I’ll probably do this with just my Z7, 14-30mm, and GoPro cameras. Going up with the 14-30, 70-200 and 200-500 was just too much.

Wherever you end up shooting from in Yosemite, mind the rules, clean up after yourself, be kind to others and the animals, and leave it the way you found it. Don’t risk a $280 to get that riverbank shot in a closed area just to do it for the gram. (You know who you are) This is why we can’t have nice things in the first place, and if people keep breaking the rules, maybe they’ll close the entire south side of the valley.

I’d like to thank the team at GoPro for their support, my buddy Rick for inviting me, and all my friends, old and new, I was able to share this experience with. Maybe this will be an annual adventure. One that will include me scrambling with a lighter pack next time!

Horsetail Fall “Firefall” from across the valley floor. Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 14-30 f4 S.

Jeromy Green and I Are Awarded in the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge for the Second Year in a Row

It took 25 attempts and all appeared hopeless, but pro skateboarder Jeromy Green and I were able to pull off an insane trick. One in which Jeromy takes my camera from me while mid-backflip as he flies by at a high rate of speed. Our first completion of this trick landed us right back in the final awarded edit for this year’s challenge. For Jeromy to land the trick and also successfully grab my camera while upside down required some practice with me physically handing it to him. I had to basically put in in his hand.

When we finally completed the trick we knew we had something special with our clip, but also knew we were running against 29,000 other clips from creators all around the world, and competition is getting much stiffer by the year with more and more people becoming camera enthusiasts. Still, the fact that Jeromy and I have been shooting together for several years gives us a good familiarity with each other and makes completing something like this, this is really by feel, a little easier.

Shooting for the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge has always been so much fun because it challenges us to think outside the box and GoPro cameras like GoPro HERO9 and GoPro MAX, along with all the creative mounting possibilities, help us photographers expand our possibilities for how we capture our ideas. We see the amazing shots each year from content creators around the world using these cameras and it’s so cool to see how they are used in new and exciting ways. Skateboarding is the perfect companion for us who use action cameras because we’re using our creative tool to to capture these athletes performing such creative and complex, not to mention extremely difficult tricks.

Last year it was all about 360 degree video and extension poles like the 270Pro to put the camera in harm’s way and get unique angles and nice dolly or crane shots. This year it’s the difficult camera hand-off. Next year, I really don’t know. All I know is it sure will be fun to come up with new ideas and see how much farther we can push the limits of creative, immersive video. If you want to know how to shoot for the Million Dollar Challenge, it’s either in the right place at the right time for an epic natural event like a sunset in a gorgeous location, or you need to put in some thought to how you can plus your current camera angles and pull something off that simply makes the viewer say, “Wow.”

You can watch the final GoPro edit above and a full length of our clip below along with a BTS of how we get our shots and the importance of camera motion to draw the audience in.

Just Finished The Logo For SUP Coronado

It was an honor to design the new logo for SUP Coronado. I always feel such an attachment to anything Coronado, but having any opportunity to create an illustrated logo is always a huge plus. SUP Coronado hosts paddleboard tours, and even one mixed with a visit to a brewery! To book your tour today, click this link: SUP Coronado

I'm Featured Today In GoPro's 'Photo of the Day' Across Their Social Platforms

I captured this image at high speed crossing Interstate 5 in Downtown San Diego. The image features the new GoPro Stash Rolltop Backpack which you can purchase here: GoPro This is one of my favorite spots to ride and another shot I took here a few years ago with the 360 camera GoPro Fusion was also featured by GoPro.

Be OF The Chaos and Power

When I realized the guy behind me was laughing at me for getting absolutely blasted by this wave, I gave him a quick smile and kept shooting. No better thing to be than OF the chaos and the power. 🌊

I'll Be Live This Wednesday With GoPro As I Join The Team To Break Down Shooting Footage For The GoPro Million Dollar Challenge

Hey friends! I have an exciting event coming up! On October 14th, 2020 at 10am PST @GoPro will be doing a live training for this year’s GoPro Million Dollar Challenge, and I’ll be one of several special guest speakers who will be sharing methods we use in our approach to getting our shots. As we get closer to the live event I’ll post a link to the YouTube live stream. Hope you guys can tune in and pick up some tips to up your chances for some major cash and a feature in what’s always one of the most exciting videos of the year.

We Hit The Jackpot - Sea Turtle Encounter in La Jolla, California

A few years ago I had a belief that I had to travel to a place like Hawaii to have the experience I had yesterday, twenty minutes from my home. The week after we flew back here from Oahu, where we swam with dolphins in the open ocean and had many encounters with sea turtles on each part of the island, the water temperature in San Diego was warmer than in Hawaii, approaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In that week I saw someone post a photo of their encounter with a sea turtle in La Jolla. I couldn’t believe it, but the surroundings in the shot sure looked authentic. Browsing their feed I saw that they also scuba dive so I chalked it up to them being in locations on the sea floor I’ll never see.

Then, yesterday happened. The Z-man and I ventured out on the SUP to crystal clear, super warm water in La Jolla. There were leopard sharks everywhere, dolphins doing front flips alongside Z as he did them off the paddleboard, and sea lions cruising between us and the beach. As we explored the reef area, we hit the lottery. There, feeding on kelp was this beautiful sea turtle. It was super chill around us and we swam with it for twenty five minutes. What an amazing and peaceful experience and sweet memory for Z as he grows up. This all further plants the knowledge in his and my head that maybe we don’t have to fly far from home, we just need to get out and look more often.

📷 Shot with #GoProHero9

Get yours here: GoPro

The GoPro Hero9 Black is Here and it Changes The Game

I've spent some time testing the newest GoPro Hero9 Black and give you my thoughts on this exciting new camera. I focus on the overall experience with this camera and not on the specs. How a camera makes you feel and the imagery you capture with it means everything to me. I go through some of the updated new features and show clips and stills I've shot with using this newest GoPro Hero camera.

You can purchase the GoPro Hero9 Black here: http://bit.ly/GoProHero9Black

The Summer Heat Returns

This could very well be Hawaii, but this is La Jolla, CA and today the water is warmer than it is in Oahu. I’m not sure what type of affect that has on local marine stability, but it sure is nice for us humans to be in when along with the warm water, we have an unusually humid heat wave going on. Shot with a GoPro and extreme stoke levels for summer water.

Plains, Trains and Automobiles

Just watching the world go by, day by day. And not one day goes by without giving thanks that this little hill and tiny spot in the universe is the neighborhood I call home. 🏠 

📷 Shot with the multi-talented little GoPro in Night Mode, and lit with the colorful new RGBWW AputureMC in AmericasFinestCity

Reflecting on Reflecting

One thing I’ve been really thankful for lately is the time I’ve had to reflect. I’m equally thankful to have a few hours to spend at the beach with my friends in a much needed recharge and our friends and family support is what’s needed for me, right now. I feel a new energy, one that is at peace and another that has a creative fire that is igniting at the perfect time. Sunset season is about to begin at our beach! 🔥

Imperial Sand Dunes, California: Live and Learn.

Made my way out there with a friend to check it out. Shouldn't have done this in July. It was so hot it was straight up dangerous. Once the sun went down it became a little more tolerable, but by this time my body was exhausted from the heat. Glad I was able to sneak out a quick shot. I'll be returning when it's cooler. What an incredibly beautiful place!