The goal of this blog is to distill and document the life lessons and best practices that I’ve learned over the past 12 years of being a full-time wilderness photographer and creating things that matter to me, not for money, but out of my interest in experimentation and learning.
As an unexpected by-product, I also created a business that funds my life and teaches others photography at the same time.
My goal is to continuously learn, experiment, refine, distribute, and teach the ideas that I’m currently interested in.
Writing is one of the best ways to fulfill all these objectives.
If you’re interested in learning more about me, continue down on this page.
If you want to access my photography website, tutorials, videos or articles, use the links below:
Here’s my back-story for anyone interested…
In 2009, I finished engineering school at West Virginia University, and moved to Seattle, Washington, to work for Boeing Aerospace.
Finally, I had the money to buy a DSLR camera.
It was the perfect mix of physics, problem-solving, and creativity.
Next, the search for new photo locations led me to backpacking and week-long wilderness photography expeditions. This was the first time I experienced real freedom.
There is nothing better than living out of a backpack, traveling by foot, and having no set schedule.
In the wilderness, I learned to be self-sufficient, make decisions quickly, and trust in myself. There is no other option out there.
After the first long trip, I was hooked.
I wanted to spend every second out in the wilderness, hiking long distances, pushing my personal limits, and taking photos.
My engineering job got in the way. It also funded my adventures and equipment.
The job was great for the time being, but I wanted to get out within a few years.
I made an escape plan and started building it, one small step at a time.
Slowly, over the next 6 years, I learned the basics of running a business while working and creating images at the same time.
It was a great challenge. The risk of failure and promise of freedom kept me highly motivated.
In 2015, my photography business was able to support my life and travel requirements so I quit work at Boeing.
Since then I’ve spent 7-9 months of each year backpacking and taking photos in the wilderness.
This disconnect from the world gives me time to think of and process new ideas. I also use this time to create photos and videos for my website.
The remaining few months are spent building my website, teaching, and creating new content to help others learn. This is where I build out the ideas and edit the photos / videos from my trips.
The balance between teaching, learning, creating and wilderness adventure, keeps me motivated.
It’s also the best way I’ve found to have my own thoughts, without the constant influence of “the right way of doing things”, that’s constantly pushed online.
My goal is to distill a different perspective on ways to live in the information age.
The internet produced the ability to live on your own terms, creating a life that you control, more than any other technological advancement in history.
You can digitally build anything and share it with the world for close to free.
Sometimes, people even pay you for it!
On the other hand, the influx of mass information freezes some people in place.
There are too many choices. The filtering becomes a job on its own.
Hopefully, you will find my writing to filter the noise, in turn, allowing you to build something cool!
If you’re interested in my latest photos, or photography learning material, reference the links below.
Enjoy,
Dave