Today’s TEDx experience was nothing short of extraordinary.
I had the honor of sharing a message shaped by the Arctic and strengthened by the wisdom of the Gwich’in Nation a message about what it means to belong to the land that claims you.
The Arctic cracked me open and returned me to a truth I had forgotten:
Belonging isn’t about acceptance from others.
Belonging is a relationship with the land one that reveals who you are when everything else is stripped away.
I spoke about the moment fear fractured that relationship, and how the North helped me reclaim it. I shared the Gwich’in story of the young caribou and the bumblebee a reminder that the natural world is held together by relationships so intricate that only those who belong to the land ever truly see them.
TEDx brought together an incredible community of speakers and listeners.
I’m grateful for the platform, the trust, and the space to speak from a place of truth, land, and lineage.
May we all return to the landscapes that claim us.
May you find the place that brings you home. @keepalaskawild
#TEDx #Arctic #Gwichin #Belonging @tedxmthood #portland
It’s been a long, powerful week — from the Oprah Winfrey Podcast Show with Harpo Productions to tonight’s TEDx rehearsal.
Dialing in the message before the lights come up tomorrow, with Axe at my side. Some stories aren’t performed — they’re carried.
#tedxmthood #oregon #pdx #arctic #arcticrefuge
OPRAH WINFREY PODCAST SHOW
A really powerful thing happened recently. I was given an incredible opportunity to work with Oprah Winfrey / Harpo Productions — and they gravitated toward my story.
As many of you know, I’m a combat Navy veteran, and my service dog Axe (from Northwest Battle Buddies @northwestbattlebuddies . ) has been by my side for 11 years. He supports me as I navigate the many lanes of my life: nonprofit founder of @lik_free2roam Love is king and Soul River inc @soul.river.inc filmmaker, photographer, and expedition leader guiding diverse leadership teams to the top of the world in the Arctic Circle.
Axe helps me move through all of it — the social justice work, the environmental justice work, the creative justice work. He keeps me grounded, focused, and able to carry the weight of the mission.
To have Oprah’s team see value in that story… it means a lot.
Thank you for appreciating this moment with me. Three days of shooting with @oprahpodcast
Stay tuned — May 25th— for the release.
#oprahwinfrey #oprahpodcast #flyfishing #veterans #outdoors
Black Gun Ownership: A Portrait
From an ongoing study of identity, safety, and presence in Black America.
I shot this portrait for a New York Times article examining the realities of Black gun ownership in America — a topic shaped by history, fear, protection, and the environments we move through.
My intention with this image was not to sensationalize, but to humanize. To show presence. To show the quiet weight carried by so many.
Honored to contribute to a story that opens space for deeper understanding and conversation
This image sits within the same themes I was commissioned to photograph for The New York Times — stories that look beyond stereotypes and into the lived realities of our communities.
This isn’t about glorifying a weapon.
It’s about the quiet weight of protection, history, and the environments that shape us.
A study in presence. A study in truth.
#PortraitPhotography #DocumentaryPhotography #BlackStories #AmericanIdentity #VisualNarrative CinematicPortraits PhotographersOfColor NYTAssignment StorytellingThroughImages @afrovivalist
Chasing the moment before the ocean swallows it — because if we don’t witness these places, we can’t protect them.
#veteran #flyfish #outdoors #creative #photography
Years teach you things the easy days never will. You learn to stand steady, breathe deep, and move forward with whatever the moment gives you. Still here. Still doing the work.
#veteran #flyfish #outdoors #creative #mission
Let this image honor my mother “Mothers Day” the woman whose prayers, strength, and belief shaped my path. her teaching gave me prayer and fight and grace , gratitude, and the quiet medicine of fly‑fishing, the ritual that steadied me through my darkest hours as a veteran and led me into my purpose as a nonprofit leader and creative professional. Keep it real, eyes on the prize, grounded, and carrying the resilience she taught me.
#flyfishing #mothersday #healing #veterans #flyfishingsaveslives
Straight from the heart of Bend, Oregon to the newsstand racks — my cover photo featuring the Littleleaf guides is officially out in the world.
Proud to spotlight their connection to the Deschutes and the culture they carry forward.
@bendmagazine@littleleafguides@mrslittleleaf@elkelittleleafkirk #flyfishingphotography #flyfishing #veterans
Some of us aren’t meant to follow the trail — we’re meant to cut a new one. Keep your heart sharp, your purpose steady, and your courage loud enough to drown out doubt. You’re not here to fit in. You’re here to shift the ground beneath you.
#TEDxMtHood #ForTheCommonGood #LeadershipInTheWild #StorytellingForChange #CommunityFirst
The Version You Can’t Hide From
Every one of us is riding through life with a version of ourselves we hope others never see. The mask isn’t the helmet — it’s the story we tell to feel safe. The moment you face the world without it, that’s when the real journey starts.
#adventure #truth #nature #surrvival #photography
Honored to share that I’ll be taking the stage at TEDxMtHood 2026 on May 16.
This year’s theme, For the Common Good, hits home.
We’re living in a moment where noise often drowns out empathy, and personal branding can overshadow community. But step outside the echo chamber and you’ll find people doing the real work—artists, storytellers, conservationists, teachers, elders, organizers—quietly building a future rooted in connection, courage, and care.
I’m grateful for the chance to bring my voice to that circle.
To talk about the wild places that shaped me.
To honor the communities that raised me.
To speak to what we can build when we choose we over me.
See you on the mountain.
May 16 • 8:30–4:30 • Leonard W. Rice Auditorium
#TEDxMtHood #ForTheCommonGood #LeadershipInTheWild #StorytellingForChange #CommunityFirst
James Edward Mills: A Portrait in Storytelling
Portrait of James Edward Mills — journalist, author, National Geographic Explorer, and board member for both Alaska Wilderness League and Love Is King.
A man whose life’s work sits at the intersection of history, culture, and adventure. He’s spent decades documenting the stories that shape us and amplifying the voices that often go unheard.
Grateful to have the opportunity to interview, film, and photograph James while in Washington, D.C. for a new film coming out this summer — UNSEEN.
#CinematicPortraits @keepalaskawild@lik_free2roam #photography #outdoors @thejoytripproject
