The Madness Cave will always be both equally humbling and inspiring. Getting a chance to watch these crushers climb will be a major source of psych in the coming winter months.
When I saw @naokifukuda walking down the street with his 8x10 camera I knew I had to say something; it’s not everyday you see a setup like his. I would have never expected for him to offer to take my picture and I’m so incredibly grateful he did. When he sent me the result I was absolutely stunned. This has to be my favorite picture of myself. Such mastery a beauty from Naoki. Hats off to you and thank you for letting me get a small window into your process.
Judy Albretch is a life long Pittsburgh native whose passions are deeply intertwined with the city and its rivers. Having learned to waterski with friends in the early 70s, she has relentlessly pursued a mastery of the sport ever since. Summer after summer you’ll find her on the river, chasing “her record”, trying to ski more days this season then she did the last. Time after time she gets pulled out of the water with grace and poise that very few can match. Once she’s in the water the river’s “magical powers”, as she puts it, make any barriers that age may present vanish in her wake.
At long last I’m happy to release the trailer for my upcoming short documentary Hey Jude. This film has been the longest project I’ve spearheaded to date and the path to finishing was not always clear. When I first conceived this documentary I was a little intimidated by the idea, I wasn’t positive I had the skills to pull off something like this. I wanted so badly to do justice to Judy’s story and bring her love for the water to the screen in an authentic way but I worried I may not be the one to make it happen. Now on the other side of this creative journey, I am happy to say that while this project stretched me and caused me to grow, I’m proud of the film we made. The challenges, lessons, and most importantly the adventures this project has led to are ones I will cherish forever. I’m so grateful to have gone through this filmmaking process with my creative collaborator @maxconaway Thank you for challenging me and allowing me to work through my ideas. Having someone to push against creatively and work alongside without a doubt made this a better project than I could have done by myself. I am so excited to share this story with others and bring the same inspiration that Judy provides us to the world. The film will be premiering at the Pittsburgh Film Festival on June 29th in the Parkway Theater, Pittsburgh PA featured as part of the Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival. Link for tickets in my bio.
This is a place with vastness no lens can fully capture.
It begs for your eyes, etches itself in your memory.
Legends tell of a land of cataclysm and giants; wild and untamed.
A melting pot of the world; stuck between yesterday and tomorrow. —— Some images of my hike up the Siyoma Valley. What a way to spend one of my last days in the country. It certainly left a prominent impression as I think back on my time exploring Tajikistan.
This is a place where the price of beauty is hardship and struggle.
To walk amongst the towering cathedrals requires a penance.
Abandon all hope of protection, convenience or predictability
These are some day and evening photos just outside the remote village Sarytag. Spending the night in this village was humbling and awe inspiring; an experience I will not soon forget. Reflecting on my time here as I settle back into a pace of life that is a direct opposite magnifies the beautiful serenity found here. Its been a true privilege to walk through these places and take these memories home.
Shoutout to Utah for getting the snow memo last week. I had some amazing ski days full of power. Now the East Coast needs to get on board.
Special thanks to @cynthiamartinezmeh for being the greatest host ever. Also to @madi__bee and @dizzyfilms_ for some great nail biting cribbage games.
