A little overdue here, but I had to get a few photos from Grand Canyon up. I was fortunate to have a work assignment, assisting a well-known videographer on an OARS trip down the Colorado River. We “swamped” a dory trip for the entire 277-mile length of Grand Canyon. My primary job was facilitating the video production, but I was able to shoot a few images as well.
We were lucky to get an invite on a friend’s reservation to one of our favorite places on the planet, Benton Hot Springs. We’ve been coming to Benton for a few years and even spent our honeymoon here. Every time we camp next to the tubs, we’re reminded how crazy beautiful it is. This was Penny’s first trip to this area and we’re already looking forward to many more.
I had an amazing time working for Backscatter for the last three years. The staff there are some of the most fun, wildest and incredible people I’ve been fortunate to work with. From the very start, they welcomed me to the team, took me diving, taught me a ton about underwater photography and treated me like a friend more than a coworker. The pandemic was tough on all of us, but the management went to great lengths, and sacrificed on a personal level, to keep the all of us employed. I’ll always be grateful for this.
With our growing family, Mikaela and I decided we needed a little more room. And we’ve always wanted a house of our own, where we could have a dog and a garden. We found the perfect little place in the foothills of the Sierra, near Pioneer, California. We moved up in March and have been settling in since.
As things start to open up and retail stores start to get back in the swing of things, working remotely for Backscatter was not ideal for the customers and the staff. I’ll always miss the beautiful view out of the shop windows and the goofy banter between my coworkers.
As luck would have it, I stumbled onto another amazing opportunity. I’ll be working for OARS, which happens to have their worldwide headquarters a few towns away. With deep roots in the Grand Canyon and California, they offer whitewater rafting and river adventures all over the West. And the company has a legacy of actively pursuing river conservation and promoting DEI within the whitewater community. My official title will be digital marketing and foundation coordinator. I’ll be working on their social media (@oars_rafting, @oarsamericanriveroutpost) and blog. I’ll also be coordinating the Pam and George Wendt Foundation, which takes groups of under-resourced youth on river trips at little or no cost. I’m pretty excited about that part!
The cover of Clarity: A Photographic Dive in Lake Tahoe’s Remarkable Water
Clarity, my book of underwater photography from Lake Tahoe, is now out. Published by Schiffer Books, Clarity: A Photographic Dive into Lake Tahoe’s Remarkable Water is four years of shooting on all sides of the lake during every season. It’s tough to say it was a lot of work because I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope that comes across on the pages. A few links to places you can buy it are below. Thanks for checking it out.
TAHOE CLARITY — Clarity: A Photographic Dive Into Lake Tahoe’s Remarkable Water
SCHIFFER BOOKS — CLARITY: A Photographic Dive Into Lake Tahoe’s Remarkable Water
AMAZON — CLARITY: A Photographic Dive Into Lake Tahoe’s Remarkable Water
THRIFTBOOKS — CLARITY: A Photographic Dive Into Lake Tahoe’s Remarkable Water
I first heard about the Garden of the Queens when my Dad told me about the places he’d like to dive most. He said this region in the Caribbean was pristine and had been protected for decades. I did a little research and found stories and images of beautiful mangroves, sharks, groupers and crocodiles. It definitely looked like an awesome place to dive. But, it’s hard to get to and seemed blocked by bureaucracy. So I put it on the back burner.
Years later, I just happened to have an opportunity to check out a new boat that Cuba Diving Centers was adding to its fleet. I grabbed by two favorite dive buddies (my Dad and brother) and hopped a flight to Camaguey, Cuba. We found our fears about entering and exiting Cuba were unfounded. It was seamless. And, needless to say, the diving was everything we hoped for. If you’re interested, Backscatter is arranging a trip there in 2020.
It’s been a while since I’ve updated the ol’ blog, but I thought I’d throw a post up around the New Year. It’s been a whirlwind 12 months, and I' can’t say I regret spending less time updating my personal website. I started working at Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo last January. It’s been amazing so far. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a lot of that time diving and shooting. Here’s one image from an especially memorable dive near our shop in Monterey.
The bags are all packed. The websites are updated. The house is locked. We're off. Mikaela and I are heading to Indonesia for a month of absolute tropical adventure. This will be my second trip to Indonesia and Mikaela's first. We're going to a remote area called Raja Ampat in the northwest part of the country. Raja Ampat is known for its pristine marine environments. Some of the most robust coral habitats are just below the surface. We plan on snorkeling 18 hours a day. I can't wait to share pictures.
Goodbye West Coast, USA. Hello, Southeast Asia.
It's amazing how quickly the seasons change around here. One day you're swimming at Secret Cove and the next you're freezing in front of the fire place. We've had a couple storms sprinkle snow on the mountaintops, but nothing major yet. I think everyone is ready for the big one. I'm itching to do some last minute photo work in the lake before I have to bust out the thick, thick neoprene.
