First or Last....never in between.

Now I am Warming by the fire...Here I am last man on the trail again, its just me and the swan.  I am either first or last but never in between.  I am stimulated by the coming and going of light.  Only once I immerse myself in the absence of humans and man made landscapes do I feel at home.  My responsibilities take a leave of absence as my thoughts seem to slowly creep into a creative state where nothing is forced.  Only ideas flow to me like the creek I am sitting beside...Lemon creek,  the endless battle with my brain in and out of social expectations.  The way she works makes me romanticize what it must be like to function like this daily.  Only just now am I scratching the surface of her perfect working environment.  I don't know specifically where it is but I can somewhat describe what it feels like.  You see my brain falls asleep my eyes sharpen with such a heightened sense of vision, emotions start to flood and thats when she comes out.  Its like every absolutely clear "AHA" moment I have had has come from a mellow only felt while being outside.  I wasn't made for a desk...as I transcribe the notes from my journal to my desktop.  I am a hypocrite by default.  Now I am warming by the fire.  

 

There is a level of risk that comes with chasing what you love.  At the end of the day you either hit your goals or you fall flat on your face, either way no one is going to hold your hand to success and I am slowly but surely realizing it is a solo journey 99% of the time.  

Up the coast for a day. (Portland, Maine)

     Last week with only a few days left of our spring break Meg and I headed up to Maine.  Although I had been to Maine I had never been to Portland and I heard it was good for photographs (it really wasn't) it is basically a small city...but the surrounding areas were amazing.  We are broke college students still so we decided to only stay one night which made me worried about having enough time to get content for myself as well as photographs for the company's I am working with.  The first day up there we couldnt find anywhere to shoot in Portland so I ended up with a whopping ZERO photos day 1.  Although I did end up with a full belly and I had the hands down best coleslaw I have ever had in my life at the Little Tap House restaurant.  Basically being in a food comma after dinner Meg and I made our way back to the hotel and got super drunk and watched Tarzan as I looked up photo locations for the next day.  Super awesome tip for how I found the locations listed below, Search the place you are looking to find photo spots at on Instagram  you are bound to find awesome scenic spots because people love to geo tag.  If the spot you find on instagram doesn't have an address look at it on google maps and try to distinguish where the photo spot is in relation to surrounding landmarks.  This really helped me for these spots below because some of the places I was looking to find didn't have addresses.  Other than that just hiking, exploring and shooting should eventually lead you to your own unique scenic places.  Yeah instagram can help but it does get pretty boring seeing 20 photos of antelope canyon and horseshoe bend shot in the exact same frame every single day.  On to Day 2 I woke up super sick with such a shitty head cold, but I wasn't going to leave Maine empty handed.  That day was freezing cold raining sideways and everything was iced over not to mention we only brought light jackets because we figured it couldnt be too much colder than Connecticut.  We hit 3 spots that day and I took about 2000 photos, and I shot about a roll and a half of film.  We also ate more seafood.  Needless to say we will be going back to Maine and hopefully for a bit of a longer trip.  The sea food was amazing,  the hotels was only $86 a night with tax split to $43 a person and you can easily find cheaper hotels.  Hope this helps anybody looking to get into photography, or just to explore some new spots.  

Here the restaurant we loved in Portland      http://www.littletaphouse.com/  

The Pennant that says "Explore" on it featured in the photos is for a photo collaboration I am working on with      http://oxfordpennant.com/

Work, Working alone, and Unlikely Projects.

Currently I am waking up to a small snow drift in the middle of Connecticut.  I am just about to head to Brooklyn for the day but I wanted to squeeze this Blog in before I head out.  Its about work, working alone and taking on unlikely projects.  I am a huge proponent of collaboration, I think photography itself completely relies on it. Whether you collaborate with people, objects, the land or the sunlight photography in itself is one large collaboration.  One thing I noticed since I have moved home is that I work alone a lot.  I have camped out twice alone, I have hiked several times at 4 am just to catch the sunrise and sometimes there was no sunrise at all but rather a thick sky full of grey clouds.  I know I have a drive and obsession over this medium that wont let me rest until I am creating work I am proud of, and unfortunately I am not there yet.  I don't want to end up only shooting wedding photography or photos of children in a school, I understand I may have to do that now to survive but eventually I want to end up working on Ad campaigns that reflect my personal work.  The struggle and the hustle isn't easy but I do thoroughly enjoy it.  It has really pushed me to work with more brands around the country and to take on jobs I would have never expected to be photographing.  Recently one of the videos I filmed was the opening clip on the show Tosh.0 which is a client I had never expected to have, doing work I never expected to do.  I am striving to push my everyday work to look like quality of the brands and photographers I admire, but I am also looking to keep my passion, and creative twist on my work.  Unfortunately this leads to me working alone a lot lately.  I take photos every single day no matter the situations so I really appreciate when I get to shoot with friends or other new subjects.  To end this on a good note, keep shooting, don't be afraid to work alone... a lot... nobody is going to hold your hand to success, say yes to things you normally wouldn't do and you'll be surprised what you will start coming up with.  

 

Dustin Paolino

“Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.” 
― Ernest Hemingway

I read this quote and cant help but to reflect on my friend Dustin's life, who recently passed away.  Although the thought of Dustin comes up in my head several times a day I haven't let myself ponder the severity of the situation.  It's like I can't face the music I can't Imagine not seeing his face one last time without his smile coming back at me.  His laugh and voice are burned into my mind.  Even now just thinking of memories I don't know whether to laugh or cry, both of which I see as a correct response for someone who knew Dustin.  Dustin was the type of guy to be there for anyone who needed his help whether you were his friend or not I think he really prided himself on being able to help anybody.  Just to give you an example of what I am talking about, a group of about 14 of my friends went on a vacation together and the first night in the house I kicked a door down.  The next morning Dustin hid the broken bits of the door in his truck, we went to home depot bought all the stuff to put in a new door (A much bigger process than we realized) and in no time with Dustin leading the crew we had a door put in that looked better than the original.  Dustin's loyalty and guidance went far beyond this.  Every girlfriend trouble over the past 5 years he has listened to me bitch and calmed me down,  and I can't count on both hands how many times he has kept my ass out of trouble.  The memories go on and on and thats what I am going to hold onto and cherish.  The night of Dustins passing 2/6/16 was the last time I saw him, I had my camera on me but put it away early and unfortunately I didn't get his picture that night.  I guess that would have been my way of holding onto Dustin as he most currently was.   And in some sense photos are my way to cheat death, that until the day I die life can't take away the photos and the memories I have shared with the people I love.  The world lost a great man this week, and my friends and I lost a great jamming buddy, one whacky SOB, and most importantly a loyal friend.  You will forever be missed D wish we could have had one last ride together.  

The Morning Will Find You.

I watched a Ted talk this morning about a guy in his early 20's who decided to wake up at 4:30 AM for 21 days.  He did so because he wanted to be productive and he had found research that showed evidence that it takes 21 days to form a habit.  Coincidentally I have been thinking about taking a break from drinking and I think a month away from alcohol could really do a lot for my productivity.  With out alcohol mornings are a lot easier and I am quiet the morning person.  Mornings are when I am most productive for answering emails, and taking most of my photos.  So I guess the point of this blog is to highlight a method that I think is a big key to success which is "Eliminating Obstacles"  Right now in my life a lot of wasted time and money has been spent at the bar with friends and although it may be fun it is far from productive.  With that being said I am looking forward to a month of no alcohol and finding more productive means of entertainment.  

No snow in sight.

In the north east of America we are dealing with the warmest December we have had in documented history.  A lot of people up here depend on the snow to earn an income, whether it be plowing, ski resorts, snowmobile guides etc.  This is a tough winter for these people as well as myself.  Its rather sad to see such a dry winter, but hopefully in the next month we will start seeing some blizzards.  

Lost in Iceland 4 (Aurora Borealis)

People travel for many different reasons some to relax, some to get away, others to meet new people but for me it is experiences like this.  There is nothing more rewarding to me then getting out of my comfort zone.  This night in particular we had set out before dusk to find a road that lead to all natural hot springs and a campsite in the Highlands of Iceland.  Having been to Iceland before I was prepared to see plenty of dirt roads, but my partners not so much.  Once it was dark out there wasn't much room to see and we contemplated turning around with the uncertainty of where we would sleep that night.  With the thought of being stranded in the mountains we decided to still push on and after a 3 hour drive on a dirt road we looked out of the cars windows to see northern lights.  In that moment there isn't much that can be said to describe the feeling you get when you see Aurora Borealis for the first time.  All I can really say to describe it is that I didn't really care where I was sleeping that night, how cold I was, what was around me or even what bills were due next month, for the next couple hours everything in the world was alright.  In these moments I find myself being okay with putting my camera down because the experience and the moment itself needs to be enjoyed for what it is.  I barely took any photos that night and I wouldn't change a single thing.  When thinking back to moments like this I  still need to remind myself what lead me to this point, and that is getting out of my comfort zone.  When I push myself towards road trips, sleepless nights, and trips with uncertainty I am more often then not pleasantly surprised.  In closing my number one piece of advice for myself and for others is to do something different, something your not used to, something uncomfortable because more often then not you will be surprised at what you might find.  

 

Lost in Iceland 3

This short blog is based on my affinity for water, and the spots we got to see throughout Iceland had some of the bluest, and freshest water I have ever experienced.  For those who share that same feeling and appreciation for moving water, enjoy.  

Lost in Iceland 1

Our first official night in Iceland we decided to head to a camp spot Matt had found online.  The campsite was located in the Icelandic Highlands and little did we know that this meant three hours of off roading in our suv while it was pitch black and completely desolate.  On the drive we ended up seeing some of the most amazing Northern Lights that ended up lasting through the night.  (pictures of that will be up soon) In that first moment of seeing Aurora Borealis we immediately stopped the car jumped out and just took in it's beauty.  It was like no other experience I have ever been a part of and I know in that moment we all shared a mutual unspoken feeling that could only be embraced by a hug and a quiet holy fuck.  After that we took off to get our camp set up and upon arrival we had to drive through a river that we noticed was steaming.  Again we got out of the suv and felt the rivers waters which was as hot as a bath.  We then drove through the river set up camp, and after a day with no food we had salad with dorritos as croutons (a camp delicacy).  That night was really cold but after a few beers and some shots of OPAL (salted licorice mint vodka) we took to the tent for a rough night of tossing and turning.  We woke in the morning to the sounds of mountain goats, and now that it was light out we could see that the warm river led to an all natural hot spring that we bathed in for about 2 hours.  After that we hit the dirt road back to civilization to start our journey.   

Feltraiger and Liberty Fairs

in

This summer I was brought on board as the in house photographer with Feltraiger (Fel-trey-gur) an American Made mens wear brand with a flagship store located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  After visiting the store for the first time about a year ago via the recommendation of my oldest brother, I walked in only knowing that they produced american made clothing. Immediately upon walking through the doors I felt like I was in one of my uncles motorcycle garages.  The manly smell of gasoline scented candles the dim lighting, 70s rock and the vintage playboy magazines really add the authentic touch, not to mention there was and still is a motorcycle on the floor of the store.  I was greeted by one of the owners Jon who was super down to earth, he really took an interest in educating me on the products they carried and overall just bullshitting with me about things we mutually thought were awesome.  To this day Feltraiger is the only retail store experience I remember every detail of after walking in for the first time.  Now one year later I have signed on as the brands east coast photographer and just this week attended my second Liberty Fairs trade show with Feltraiger where they showed their spring 2016 line.  I am very excited to see where this brand is headed and after seeing what they have in store for 2016 my belief in the brand has only been strengthened.  Feltraiger will be attending Liberty Fairs in Las Vegas August 17-19th if you'd like to check out some of their products and learn more about the brand follow the link below. 

https://www.feltraiger.com 

Richmond, Virginia Road Trip

Last weekend me and two of my friends took a road trip down to RVA (Richmond Virginia) to visit our good friend and amazing writer Kevin Finnemore.  Over the 3 days we were there we hiked, swam, ate and drank a lot of beer and tequila.  Although I am not the biggest fan of Tequila it really lent it self to the city and I think it's safe to say I am now a fan of Richmond, Virginia.  

If you would like to check out some of Kevin's writing here is a link https://instagram.com/kjfinnemore/

Lana Del Rey Concert

The other day I went to a Lana Del Rey concert with my good friend Holly ( with 2 L's not one because that would make her a church goer (Holy)<< not that.  One of her biggest pet peeves is when people misspell her name, which is all of 5 not 4 letters.  Holly is basically my female partner in crime, and the other day on the way to the concert in Boston she spotted a rainbow that she really couldn't get enough of.  Luckily I had my camera on me per usual so I had some fun getting creative from the passenger seat while enjoying some pre concert Jäger.  Here's what I came up with.  

Holly >>>  http://twofeetinthegrave.tumblr.com

Forgotten Youth Summer 2015.

This summer I started working with some bigger and more established brands, from WESC, and Pf Flyers, to Iron and Resin and Feltraiger.  It makes me really excited for my future in the fashion industry, but there is nothing I find more satisfying than making something out of nothing.  With that being said Forgotten Youth Supply didn't really start from nothing, it started with an idea and a relentless work ethic to get things done.  I have been working with Forgotten Youth since the start of the brand and over the past 6 to 8 months we have both seen our companies grow, Me with my photography and them with their clothing designs and customer outreach.  Forgotten Youth is run by the owner Patrizio Arpaia (Yes he's very Italian) who shares the same obsession and constant need to create things as I do.  In such a short amount of time he took this company from an idea to a brand that I know has a very promising future.  I have been working back and forth brain storming with Patrizio on planning Forgotten Youth Supply's Summer look book.  So in our not so typical fashion we grabbed our things and decided to take our meeting on a hike.  Here are some photos from our meeting/hike tuesday afternoon.  

http://www.forgottenyouthsupply.com

 

Hiking Sneak Preview

This past Saturday June 6th I moved back to Connecticut, being a person that loves nature I was super excited to get back to hiking, camping and swimming around the state. Unlike New York City its, much quitter here and physical exercise is no longer a burden like it was living in the city.  In Connecticut I just wake up grab my coffee sit on my front porch, call my friends and in 15-20 minutes were hiking, no traffic, no car horns, no smelly sewers or over whelming pollution, just good friends, nature, and good times. 

Rainy Day

Decided to take advantage of the rain and the fog, so I took my new Sandlot Pf Flyers outside to break them in and get em dirty.  Expect to see more lifestyle and product shots with PF Flyers all summer long.  They have been super supportive and are an awesome company to be collaborating with.