We are f-stop Archives

The whole story of Josito Gomez came from a trip to the Philippines, where he went to enjoy a wakeboarding championship, with camera in hand. He made the third best photo of the weekend, which was incredible. Years later he now specializes in extreme sports, especially motorsport. His work can be seen in different specialized magazines, including Scratch Magazine and Motor & Sport and in a wide portfolio of clients, such as, MRW Rally Team, Mavisa Sport, SMC Junior, and pilots.

Words and images by Josito Gomez

One of the most important events in Europe in terms of extreme sports and urban culture is O Marisquiño, which took place in the city of Vigo, Galicia. With the festival marked on the agenda I was eager and excited to attend for the ﬁrst time. It was important for me to go and be able to photograph other types of sports (of which I am in love) and live the experience of urban culture in its entire splendor.

I was accompanied on this trip by a great friend who was in charge of the video part (made for GoPro Czech Republic). We shared the work, the endless editing hours, and the fatigue, but also the good times. To be able to do what we like, and especially to show it to people, is where one of the greatest personal satisfactions resides. The biggest challenge, not only in this adventure, but in each event I attend and trip I go on, is to be able to get a symbiosis with the people I cross paths with. I try to transmit the moments and the sensations.

The camera is the tool that allows you to break the shyness barrier and get to connect with people through your eyes. It is the way to know places and their people, going from being a typical tourist to someone who is interested in who they are, which leads to constant learning. I would not know how to highlight a speciﬁc moment, but if I can communicate what encompasses urban culture and the world of skateboarding, bmx, and grafﬁti and help people who are disinhibited enjoy and forget for a moment the problems, that is spectacular! And all this accompanied by an authentic Galician cuisine, as well as the authentic food truck located inside the enclosure, especially one of Mexican food! Oh Mama!!!

Whenever one goes to an event, it is advisable to make a checklist of where it will happen. Search sites and access points to estimate how the light can be in different moments. Calculate schedules so that you will be able to go to all parts of the event. In summary, I usually go early so I have the necessary time to see the site that same day and at night prepare for it. All of the above is communicated in a photograph for which I used the following equipment: 2 Nikon D500 cameras, a Nikkor 70-200 f2.8, a Nikkor 17-55 f2.8, a Samyang 8mm, a Sigma 10-20mm f3.5, two ﬂashes, a Manfrotto tripod, a Joby Gorillapod tripod, and a Macbook Air 13”.

For the video shooting we used two GoPro Hero 7 cameras and a GoPro Fusion for 360º footage. All this was packed in the wonderful and fantastic f-stop Ajna backpack, using the Pro ICU - Large, and Laptop Sleeve 13”.

To this day, Josito continues to manage the social networks of some of his clients, in addition to continuing to acquire knowledge. In addition to his fantastic images, one of Josito's virtues is his involvement in, dedication to, and enthusiasm for the world of photography, since it is a passion and a lifestyle.

Connect with Josito:

Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

AJNA

PRO ICU - LARGE

LAPTOP SLEEVE 13"

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!

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My name is Daniel Thomas Anslow, I am 30 years old and from the UK. From the age of 16 I joined the British Army and have travelled to various countries during the time I have served. The military is all I have ever known and done since leaving school, but about a year and half ago, I became interested in travel and landscape photography and I haven’t looked back ever since.

Words and images by Daniel Thomas Anslow

My journey began on the 27 July 2019 with the purpose of travelling from Plymouth to North Wales, The Lake District and eventually Scotland over the period of a month, Living out of a Volkswagen van and sleeping in a tent. During this adventure I wanted to photograph some of the most iconic photography spots the UK has to offer, as well as find new locations to be creative and create new content for Instagram.

Whilst travelling across the UK, I personally wanted to improve my photography skills, up my Instagram story game and also improve my Instagram feed. I embarked on this journey with a good friend of mine called Jason John Fenton who already has an outstanding and ever growing following on the platform. He has definitely taught me a thing or two about photography and has also shown me better ways to achieve what I want when it comes to my compositions and editing of photographs.

Towards the end of our adventure we was met by Micheal Fitzgibbon who is an adventure seeker and fitness fanatic and Steven Kelly who teaches and runs various courses for survival in the south west and who owns a company called south west survival. We had some challenges along the way but with a little perseverance and determination we accomplishing what we set out to do.

Challenges

The biggest challenges we faced whilst on the road was the weather and being able to maintain all of our equipment during rainy days! At this time of the year, the UK is generally dry and warm, well at least that’s what we thought until we reached Scotland! Considering it was the end of July beginning of August when we began our adventure, most days were wet, cold and miserable and as a photographer this adds another level of difficulty and challenges, whilst also trying to maintain your camera gear.

From side ways rain hitting the face of your camera lens to condensation forming on the inside, these were very hard conditions to operate in and it definitely took its toll on us. I am currently using the Canon 6D MKii which is supposedly weather sealed but this is definitely not the case. A small amount of rain on my camera made my camera repeatedly stop working and made it malfunction. Multiple times during our adventure I found myself making plastic bag covers, which I tapped around the lens and body to form some kind of weather seal whilst also using canoe bags to prevent it from getting wet when we was hiking over the Torridon mountain range and ridge lines. One rainy day in Scotland we decided to find some Highland Coo to photograph for that real moody, wet look.

About half way through the shoot my camera failed to work and even started taking its own pictures. I was really heartbroken at the time because I really wanted to nail the wet shots but my camera wouldn’t allow it. I eventually came to the realisation that I would need to spend some time in Jason’s van in order to dry my camera on the heaters in hope my camera would start working again. Unfortunately After about an hour of trying to dry it, and it still not working correctly, I realised the shoot was over for me. Shortly after Jason and Micheal come rushing back to the van in order to dry out their cameras because condensation was forming inside their lens and they needed to dry it out as fast as possible so they could carry on shooting the Coo. We laughed so hard about the weather, being soaking wet through and the fact my camera gave up on me so easily. Its only once the weather subsides and you check your photos to see if you captured something special, that you feel like all the bad weather wasn’t so bad!

I found the f-Stop Tilopa mountain series backpack to be an essential piece of equipment for these kind of conditions. The Tilopa kept all of my camera equipment safe and dry and was a really comfortable bag to be carrying around the Welsh and Scottish mountains. I honestly think this backpack helped a lot with the challenges I faced whilst on the mountains and I’m never leaving home without it. The one thing I learned from this adventure was, you can never predict the weather but you can adapt to any challenge and overcome any situation as long as you’re determined enough to see it through. This was shown by the many great photos I’ve gained and not to forget the memories I have made also. Every photo has a story and I will always remember what I had to do to achieve each one.

Fun & Surprises

My favourite memory of the adventure was surfing the scree run on our decent of the Black Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye. After ascending the ridge and coming across some of the worst weather you could possibly want whilst on the hardest mountain range in the UK, we decided to make our way back down the mountain to find the coffee shop located at the Glenbrittle campsite for a well deserved hot dog and oats milk late. The thing I was most surprised about with the journey was the Tilopa backpack and how much stuff I could actually fit within it. I had all my camera gear which consisted of 2 lenses my 16-35mm and 70-200mm, batteries for my camera, my Mavic Pro and all of its components, as well as warm clothing, dry clothing, a sleeping bag, waterproofs, food, water and cooking utensils.

I’m shocked at how much equipment can be fitted within the backpack and the straps on the outside are perfect for attaching my roll mat, pillow, tripod and with a little bit of bungee on the bottom, my tent. What more could you want from a adventure backpacking when tackling the most serious mountain range in the UK. Whilst in Portree, a small well know town on the Isle of Skye we made one cafe called relish our go to cafe for the duration of the trip. The staff there are really friendly, talkative and they actually ask about your day and give you advise when needed. They also do the most amazing pies and cakes I have ever had and I would recommend this cafe to anyone who’s visiting Portree.

Tricks & Tips

Before setting out on your adventure pre-pack your backpack with everything you would use and make sure it fits. Preparation is key before taking on the British weather. Even in the summer months make sure you have gloves and a hat to keep you warm in case the weather turns for the worst whilst on the mountain. Never scrimp on a midge net, the worst thing you can do in the summer is forget this item, the midges will eat you alive and make your whole experience and journey one big nightmare. Where you can, always waterproof your equipment, use canoe bags and shower caps to protect your camera from the rain. Finally my biggest tip is, get out in the rain and photograph some wet Highland Coo, you can thank me later.

What’s Next

I like to think that I have a keen eye when it comes to seeing a composition from a different and unusual angle to others. I want to be able to show you the world I see and all of the stunning places I visit. My photos tend to have this moody look about them and I would take moody clouds over a sunrise or sunset any day. I’m currently based in the UK and a lot of my work will be produced here with the travel photos in between.

I am hoping to visit, Vietnam or the Philippines for Christmas but I am still undecided about which place I would like to go having travelled to the Philippines 4 times already. I also want to visit Iceland at Easter time next year. Iceland has always been the dream for me and all of my efforts will be towards getting there which may mean I have to sacrifice Asia for Christmas. If you would like to see more from our adventure please check out our Instagrams accounts. You can find the social media links for everyone who took part in the adventure below.

Instagram

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SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

Australian cinematographer and f-stop ICON Ambassador, Abraham Joffe, ACS has achieved international acclaim for his masterful imagery and storytelling and in 2017 was named Australian Cinematographer of the Year by the Australian Cinematographers Society. He is a family man and enjoys being a dad at home. His biggest challenge is finding the right work/life balance. He considers himself lucky to be able to do the work he does.

Words by Abraham Joffe, ACS

Images by Abraham Joffe, ACS, Alex Ames, and Dom West

The goal of this trip was to travel to South Georgia Island in the southern Atlantic Ocean with photographer David Yarrow to film the stark beauty of the landscape and document David’s creative process and work. Also, on this trip were fellow cinematographer Dom West, producer Louis Cooper Robinson, and David’s assistant Alex Ames.

There are few places left in the world where you can find yourself immersed in such a spectacle of nature. The staggering sight of hundreds of thousands of penguins and seals, encircled by a cathedral of mountain peaks and hanging glaciers would leave even the most jaded person in total awe. As David says in the film, you can really become quickly dumb-struck by the sensory overload and it can be hard to know where to start. What made it even more special is that we had this place all to ourselves for several days.

For our team, the aerials we documented were particularly rewarding. We went through the very involved process of gaining official permission to conduct drone operations on South Georgia's beaches. The importance of not affecting these areas is understandable, since they are home to sensitive breeding rookeries. It was of the utmost importance that we had no impact. This extremely rare access gifted us the most powerful drone footage we've ever captured, and I think added tremendously to the final film.

David was there with a big challenge, to capture singular frames that would somehow do justice to what we were witnessing. In some ways, our task as filmmakers seemed less daunting. As the medium of film is almost always a visual assembly, we could gather numerous shots to bring the story of David's creative process to life. What I appreciated most about filming David, was his willingness to be vulnerable. As an artist, he is his harshest critic and is very willing to accept when he hasn't managed to get the job done. This self-deprecation, paired with an enormous drive for perfection, I would argue, are two of his most powerful attributes as a world-class creative.

I think it’s encouraging for younger image makers to know that even the heavyweight veterans have their bad days, miss shots, and flat out screw up. But it’s the doggedness to keep striving, to keep grinding, that separates the good from the great.

As David says in the piece, the beaches of South Georgia are so incredibly breathtaking that it is really hard to know where to start shooting. Tens of thousands of penguins everywhere you look is a sight to behold! Not to mention the challenges of the bitter cold, roaring winds, and of wading through deep ponds of seal and penguin poo. And the weather can change in an instant. But, of course, these challenging conditions all transfer to the film, so it’s worth it.

The attitude and experience of a great team around you is how you overcome challenges. We were supported by an incredible crew on board our vessel, the Hans Explorer. They got us safely ashore and kept us very well fed and rested back on ship. On the beaches, we had veteran Antarctic guide Matt Brennan, who more than once kept us out of the jaws of an elephant seal.

I have been fortunate enough to visit South Georgia more than once. But this time was very different. We had these unrivalled locations all to ourselves. With seven billion people on the planet, we felt incredibly lucky to be there without others. It’s very hard to find places today without other people. I encourage anyone with a sense of adventure to visit the Antarctic region at least one time.

For our team, any shoot begins long before we set off. Apart from the obvious logistical planning, the packing of equipment is a long and detailed process. Choosing the right tools for the job and enough backup equipment to ensure you keep shooting is critical. Of course, you can’t take everything, so hard choices need to be made. Extensive lists are key to this process. We also refer to previous shoots. Knowing what we took the last time we shot in a similar location is helpful. Also reviewing what might have failed the last time, and what we didn’t take enough of, e.g., hand warmers for batteries.

The polar regions are extreme, so it’s tough on the gear. Luckily, for this shoot we got everything there and back in one piece. I would be remiss if I did not to mention the f-stop bags we use on trips like this. They are, of course, my number one choice. They are tough, comfortable, and water resistant. We also find additional ICUs are ideal for packing into the suitcases. They are great for taking all the chargers, radios, extra lenses, etc. They really keep things organised and well protected.

I’d like to think I am strong in combining shooting styles when it comes to documentary filmmaking. Of course, I love the big dramatic shots that establish the location – often with drones – but also I know when to shoot gritty and real when the scene calls for it. It’s a delicate balance to stick to your story and adapt to what’s happening in front of you. If you chase the cinematic all the time, I feel your story capture can suffer. It also helps to learn how to shoot in various ways – aerials, underwater, etc. These skills have come in very handy for the type of varied work we do.

I’m blessed to have great variety in the stories we work on and locations we go to. We have produced natural history shows, such as Big Cat Tales, and human-interest stories, such as Tales by Light. I love the mix of human and nature subjects. It keeps our year packed full of different challenges. Series have been our focus for the past few years, but I am very keen to look into documentary features. Having more time and a bigger budget to follow one story is a big dream for all of us.

You can find more of Abraham’s work at www.untitledfilmworks.com.au. His ongoing series Tales by Light can be seen on NETFLIX and Big Cat Tales can be watched on ANIMAL PLANET.

YARROW: The Virtues of Monochrome // by f-stop ICON Abraham Joffe from f-stop || Gear on Vimeo.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

Jethro Kiernan is a photographer and Mountain Leader based in North Wales who specializes in mountain, outdoor adventure, and climbing photography. His photography started 30 years ago in the days of Velvia and Kodachrome, and after an interlude of a few years to raise a family, his passion for photography reignited after his kids started becoming mini-adventurers too!

Photography in the mountains for him is about capturing the relationship between weather and light, and the moments of transition from night to day, bad weather to clear. This usually means starting or finishing in the dark and being optimistic about a break in the weather. It’s also about finding the opportunities in the busy schedule of daily life, and finding the local opportunities for adventure closer to home in North Wales.

Words and photos by Jethro Kiernan:

The Snowdonia Photographs are a typical mid-week trip to the hills, solo if no one is available and either shooting early and back down for lunch or a late start allowing me to fit in my other work and family into the day.

It usually starts the night before, with a look at the mountain, weather forecast and packing the bag, checking batteries and camera settings and getting the coffee ground and the clothes out - in the kitchen so minimum disturbance when I leave the house!

On this day the clouds rolled in on the way in but enough hints of blue were there to be optimistic and push on to the ridge (Crib Y Ddysgl) I had planned for.

Going Solo often means placing you in the picture if you want a figure in the landscape, but this places a lot less flexibility on the process especially with a tripod on a windy ridge.

A cold hour was spent on the ridge getting a couple of atmosphere shots whilst the rising sun teased me hiding behind the clouds. Then finally a twenty-minute break in the clouds allowed me to get the picture.

The gear is in an f-stop Lotus pack combined with a Medium Slope ICU. This does for most day trips, whether in the hills, shooting mountain biking events or bouldering trips out. A Nikon D810 and a couple of lenses, a Lee filter set and a 3 Leggedthing Billy tripod is the basic set up. The future probably holds a Tilopa for extended trips and a couple more ICU’s. All supplemented by climbing gear, bikes, canoes or SUP’s or whatever the days activities call for.

Advice

Invest in Time, experience, warm gloves and comfortable boots

You may find more of Jethro's work on his web site, Facebook and Instagram.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

Words and photos by Jethro Kiernan:

On this day the clouds rolled in on the way in but enough hints of blue were there to be optimistic and push on to the ridge (Crib Y Ddysgl) I had planned for.

Going Solo often means placing you in the picture if you want a figure in the landscape, but this places a lot less flexibility on the process especially with a tripod on a windy ridge.

Advice

Invest in Time, experience, warm gloves and comfortable boots

You may find more of Jethro's work on his web site, Facebook and Instagram.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

f-stop customer Kaleb East is a music and landscape photographer based in Atlanta, GA. He got into photography 3 years ago, and during the week you can find him sitting in a cubicle making phone calls and sending emails. Currently, he works full time for a transportation and logistics company as a National Collections Analyst, which consumes 40 hours of his week. The other 128 hours he is not just sitting in the cubicle, he is either hiking, dreaming or planning his next outdoor adventure. This is the area in his life where he feels most alive!

Words and photos by Kaleb East

I have always loved the outdoors, however, the past couple of years I have not motivated myself to get outside and explore. This year I decided to make a new years resolution that I was going to hike as many trails as I possibly can in one year. So far I have hiked 8 trails in the first month!

As a motivation to get outdoors more I bought the F-Stop Tilopa backpack. I spent about 2 months researching many different hiking backpacks, but none of the backpacks suited everything I was looking for in a bag. I was specifically looking for a backpack that was big enough to carry my camera equipment, tripod, water bottle, various clothing, snacks, flashlights and any misc. items all while at the same time being waterproof and stylish. To say the least, the Tilopa has not only exceeded my wants and needs, but also my expectations in a hiking camera backpack!

This past week I planned my next adventure to hike up to the top of Brasstown Bald. It is the highest point in Georgia; reaching an elevation of 4,784 ft. I started planning the hike 5 days ahead of schedule, so that I knew exactly where I was going to be set up for sunrise in order to get the best composition. To say the least, I was very excited about this particular location, because 1) I had never been to Brasstown before and 2) I was pumped to capture sunrise at 4,000+ ft. elevation.

The morning came for my epic adventure! I jumped out of bed at 4:30am in order to get to Brasstown Bald at 7am; sunrise was at 7:45am. As I drove in the dark, anticipation and excitement were building up as I imagined what it was going to look like at the top. I had seen about 500 different pictures on google and Instagram of the place, so I already “knew what it was going to look like.” I parked my car at 6:55am, paid the $3 entrance fee and started hiking up. The wind was whipping and the air was damp. I then realized I was walking in the clouds! I started imagining just how epic it would be to get to the top and be standing on top of the clouds while the sun rises over mountain tops and casts a golden beam across the top of the clouds.

When I got to the top it was about 7:30am. The cloud coverage was so thick I could only see 20 ft in front of me… there was truly no way of seeing sunrise. The weather turned out to be very cloudy and overcast. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop me from fully enjoying the moment. I pulled out my camera and tripod and started experimenting with the mood that the clouds were providing me.

Even though I didn’t get to see an epic sunrise and the mountain ranges that I’ve seen in pictures at the top of Brasstown, I still had a ton of fun and made the best of it. I have determined that I am not going to let weather conditions stop me from having an epic adventure even if it does not turn out how I had planned it to go.

I cannot wait to see how many trails, adventures and new experiences I will have had made at the ending of 2018!

You may find more of Kaleb's work on his web site, and Instagram.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

Trey Wallace has been taking pictures since he was a child, but began to delve into professional work about four years ago, shooting the occasional wedding. While volunteering his services to a nonprofit organization, he realized his true passion: humanitarian photography. Take a journey with f-stop customer Trey through Lesotho in Sub-Saharan Africa, where his beautiful images are helping to affect positive change.

Words and photos by Trey Wallace

Images have the power elicit empathy, promote action, and effect change. For the last five years I have worked as a photographer and filmmaker for several organizations in Sub Saharan Africa. Recently, I spent two months in Lesotho capturing images for a Mississippi-based nonprofit organization called The Reclaimed Project, which focuses on job creation and orphan care. This was my first major project with the f-stop Ajna. I loved having it for this adventure because it was spacious enough to carry all my video equipment as well as some survival essentials for long days out on the mountain. Additionally, it felt more than tough enough to take on the rocks, sand, and snow.

I chose to focus on capturing environmental portraits—wide angle shots that allow me to tell my subjects’ stories through their surroundings. Setting is a fundamental part of portraiture, especially when shooting in a landscape as dramatic as the Drakensburg mountains in the Lesotho Highlands. To understand what life is like for the people of Lesotho, you must understand their environment. Lesotho is a formidably rugged land, gashed with sheer canyons and precipices. It was winter during my project, which meant flurries of snow and bitterly cold winds.

For this set of images, I spent the day following a shepherd boy whom I met at the orphan care center. After learning his story, I was determined to share it. Ntene was forced to become a slave shepherd as a young child after being abandoned by his mother. An illness left him deaf and mute at eight years old. In the highlands of Lesotho, there are no special services for children like Ntene. Despite his hardships, he was one of the most cheerful people that I met. His smile was contagious and he loved being photographed. Shortly after my time in Lesotho, I learned that The Reclaimed Project had gone to great lengths to enable Ntene to attend a special needs school in Maseru, where he will learn to read and write.

After putting away the sheep, we went on a short hike around the mountain, where I met several other shepherds.

Lesotho is one of my favorite places to photograph. Many people have never heard of the small country. I love to share the incredible beauty of this hidden nation. Through my images I hoped to capture the resiliency of the Basotho people. Despite some of the harshest landscapes I have encountered, these people thrive. Just like Ntene’s smile, their resiliency is contagious.

You may find more of Trey's work on his web site, Facebook and Instagram.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

f-stop customer, Matt Payne is a landscape photographer based in Durango, Colorado – his favorite photography subjects include mountains and the night sky. Matt is an avid mountaineer and backpacker, having climbed 92 of the highest 100 mountains in Colorado - this journey can be followed on Matt's mountaineering website. He enjoys capturing unique moments from Colorado’s most scenic and difficult-to-reach locations on his journeys into the mountain wilderness.

Matt is also the host and creator of the popular landscape photography podcast, “F-Stop Collaborate and Listen” - and this week we have a special giveaway happening with Matt on his podcast so be sure to tune in! The giveaway will be announced and run on the podcast Facebook group "F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast", so head over there to enter. Good luck!

Words and photos by Matt Payne:

Here in Colorado, every autumn I embark on a quest to photograph the fall colors. It is one of my favorite subjects to photograph, with a nearly endless supply of compositions, locations, and approaches to seeing and capturing this amazing annual event. This past year, I decided to take on the challenge of photographing some locations that I had never seen images of before, which required me to load up my f-Stop Loka with my camera gear and hike up a narrow trail to a high mesa overlooking one of my favorite locations in Colorado.

The journey was arduous; however, the reward was well worth the journey, and made easier by my well-fitting pack! Much to my disappointment, I was greeted on top by a massive thunderstorm, so I was forced to climb halfway back down to the bottom. I noticed the clouds begin to dissipate and decided to go all the way back up to see if sunset would produce any magic. I hoofed it back up to the top, gaining an additional 1,200 ft. of elevation and got to my overlook just in time to witness one of the most amazing sunsets I've seen to date. The setting sun beamed a ray of light across the valley and onto Chimney Rock in the distance. It was incredible to witness and to shoot.

Matt's photography can be appreciated on his website and he can be followed on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Don't forget your chance to win some f-stop gear in our special giveaway on the "F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast" Facebook page!

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

When they began their road trip from Boston to Los Angeles, Nick Vigue, a college senior and professional photographer, and Douglas Emerson, a recent college dropout and founder of a commercial production company, decided that they wanted to use the journey to create something they had never tried before, a hybrid project with photo and film that found room to celebrate both.

After meeting in college and then living together throughout their junior year, Nick and Douglas decided it was time to make some serious career moves. Douglas had been running his production company, C49, whilst at Emerson College in Boston. Nick had been pushing his photography brand, EnvyLife, while he was at Emerson as well. They both decided that if they were serious about their art, they needed to move to Los Angeles and try to make a run at the industry. So they both took a leave of absence, Nick with the intention of coming back in the following spring, Douglas with no plans of returning.

They packed their bags and departed Boston with one mission: create something beautiful before they got to LA. Then a week later, they arrived at their new house in Hollywood… they had accomplished their mission.

Words and photos by Douglas Emerson and Nick Vigue

Where were you planning on going?

Nick: When I was young, my family always loved the outdoors. Most of our vacations wereroad trips to campgrounds up in the mountains somewhere. My dad showed me the beauty of hiking up beautiful summits and the feeling of being top of the world. I will never stop pursuing it. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to see the Grand Tetons. Up until this trip, I had never seen anything further west then upstate New York.

Douglas: The main goal was to get to the Grand Tetons and camp for a few days. I grew up in Park City, Utah, so I’ve always loved mountains, but I’d never been to the Tetons. And, as much as I love the midwest and eastern landscapes, I had just been in the midwest for 20 days on a documentary shoot and had lived on the east coast for the past 3 years. I was craving something new and the Grand Teton’s was that for me.

Why not fly? What do you think is important about road trips?

Nick: There is something important about seeing the entire country that you identify with. America, being so large and so different across the board, is a driving adventure that I’ve thought about for a long time. Whether your stopping in all the states or crushing 15 hour days, there is just something powerful about seeing the ground of your country from coast to coast. I think seeing and experiencing all parts of our country is a vital part of being an American Photographer. I also think it’s an important part of just being American and finding your identity within a country of so many people.

What sparked the final idea and format?

Douglas: It was our last night in the Teton’s and we were leaving the next day. Up to that point, nothing had really felt authentic. We had tried a couple ideas but nothing was sticking, so we decided to take the night off. We lit a campfire and were just listening the the forest, when suddenly I was struck with an idea. I literally jumped off the bench, looked at Nick and said, “I got it. We’re going to need your car. I’ll build the camera”. For me, I always get my best ideas when I just sit still. It’s like the water clears and I see what I need to see.

What’s next?

Nick: I want to continue to see the great landscapes that our country and world has to offer. My curiosity will continuing to explore and push me to achieve the photographs I’ve always dreamed about. Ultimately I’m doing this because everyone needs see the true life and beauty this world has to offer, it’s the only way to connect them to it, and influence them to protect it. Photography and filmmaking, in my opinion, is the most powerful way to give a voice to our Earth. It’s important that creators continue to document our world to archive the changes it’s going through. To show the future generations what we used to be.

Douglas: To be honest, I’m not sure. But I don’t say that in an “I don’t know” way, but rather “I’ll find out” way. I think planning too far ahead is kind of pointless. There is so much variability in our world and, at the end of the day, the only thing we really have is right now. If we find our inner compass and make the best decisions in the moment, in every moment, then it’s impossible to live a life you regret. This also means understanding that life is about change, and pain and loss are an equally important parts of the equation. Everything comes as it is, but as long as you know your direction, you’ll make it through. I think I’ve found my direction now, so it’s just about keeping the pace.

Your Life from C49 on Vimeo.

You may find more of Douglas' and Nick's work on their web site and Instagram.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop

Maximilian Draeger is a professional travel and adventure photographer, born in Munich in 1997, where he has been living for 20 years. After finishing school, he decided to become a professional photographer and started his own business. He discovered his love for photography more than ten years ago and since then he has constantly been trying new things, learned new techniques and developing his own visual style. In this #wearefstop story, f-stop user Maximillion shows us the environments and activities that inspire him, with some stunning mountain views and wise words.

"We Are f-stop" is a for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, whether small daily adventure or epic travels. Get in touch with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] - let us know on where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack.

Words and photos by Maximilian Draeger:

At the age of 14 I found my second big passion thanks to my best friend. Mountains. Since those days, where we hiked up small mountains that were accessible by public transport, I never got bored with being out there. I just loved it. And I still do! Hiking up to the top of lonely peaks, riding down flowy trails on my mountain bike, climbing on rocky mountain ridges, running on technical trails or skiing excellent deep powder after a long ascent on skins – this is what I am living for and this is also the reason, why I moved to the small town of Kufstein in Tyrol.

“There is no other place than the mountains, where I do experience this deep feeling of freedom, passion and satisfaction.”

Today, I am very proud to say that I am combing these two worlds of photography and mountain sports as a full time professional travel and adventure photographer. For many people out there carrying a heavy backpack filled up with gear for hours and days, might seem like a pain in the ass, but every time I unpack my camera and take an image of my companions as they move through the rough and rocky alpine terrain, I feel deeply satisfied. Apart from being lucky and working together with people you trust, it is just a matter of preparation and bringing the right stuff to the right place at the right time.

You may find more of Maximilian's work on his web site, Facebook and Instagram.

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