Visual Revolutionary

This week on the show we had the honor of sitting down with renowned fine art photographer, documentarian, and true student of time and light, Stephen Wilkes.  Many of you might know Stephen from his beautifully produced series "Day to Night" which he is still traveling the world working on now and has broken the boundaries of how much time you can capture in a single photograph.  That being said, Stephen has had a very storied career that dates back to his early teens and spans an impressive body of work and a list of clients that include some of the most respected curators of photography there are.  As you look through some of his earlier street photography, documentary work, and fine art photographs, you can really understand how it all culminates into the current experiment and study of time, light, place, and human existence that "Day to Night" is.  At age 12 Stephen first started taking pictures, and it wasn't long before he was diving head first into the art form and the business of photography.  But i

On this episode of the podcast we sit down with photographer, filmmaker, and adventure traveler, Alex Strohl.  We often get emails from fans of the show requesting to have younger shooters on who have found success in the world of photography and filmmaking at an earlier age.  Alex Strohl definitely fits that bill.  With almost 2 million very active instagram followers, a beautiful "globe-spanning" portfolio, his own content production agency, a well received book, and a list of clients that would make most older veterans jealous, Alex has established himself as a force in this industry no matter what his age is.  Alex grew up in Spain and France with parents who were passionate about life, and a nature loving father who told him stories of travel and adventure in far away places.  It was this upbringing that instilled in him a desire to see the world and to experience what else was out there.  While still in high school, Alex found one of his dad's old Olympus cameras and began to experiment with the medium

On this episode of the podcast we sit down with Nikon Ambassador and adventure travel photographer and filmmaker Lucas Gilman to hear his story of growing up in the mountains of western Colorado and turning his life long passion for the outdoors into an amazing body of work and a successful career as a photographer and filmmaker.  Fresh off a whirlwind trip through Hawaii, Tahiti, and Iceland, Lucas tells us about a new 8K film project he is working on and what it's like to test out  products for a company like Nikon. Although Lucas was always inspired by the mountains, it was his father, a fly fishing guide, that gave him his first lessons on making a living by doing what you love.  During his college years at University of Colorado at Boulder, Lucas studied journalism and was soon shooting as a stringer for a large newspaper.  But it wasn't long before the mountains were calling him back to his first love and he started shooting the sports that he had grown up around.  He began building a portfolio of skiin

On this episode of the podcast we have the opportunity to sit down for an inspiring conversation with photographer, filmmaker, adventure lover, and cancer survivor Ben Moon.  Many of you know Ben from his heartfelt short film "Denali", that chronicled the last days of his dog that had been with him through so much of his life, and became a viral sensation and an award winning piece on the film festival circuit.  Although that film definitely helped push Ben onto the national stage, he had already built a career and a lifestyle that many would admire, working with companies like Patagonia and shooting music videos and photos for several well known musicians.  Growing up in a small Michigan town with a father who preferred to do things his own way, Ben learned the value of self sustainability at an early age and was taught how to live off the land, hunt, and farm for food, and build the things he needed.  Although Ben spent plenty of time in the woods as a kid, it wasn't until his college years that he would be

On this episode of the podcast we sit down with renowned portrait photographer, illustrator, writer, and category defying creative, Dan Winters.  Although you might know Dan from his critically acclaimed portraits of iconic celebrities, musicians, and cultural influencers, he has built a reputation for his ability to capture a broad range of subjects, and has produced a dizzying amount of work across an array of genres.  Whether shooting the last shuttle launches for NASA or a portrait of the President, Dan has an ability to interpret the subject at hand with a very unique eye that has been influenced by years of curiosity.  Growing up in a small agricultural town in Southern California, Dan's life could have easily gone in a number of directions.  He was fascinated by entomology as a young kid and learned to raise bees as a member of the local 4-H club.  It was also there that he would first study photography and the darkroom process.  Although photography would stay a part of his life, he seemed to be on a

On this episode of the podcast we get the chance to talk to photographer, alchemist, wet plate collodion pioneer, and all around inspirational figure Ian Ruhter.  Although many know Ian from the short film "Silver and Light" that instantly burst him onto the public stage, he was a very accomplished shooter years before that.  Ian had created a solid reputation as a talented snowboard photographer with a career trajectory that seemed to be moving quicker than he could have ever anticipated.  He was pushing the limits, and became one of the shooters helping to elevate snowboard photography to a world of complicated lighting schematics and big sets.  The work was fun, the money kept coming, and it seemed inevitable that he would most likely head towards the world of fashion and lifestyle photography.  In the midst of what most would consider "success" however, Ian had an unsettling feeling of dissatisfaction.  He began to lose interest in what he was shooting and started to question the rampant consumerism that

On this episode of the podcast we are joined by renowned street photographer and Magnum member Bruce Gilden. Have you ever found yourself walking down a busy street, looking into the faces of those who walk by, wondering to yourself what they are thinking, or projecting your own emotions or stories into their life? That’s what Bruce has made a living doing. Although some critics have accused his work of being exploitive, after almost two hours of talking and laughing with him, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that the only thing he is exploiting is himself. Whether he sees the family figures he grew up with, the old characters of the streets he used to play in, or the pain and suffering of his own journey and struggles, he connects with faces at a very emotional and gut level. He sees a glimpse of himself and tries to capture it. Growing up in Brooklyn, Bruce used to look out the windows and watch the characters of the city go by. His father was a tough character in his own right and someone Bruce f

On this episode of the podcast we get the chance to sit down with Patagonia's own photographer, director, and creative brand agent Jeff Johnson.  Although he's currently pretty busy with his newest adventure of being a father to his 15 month old daughter, he's best known for documenting amazing trips around the world as a writer, photographer, surfer, climber, and all around interesting guy.  At a very early age, growing up in a small town in California, Jeff's father would take him on trips into the mountains of Tahoe to go skiing.  It was during this time that the seeds of adventure were planted.  When skateboarding and surfing came into Jeff's life as an early teen, he finally felt like he had found his calling, and the trajectory of what his future would hold took a turn that would lead him to living in Hawaii right after high school.  It was there, on the North Shore of Oahu, that Jeff started to meet some of the characters that would provide an abundance of stories to tell, and the confidence to tell hi

For our first show of 2017, we get the chance to sit down with one of the most legendary surf photographers in the business, Brian Bielmann.  Although Brian can't say he picked up the camera at an early age and knew he wanted to be a photographer like some of our past guests, he did know from a very early age that all he wanted to do was surf.  From there, he made the fairly logical decision that he would be more likely to make it as a surf photographer than a surfer.  To say he won that gamble would be an understatement.  With over 150 magazine covers to his name, a client list full of some of the biggest brands in the world, and close friendships with almost every superstar surfer you could think of, Brian has made his name known in the world of surfing.  Growing up in Virginia, and looking up to his older brother who was already surfing, Brian would take any chance he could to make the drive to surf the Outerbanks of North Carolina.  Once he graduated High School, he immediately made the journey to the Nor

On this week's episode of the podcast, we sit down with photographer, author, teacher, and all around nice guy Michael Clark.  He's become one of the most respected adventure sports photographers around, working with huge clients like Red Bull, Nikon, and Adobe, as well as almost every sports brand and publication you can think of.  But photography wasn't always his first choice.  Although he showed early promise as a talented artist, Michael chose to study physics in college and pursued a career in science right out of school.  Rock climbing had also come into his life around this time however, and before long he realized that his true calling was to travel and climb. He quit his job in the university physics department and took off on a road trip that would last years.  During that time, the camera became a familiar appendage to capture the adventures that were now ruling his life.  Climbing photography would be what propelled Michael into the world of professional photography, but his science background wo

On this episode of the podcast, we sit down with renowned photographer Glen E. Friedman.  To take a look through some of Friedman's archive is like stepping back into time and getting the chance to live through the subcultures he was there to bare witness to.  He created images that would help define a generation.  From the Dogtown Days of skateboarding with Tony Alva and Jay Adams, to the raw energy of punk with Black Flag and Minor Threat, to the early days of hip hop with the Beastie Boys and Run DMC, Friedman was there with a camera in hand.  The list of recognizable names and artists that he helped visually introduce to the world goes on and on and stands as a testament to his own taste in what he thought was important to photograph.  From a very early age, Glen E. Friedman was attracted to photography and began to realize that some of the people that were shooting the culture he was a part of didn't seem to know how to approach it.  By the age of 15 he was getting published in Skateboarder magazine, and

On this episode of the podcast we sit down with Commercial Photographer, Canon Explorer of Light, and Teacher Joel Grimes.  As a kid, Joel was always creative, but it wasn't until his freshman year in high school that Joel finally picked up a camera and knew that he had found the art form he was looking for.  Although Joel had some early success in the world of photography and was building a national client base, it wasn't until he decided to completely reinvent himself, and his overall look, that he suddenly burst on to the scene as a recognizable name.  Using a three light setup, composites, and somewhat of a grunge look, Joel became a very sought after commercial shooter.  Soon he began teaching others how he created the look and realized that he really enjoyed teaching. After several public speaking events, he created a video tutorial system and started teaching his own personal workshops across the country.  Joel has gone onto to shoot some of world's top athletes, worked on huge ad campaigns, and contin

On this episode of the podcast we get the opportunity to speak with National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and writer Pete McBride.  Pete tells us about growing up on a ranch outside of Aspen, Colorado and the first time he remembers picking up a camera.  From his early days as a kid helping his dad herd cattle, to all the days he spent skiing in the mountains, he felt a calling to study land management and the environment around him.  It was this interest, and trying to write for publications on those topics, that finally led him to photography.  Pete quickly gravitated towards travel, adventure, and expedition work.  He wanted to take photos of the far away places and people he had always dreamed about, but he soon began to become disenfranchised with what he would call "adventure porn" and realized there was a story in his own back yard.  Although he had grown up around the Colorado River, Pete realized how little he really understood about it's history and it's destination.  He soon set out to produ

On this episode of the podcast we get the chance to sit down with legendary Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey and talk about the universal language of photography and those who have risen to the level of poets.  His love for this language started at a very early age.  As a child, stricken with polio and confined to hospital wards, David spent a lot of time looking through books and magazines, experiencing what was going on in the outside world through photographs. He also had a lot of time to search the depths of his developing personality and passions and get a head start on knowing who he was and what he wanted to be.  It wasn't until later though, while on a camping trip at the age of 12, that David looked out of his tent one morning and wondered why he didn't have a camera to capture the beautiful scene he was staring at.  From that moment on, David would pursue the art of photography and would stop at nothing less than achieving the dreams he had started to envision.  From his early days as a newspap

This week on the show we get the chance to talk with Actor, Skateboarder, Entrepreneur, and, most important to this show, avid film photographer Jason Lee.  Whether you know him from his days as a cutting edge professional street skater, his cult classic character Brodie in "Mall Rats", the lead singer of Stillwater in "Almost Famous", or everyone's favorite apologist Earl Hickey, you definitely know him.  What you might not have known, is that Jason Lee has spent the last 16 years devouring everything he could learn about film photography and creating a beautiful body of work with an amazing collection of vintage cameras.  Recently he partnered up with Refueled Magazine to create a limited addition coffee table book of his peel apart polaroid work that features images from his travels across the American West.  They are currently working on the second edition and Jason has plans on returning to the road in his old truck to continue shooting.  On this episode we talk about the early days of street skating, th

We're back!! And since winter is in the air, we thought it would be appropriate to kick off Season 2 of the podcast with someone who is definitely familiar with winter, and has been providing us with some inspirational snowboard photos for years.  On this episode of the podcast we talk to Snowboard and Action Sports Photographer Scott Serfas.  He tells us about growing up in the suburbs of Vancouver and the event that would have him trading in his dreams of being a proffesional skier for a snowboard and never looking back.  It was his love of the mountains, and his desire to figure out a way to stay in them, that finally led him to try his hand at photography after walking away from a job in the trades as a plumber.  Although his parents weren't too excited about seeing their son leave a good paying job, it wasn't long before he had landed several publications and started getting some of the validation he needed to think maybe it might work.  Since those early published photos, Scott has gone on to be one of

David Carson is considered by many to be one of the most influential graphic designers in the world.  From his early days with Transworld Skateboard Magazine, to his days at Ray Gun Magazine, to the work he's done for some of the biggest corporations in the world, David has always been leading the charge to push the limits of design.  On this episode of the podcast we get the opportunity to sit down with the legendary designer and talk about growing up in California, his pro surfing career, and what made him leave a secure teaching job to become a graphic designer.   Whether you think you know David's work or not, you've most likely been around it and even influenced by it.  It was his cutting edge typography and "out of the box" ideas on design that began to create the graphic aesthetic that would come to represent skateboarding and so much of the southern Californian culture and would go on to find it's way into branding all over the world.  David grew up surfing at a young age and soon found he had what it

Photographer, surfer, and intrepid traveler Dylan Gordon joins us on the podcast fresh off a trip from Cuba to talk about his current success as a young shooter who has quickly created a client list that many would dream of.  Already, at age 24, he has had the opportunity to travel the world many times over in search of a good composition. Dylan tells us about growing up on a horse ranch in California and the early inspiration he would receive from his very talented father who passed away while Dylan was still in college.  It was during that time that Dylan would realize that one of the greatest gifts his dad had given him was a work ethic and drive that kept him pushing towards his goals of becoming a photographer during a difficult time in his life.  After getting the opportunity to intern with another one of our guests Chris Burkard, and really seeing some of the hustle that went into production and going after clients, Dylan set out on his own and soon got the opportunity to work with Surfer magazine.  Wi

What other photographer can say they were a character in a video game?  That's a great jumping off point to start talking about the storied career of photographer Atiba Jefferson. Although he's had the opportunity to shoot everything from the NBA to celebrity portraiture, it was the world of skateboarding that changed Atiba's life and helped create the amazing body of work he has today.  On this episode of the podcast we talk about his humble beginnings in a small town in Colorado with his single mom and twin brother, and his early passion for skateboarding and the culture that surrounded it.  It was the bad luck of a broken hand that first put a camera in front of Atiba, but once he started seeing the black and white film come to life in the solution, he knew what he wanted to do with his life.  Through a series of "right time / right place" circumstances, and the hustlers mentality and work ethic that comes from being raised by a single mom, Atiba went on to head to Southern California and chase his dream o

Photographer, Director, and Co-Founder of Camp 4 Collective Tim Kemple sits down with us for this episode of the podcast to talk about some of his many adventures in the world of photography and filmmaking.  Kemple tells us about his early childhood in New Hampshire and the influence that came from his family.  His father loved climbing and the outdoors and they would often load up the Dodge Caravan for long road trips out west to explore places like Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was only fitting then, at age 17 when his other friends were taking vacations to Hampton Beach, that Kemple took the path less traveled and set out on his own road trip with a group of friends to experience the world of climbing that they had read about in magazines.  It was this trip where the camera started to become a tool to document his travels, but it would be later during his college years that he really started to see the potential.  After landing some editorial assignments, Tim started to think that he could possibly mak