Taste Of Jace

Lindsey Stirling: Assassin

2012-11-05T05:41:00.002-08:00

I recently had the pleasure of working on another video with my friend Lindsey Stirling for her YouTube channel. If you haven't seen her work before, you should do yourself a favor and go to her YouTube channel now. She has many awesome videos on there. Your ears will thank you. If you dig her tunes you can purchase her album here, I recommend it! Also, she is currently on tour, so if you want to see her live, check her tour dates and see if she's performing near you!

Hatchet ready for action

Something I always will find to be one of the greatest aspects of my job is the fact I get to meet a lot of talented people who do some amazing things. What's even better, is that once in a while I discover a friendship along the way. Many of you who know me, or have followed this blog know that one of my good friends is Devin Graham who has a very successful YouTube channel. We worked together for nearly two years and got to work on some awesome projects. However, the time came for us to pursue different projects, but our friendship remains consistent.

Lindsey is another person that I have been lucky to meet along my professional journey. Her ability to play the violin is obviously impressive, but her kind nature and good heart are more so. These are just two examples of some fantastic people that I have had the privileged to work with and more importantly share friendships with.

Spencer and Lindsey reviewing a shot

The timing for this video couldn't have been better. I recently took a job for M4 (which you can read about here) and I work with some truly amazing minds. This video was shot on VERY short notice though. I refer to this style of filmmaking as "Guerrilla Filmmaking" because you're just shooting from the hip with zero script, small amounts of planning, and little resources. That might sound like a nightmare, but I actually enjoy it. It forces you to react to problems and find solutions. Definitely not for the faint of heart, or anyone who is an indecisive person. There just isn't time to waste, so you have to make quick decisions, even if it's the wrong decision.

I had help from two very talented human beings who also work for M4. Spencer Tycksen and part owner of M4 Clay Tycksen. (Brothers if you were wondering.) These guys are not only technically talented, they are also very visionary individuals and the three of us work very well together. When working on a film project you have to embrace the talent around you, and these guys bring a heavy dose of it.

Lindsey in the opening shot

We only had two days to film this video. It's based on the popular video game series "Assassin's Creed", and more specifically the latest in the series "Assassin's Creed 3", Lindsey plays the theme song from the game as she is depicted running around the forest hunting down Red Coats.

Check out the video below and don't forget to subscribe to Lindsey's YouTube channel.

Credits:
Video produced by M4
Featuring Lindsey Stirling

Director of Photography: Jace LeRoy

Filmed by: Clay Tycksen, Spencer Tycksen and Jace LeRoy

Edited by: Lindsey Stirling

Music by: Lindsey Stirling and Steve Anderson

Here is the behind the scenes video of all of our shenanigans!

Camera Warfare

2012-07-24T21:46:00.003-07:00

Over a year ago Devin and I were discussing how cool it would be to shoot a war video where the soldiers were using cameras instead of guns. This was most likely a result of our nerd like obsession of the craft we love so much. We knew it wasn't going to be easy though, because to shoot something along these lines you gotta do it right, or don't do it at all.

Some American Soldiers with their cameras ready to fire!

Fast forward to nearly two months ago we were lucky enough to get our chance. Working alongside Ryan Little (Director of Saints and Soldiers) and all the resources that he has access to, Devin and Ryan were able to organize not only our original "Camera Warfare" idea, but also put together two more video ideas while we had so many toys to play with. It's not very often you get a functioning Panzer Tank and authentic WWII weapons to play with, so you might as well do as much as you can when you do! It can't be said enough how this project was only able to come together because of the talents of so many people. Actors, makeup artists, demolition specialists, to name a few. Also, the amount of man hours donated into this project was immense. It took so many individuals to make this happen the right way, and I am proud to have been a part of it. It is without a doubt the most ambitious, intense, and rewarding video that I have helped produce with Devin up to this point. It was amazing to see our idea that we had long ago finally sprout into such a wonderful end product. Not to mention the ability to shoot two more additional videos over that same weekend.

Freddie W. and Brandon getting familiar with an 800mm Canon Lens. Perhaps a little too "familiar"...

A special thanks to Canon for shipping out 60+ cameras and lenses, including two 800mm "bazookas"! (Which cost about $17,000) - Also a big thanks to Freddie W. and Brandon who are always fun to work with. If you've never watched their stuff on YouTube, you probably should. Also an infinite shout out to Ryan Little and his role in all of this. He's a great director and it was wonderful to work side by side with him, and be able to learn from someone with so much experience. His latest film, Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed will be released on ------- and I'm very excited to go see it!

So, check out the video below! It's the first of three videos we shot. They are all WWII themed, and they are all awesome. Stay tuned for more updates! Also, check out the trailer for Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed below as well!

Camera Warfare!

Behind the Scenes!
http://youtu.be/NlGX1qsY8BE

Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed Trailer!
http://youtu.be/dSRlXYurtE8

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment, like or share! I love feedback. Remember to scroll over to the right side to subscribe! Also if you want to follow my shenanigans, there are plenty of ways to do so!
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There's Hope. Even In The Most Dangerous Place On Earth

2012-07-22T19:22:00.002-07:00

If you're going to travel outside of the United States for the first time, you might as well go to the most dangerous city on the planet right? Well, that's exactly what I did, and I'm not only grateful for the opportunity, but also found it to be one of the most humbling experiences of my life.


Just me doing a cliche point at where you are on the map photo

So where exactly did I go? The city of San Pedro Sula, which is the second largest city in Honduras. This is where we spent most of our time filming, but also spent half a day in a city named Cofradia which is about 1 hour outside of San Pedro Sula. "San Pedro Sula, Honduras, was the world's most violent place in 2011when they tallied 159 homicides for every 100,000 residents. Overall, Honduras was the most deadly country in the world last year, with 82 killings per 100,000 inhabitants" (source).

Now, you may be wondering why on earth would I go to such a place? As it turned out it was for an amazing cause, and I'd do it all over again 100 times. One of our clients at M4 runs a Non Profit Organization called "Business Institute of Technology" in San Pedro Sula, with an additional location in Nicaragua. The function of BIT is to put locals through a one year course where they have the opportunity to learn English and some sort of trade or skill set such as graphic design, business education, and so on. Students who complete the course often come out of it making 20 to 30 times as much money as they were making before they entered. It greatly enhances their quality of living, and in many cases they go on to run businesses where they employ other locals. There is also an Alumni program where those who have completed their education can help others to enroll and be successful as well.

I traveled there with Clayton, my boss and co-owner of M4. Not only is he wonderfully talented behind the camera, but he also speaks a fair amount of Spanish which is certainly advantageous when traveling to such a place. Our objective was to shoot footage of 4 students who have went through this program, and tell their success stories. The final video will be used to help gain more investors to help the program continue to grow and raise the quality of life for these people. I really can't ephasise enough how awesome it is to use my talents for such a cause, but I can also honestly say that nothing could have prepared me for the experience. It was certainly trial by fire, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Common look of the streets of San Pedro

Day 1. A Lesson Worth Learning
Landed in Honduras around 12:30pm, the country is in the same time zone as Utah, so my body and brain were pretty happy about that! The airport was very small, and felt less organized than other airports that I have been to. We made it through customs, and managed to find our bags, and then met up with our driver. A man named Camillo who is affiliated with BIT. From there we drove 30 minutes to the city of San Pedro where we checked into our hotel and dropped off our gear. We had the rest of the day to prepare for the upcoming 2 days of shooting. Being quite hungry and needing to get our hands on some local currency we decided to hit up an ATM. Walking down the street you immediately can see that all traffic rules are meant to be broken. It's every man for himself on the streets of San Pedro. Stop lights and signs, are simply "suggestions". Also, every vehicle probably has about 8 people over the maximum occupancy limit jammed into the cab. It can't be said enough how important it is to look both ways before crossing a street here.

Coke seems to own this town

On our way to the ATM we passed a man on the sidewalk. He then turned around and started to follow us from a distance. The ATM's are usually attached to a bank. They are in a small, glass room. You walk in and immediately lock the door behind you. Once inside this "glass cage of vulnerability", as I like to call it, you can begin making a transaction on the ATM. As my boss began using the machine the man that was following behind us entered a vehicle and was on his cell phone. He slowly drove by us, looking out a rolled down passenger window while talking to someone. I asked Clay if this was normal, and he didn't seem to be as on edge as I was. Most likely I was allowing my paranoia to get the best of me, but can you blame me? The poor guy was probably just lost, and trying to call someone to help him find his destination.

View from Hotel

The rest of our day consisted of grabbing some food at Little Caesar's... That's right, I traveled to Honduras to soak up the local cuisine and started it off with a $5 Buck pizza.

I was actually quite surprised at how many western food chains exist there. We were explicitly told not to be on the streets after the sun went down, so our hotel became our safe house. Then something really sad happened, and I learned a lot about myself. You see, the hotel did not have hot water due to an issue with the heating system, and for a moment I was actually upset about not being able to take a hot shower. I then peered out the window 8 stories down to see individuals fighting each day just to stay alive, let alone worrying about having a comfortable bed to sleep in, and hot water to wash the day off with. Needless to say, I felt like a spoiled brat who's ignorance was keeping me from knowing just how good I have things.

Being the shutter-bug that I am, I desperately wanted to take night shots of the city, but that was going to be difficult since we weren't allowed to be out on the streets at night. I then suggested to Clay that we try to get up on the roof. We searched the stairwell but it only led us to a locked door. So Clay decided we might as well ask management if they would allow us rooftop access and to our surprise they actually gave us a keycard that would let the elevator take us to the very top where we could gain access to the roof. We spent the rest of our night snapping photos of San Pedro. It was absolutely beautiful.

Photo taken by Clayton of me snapping some night shots of the city

Long exposure of San Pedro Sula at night

Day 2. Bitter Reality

Carlos at his barber shop

We woke up early and met up with our contact Dennis at the BIT. A local Honduran who speaks very good English and plays a big role in the operation of the BIT. We planned the days shooting schedule out and headed to our first location. A young man by the name of Carlos who after completing the BIT courses went on to take over his father's Barber Shop business. Not only is he doing very well with the current location, but at the time of filming he told us that they were preparing to open a second shop. Part of shooting this piece was to have Carlos outside in the street standing in front of his shop.

I was framing up a shot with Carlos when I heard Clay exclaim that a man was having a seizure. I turned around to see a very graphic scene. The man had fallen over, hitting his head on the sharp corner of a step. Blood was pouring out of his skull onto the pavement and his body was violently shaking causing his head to repetitively bounce off the ground leading to more gashes and more blood. Nobody was doing anything.

A homeless man has a drug induced seizure, and injures himself falling. My boss Clay jumped into action risking his own health to assist the man. I am proud to work with such a person.

Those nearest the incident simply walked around him and went on their way, almost as if they didn't notice blood pooling at their feet. My Boss sat down his camera gear and ran to his aid. Pulling the mans head out of the pool of blood preventing him from further injury. Holding onto my camera in one hand, I used my other hand to keep his legs from shaking so much. Then the man went lifeless. Completely limp. Both Clay and I thought he died right there on the spot, but then his eyes flickered open, and he began to regain consciousness. He had a look of terror in his eyes, he clearly was not in his right mind. Luckily there was a small pharmacy-like-shop right next to us and we were able to get some gauze and an ace wrap. Clayton dressed the wound the best he could, with the man trying to stand up and walk away from us the whole time. Finally there was no more that could be done and the man stumbled off back down the street on his way.

Clayton and Carlos dressing the wound

It became immediately apparent to me that things like this are probably a very normal occurrence in such a place. It was just heartbreaking to see that everyone has so many things to worry about just to survive that helping others becomes borderline a waste of time for them. We silently walked back into the barber shop where Clay washed the blood of a stranger off his hands. We then had to leave in order to get to our next location. So with blood on my shoes I climbed into the car, and scrolled through the unbelievable photographs that I captured during the event that I never expected to be part of.

This is Frederick

Our next location was that of a woman who not only finished the BIT program but was attending University and getting a college education. It was great to visit with her family of two daughters and son, and see that their lives were benefiting from the BIT as well. Filming went great, and we had some time to just visit with them all. The son Frederick, who was in his mid twenties pulled out a BB-Gun rifle and was shooting at an old Gatorade bottle that he had set up on a table in the middle of a junk pile next to their home. He was struggling to hit his target and asked if I wanted to try. Before he was able to "teach" me how to use the gun I had a projectile loaded, the gun pumped and raised to my shoulder. I quickly fired at the relatively large target hitting it with no problem at all. He looked at me like I was an action hero. He ran to the bottle examining the hole I placed in it. He then flipped the cap of the bottle open, hinging it so as to face us. He sat the bottle back on the table and asked if I could hit the lid. Again I raised the gun to my shoulder, and quickly put a hole in the cap causing sunlight to spill through it casting a cool shadow on the table. This time his mouth just hung open with his head shaking. I felt like Clint Eastwood or something.

Little did Frederick know, I grew up shooting guns, and hitting that Gatorade bottle was about as hard for me as it is for a rock to sink to the bottom of a lake. We wrapped shooting at the house and headed back to the hotel.

Day 3. A New Hope (Not a Star Wars reference)

Me, hanging out with awesome Honduran school kids

Our third day was such an amazing contrast to the previous. We drove an hour outside of town to a small village/town called "Cofradia". A Woman named Maria who finished the BIT program worked in Cofradia as an English teacher at a local school. I coldn't believe how happy the children seemed to be. Their bright eyes highlighting their smiles as they ran around playing, screaming, and having fun just like you would expect American children to do at recess. Although unlike most American children their living condition are so much worse. Dirt floors, no running water for many, and life threatening disease is all too common. It just doesn't matter to children, they don't care about social status, money, or possessions. They're just happy to have each other, and compounding this wonderful group of happy kids was the fact that they were here receiving an education, that provides the opportunity for them to greatly enhance their quality of living. Not only for them, but future generations as well. It truly replaced any thoughts and feelings of despair, and sadness that had filled up my heart with a sense of hope. It was the definition of humbling.

They are happier than anyone expects them to be

Unfortunately we had to eventually pack up and leave the school once we had finished filming Maria. It's a day I will never forget, and a day I will always use to help curb my approach and perspective of my own life. Wrapping up the day we filmed another successful woman named Dennia who ran a salon, cutting, washing and coloring hair. Another great example of how BIT is helping these people better their lives.

Little Jennifer peeks out her window to check out my camera

Kids gather around my camera to look at the photos and video of themselves. They love every second of it

I called the boy on the right "El Hefe" and he loved it

Older generation of students at the School in Cofradia

It's so wonderful to know that there exists programs such as the Business Institute of Technology in locations like this. It's not there to distribute free handouts, but rather it is being used as a resource to teach the local people not only how to sustain their own lives, but to increase their quality of living by educating them and teaching them skills. On top of this, it's a natural side effect for these skills to be passed down and taught to future generations. I'm truly thankful that I could use my talents and skills to help tell such stories. I can't think of a better way for me to have helped these people, and I'm beyond grateful that I work for individuals that work on such projects.

Day 4. Taking Perspective Home
Just like that it was time to pack it up and fly back to Utah. As quickly as my trip started and ended it will forever continue to have a positive impact on my life. My first trip outside of the country definitely turned out to be a true adventure, and I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to comment, like or share! I love feedback. Remember to scroll over to the right side to subscribe! Also if you want to follow my shenanigans, there are plenty of ways to do so!
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Twitter - #tasteofjace
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Gallery of photos not seen above!

Beautiful Honduran.

Sitting on an empty school bus

Friends

Pigeons and shoes

Playing in the rain

Curious boy watching us film

Boy at school

Larger than life

Horse power

Long exposure

Media That Matters

2012-07-12T22:15:00.001-07:00

Media that Matters. M4.

I'm finally getting a chance to post a blog entry. I've been somewhat of a busy beaver lately. No, I haven't been splitting wood with my teeth and blocking off river ways. I have however found a nice new professional home with a company called "M4". They say timing in life is everything. I'm not really sure who "They" are, but I would have to agree with them for the most part. You see, my life was coming to a cross roads of sorts. I had been freelancing for over a year, and don't get me wrong, I got to shoot a lot of amazing things and see some great places, but I felt like I had hit a wall. I had stretched my talents as far as I could given the environment I was working in.

Check them out! www.M4.com

This is where the great timing part comes in. My wonderful cousin BreAnne called me up and said that she knew of a company that filmed some really cool stuff, and was actually looking for help. At first I didn't think much of it because I was comfortable with the situation I was in, but ultimately I knew I wasn't really going anywhere, and if I wanted to grow I was going to have to take some action, and mix things up. Needless to say I went in and interviewed with them, and immediately felt good about the job, and more importantly the people I would be working with.

They truly believe in media that matters. Using our abilities to tell stories that will have a meaningful impact on those we share our lives with on this planet. This is what drives me, and motivates me most. I just want to be able to express myself using my tool of choice which as you know is my camera. It's humbling when you show someone a video that you worked on, and you can see it have an impact on them. Even if it's just a crack of a smile, a laugh, a look of concern or brings them to tears. Knowing your creation moved them in some way is nothing short of amazing.

I am proud to say I am now a member of M4. Some of you may have seen the first project I shot for them. It was an event video depicting a Man's intense dedication to his Utah Foster Care 2012 street art contest submission. He worked for 30 hours straight to complete his piece and it was amazing. This guy also happens to be one of the co-owners of M4 which makes him one of my bosses. If you haven't seen the video I highly recommend it! If you have already seen it, I highly recommend you watch it again!

This weekend will become another milestone in my life. I was told to get my passport ASAP so that I could travel to Honduras to shoot footage for another great project. I received said passport today and will be leaving Sunday! I will definitely do a follow up post as soon as I get back :)

So, until next time thanks for reading! I really appreciate all the feedback and wonderful comments and shares on facebook! If you want to follow my shenannigans you can subscribe to this blog but here are some others ways to stalk me as well!

facebook: Jace LeRoy Photography
twitter: @TasteOfJace
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website: www.tasteofjace.com

Jump Off A Bridge, Everyone's Doing It

2012-06-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

Well, not everyone. I sadly didn't get the opportunity to take the plunge off the nearly 250ft bridge. Seeing how we were trying to keep a low profile all day long, we only had time to have the jumpers hired for the job do all the jumping, and besides I had my duties behind the camera keeping me busy.

Dirty Devil Bridge: Lake Powell Utah

The job consisted of shooting footage for a Brazilian production team called Zeppelin Films who was hired by Hershey's Chocolate to shoot a commercial. How did I get involved? Well my good friend Cameron Manwaring who is an incredibly great Producer/Manager was the person who contacted me to help out with the project. He organized everything. In just a weeks time he was able to set up the itinerary for the Brazilian crew, planning the entire trip for them. He also had a bungee platform built, location scouted out, food purchased, bungee expert hired, and lodging taken care of. For anyone who has ever tried to organize something like this, you can appreciate how much work goes into getting things in order for such an event. Also, Cameron's girlfriend Alyne Tamir was extremely helpful. She even cooked us an awesome dinner the first night!

Cameron, scouting out the location.

So, once I was contacted to help out, I was of course all over the opportunity to film something as cool as Bungee Jumping. However, a second camera was going to be needed so I called up my good pal Chris McClain, who just so happens to be the best wedding videographer in the state of Utah, (and quite possibly the world) to come along and help out.

The Bungee Jumping expert that Cameron hired has a very successful business. He makes a living by strapping a chord to other human beings and watching them fall to earth. He's not just a regular Bungee Jump instructor however, and has spent years developing his trade. It consists of the safest bungee jumping system known to man. If you're going to trust anyone, he's definitely the guy. Check out his website here!

Brianna leaping from the platform.

The athletes involved are also friends of ours, Creighton Baird, Brianna Campbell, Rob Selfaison, and another young man that was brought along by the Brazilian Crew. These guys did such an amazing job! All jumping multiple times throughout the day!

When I got home I decided to take the footage that Chris and I shot and cut together a video. I just love sharing things like this. I enjoy putting the viewer somewhere they might not normally go. Big thanks to everyone who was a part of this! So, I hope you enjoy it! I hope it makes you want to do something you've never done, and motivates you to do exactly that!

Big thanks to the Brazilians! Rogerio and his crew was fantastic to work with, we definitely appreciate them making the trip all the way out to Utah! We hope to work with them again soon!

Also, a big shout out for Nick Borrego who composed the music for me. He is a talented guy for sure!

Paintball Warfare - Epic Paintball Battle

2012-05-28T19:18:00.001-07:00

Best fans and friends anyone could ask for

Getting ready for another scene

This is a paintball fight like you've never seen before. We teamed up with the producers of Nitro Circus and collaborated with Syder Paintball to put together one of our most ambitious videos to date. Nitro Circus let us use their compound outside of Salt Lake where they film segments of their show. It is composed of lots of jumps, hills, and places to get hurt. Perfect for us. Spyder paintball supplied us with everything we needed gear wise. This included 50+ guns, masks, Co2 tanks, and a nearly endless amount of paintballs.

How we roll

Now, none of this is of any use without a bunch of awesome people to enjoy it right? We had such a wonderful response from fans of the channel and friends alike. We had people from outside Utah travel just to be part of the video, and that always is such an amazing compliment to us. We definitely are inspired by the fans, and it's why we do what we do. Also a special thanks to Glenn Tupper who traveled from Texas, and is also a Paramotor pilot. He was able to get us some otherwise impossible angles as he flew around the skies raining down the punishment from above.

Glenn flies this thing like it's no big deal!

It took Two days of filming on location and was quite grueling. Both days were very warm, and I for one suffered a pretty gnarly sun burn. My fault for not wearing sun screen :/ - Devin and I spent lots of time running around setting up and getting the shots we wanted. This was a much bigger group of people to coordinate with than we are normally used to. Devin does a great job of directing, and all those involved were so awesome to listen to any instructions we gave them, and they were all fantastic to work with.

Here's the main video!

Here's the CONTOUR POV footage only video!

High Dynamic Range (Tutorial)

2012-04-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

Something I get asked about quite regularly is how I go about processing an HDR photo. There are so many ways to accomplish this task, yet when I started out I found it was difficult to move forward. It seemed so complicated, and the terminology was way over my head. Eventually I was able to finally pull together an easy workflow that I feel leads to good results.

Here are a couple of examples of some HDR photos that I have taken recently. The trick to HDR is knowing when to stop. It's so easy to go overboard and "cook" your image to death. I've done it a million times! Once in a while the over processed look works for the image, but generally HDR is simply a great way to subtly enhance your photo, and stretch out the dynamic range of the image!

So what I have decided to do is to share my workflow with anyone interested in this type of photography. My goal is for you to spend 10 minutes watching this video, and come away with the ability to get you started in HDR Photography. If you already have your own workflow, perhaps you may find some helpful alternatives to your approach. Or you may just hate the way I do thinks in which case feel free to leave me some hate comments below!

Snowball Fight with Freddie W!

2012-04-27T14:28:00.003-07:00

Most of us (especially those here in Utah) are perfectly happy with leaving this last winter in the rear-view mirror. I was beginning to wonder if we would have any type of a spring at all!? However, it has been funny to read the wonderful status updates on facebook go from "Ugh! I hate how cold it is, stupid winter!" to "OMG It's SOOO hot outside, I'm melting!". Humans are a tough species to please.

Anyhow, our latest video comes just in time to help cool you off a bit. We shot this a few weeks ago in Logan Utah. We wanted to film a snowball fight, but you know we can't just film a regular snowball fight as is. We have a thing for spicing things up. So sit back and enjoy our not so conventional Snowball Battle!

Special thanks to Vooray Clothing for sponsoring and organizing the event! They are extremely cool people, and love to help us out with shoots like this!

Also, a special thanks to Freddie W and his crew who came out to Utah to shoot videos with us, and just enjoy a good time. If you have never heard of Freddie W's YouTube channel, you are in for a treat! So go check it out and make sure to subscribe.

The music comes from our pal Kyle Andrews. All of his music is fantastic!

And of course, a huge shout out to Devin Graham. He continues to push the limits and I am lucky to be part of it all. I love contributing to the channel and watching it grow! If you haven't subscribed to it yet, you need to! You won't be disappointed. We have some great stuff coming just around the corner, and most of the time we have a new video every week!

Technical stuff!

Camera Gear:
*We used Two Canon 5D MKIII's and one Canon 5D MKII

*Glidecam HD2000
*Fig Rig
*Manfrotto Tripod

I'm back!

2012-04-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

An "HDR" image I took on Provo Center Street.

After a long hiatus, I am back to my blogging ways! Where have I been you ask? Well, I have been right here the whole time, but have just been neglecting my blog activities... and I can't apologize enough!

But it's also a good thing, because I've had a chance to reflect on previous posts, and feel ultimately my blog will be much better due to my time off! I'm going to be posting lots of content on here. Of course I will keep you up to date on all my shenanigans, but I will also be posting Photography and Filmmaking information that I find helpful! Also, I will now be taking requests, so if you have a question or a topic you want me to post about please don't be afraid to ask!

Not sure if this is wheat or tall weeds.. Wheat sounds much better, so we'll just go with that.

I've worked on lots of awesome projects since you last saw me, and I'm excited to let you know there are plenty more on the horizon. I'll definitely be posting inside information, and behind the scenes content of those projects.

Don't forget to bookmark, or find some way to check back easily because like I said above, I will be regularly posting new content on here!

Looking at the glass of a 70-200mm Canon L Lens

3D Is For Suckers

2011-12-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have been following my blog know that it is an understatement to say that I enjoy photography and film making. They have become my lifestyle and my life support for quite some time now. I decided that I wanted to take a handful of some of my favorite photos that I have taken over the course of this year and share them with you. As I began preparing a standard slideshow I realized that it just wasn't doing the images the justice I felt they deserved. So I dug a little deeper and spent the last Two days at my computer doing what I could to really bring these images to life. I feel like it definitely paid off.

The video contains 23 photos in total. Each one is very special to me. Some I may be proud of for the technical execution of the shot, while others contain imagery of people, places, and things that remind me why I love photography in the first place.

This is a chart showing the path of my Mouse Cursor while editing this project. It represents a 6 hour session.

Taking photographs is only half of what drives me. The other, is sharing these images with friends, loved ones, and strangers. It's an experience, and a form of communication that says more than my words ever can. What's more, is that 2011 has been a very monumental and important year for me. I hit the metaphorical rock bottom at the beginning of the year, but it forced me to eventually pick myself up and become stronger than I've ever been, with the help of many loved ones around me of course. I've grown more as a person in all aspects over these last 12 months then any of the previous years of my life, and I can't imagine any future year will come with as much life as this one has. Then again, I may one day laugh at that statement.

I hope you enjoy these images even just a fraction of how much I do. I hope they inspire, entertain and provoke positive emotions. Also, if you enjoy the video, I would love for you to share it on Facebook. Thanks again everyone. Feel free to leave any feedback, or questions!

Jace

Just because life is uphill, doesn't mean it can't be beautiful.

2011-10-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

First of all, I just want to congratulate myself for using the longest blog title in the history of mankind. I tried my hardest to shrink it down, but in the end substance won over effeciancy. Besides, I threw some contractions in there, what more do you want from me?

Anyway, it's so good to be back writing. This blog has been somewhat out of commission for a few weeks. I'm always trying my best to make time for it, but time has been hard to come by lately. I have somewhat of an update to share with you. In a previous post titled "Anxiety and What's Next" I mentioned that I was working with a very talented filmmaker here in Utah named Jeremy Miller. He has been hard at work on many projects, and I have been lucky to lend a hand on one of these pieces. The title of this film is "Elevate 2" and covers the sport of Motorcycle Hill Climbing. It's truly a breathtaking sport. Jeremy is the perfect person to capture it's true nature. Having the chance to shoot footage for such a project has been a privilege for me.


"Desolation is a beautiful place". Taken in Wyoming while filming rider Jason Smith.

The final film is scheduled to be released in November. Below you will find a teaser trailer for it. If you look close enough you will see me in a few shots doing what I do. If you are like me, and had no clue what Motorcycle Hill Climbing was, I urge you to check it out. Human beings are always surprising me with ways of pushing the limits of what we think our capabilities are. This sport is definitely one of those.

One of Jason's many toys.

Okay, so here it is! Watch, enjoy, share. Thanks again for reading, and I really hope to be posting articles more often!
-Jace

ELEVATE 2 | OFFICIAL TEASER from Jmills ENT. Jeremy Miller on Vimeo.

I love my job.

2011-08-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

So it didn't take long for my pal Devin Graham and I to reunite our powers after returning home from Hawaii. I wanted to share this video with everyone. You may have already seen it on Facebook, but if not I highly recommend watching it at least 20 times in a row.

Devin was contacted by a Utah company called Vooray who liked the videos on his Channel. So they hired him to shoot something fun for them. Devin asked me to help film the project so of course I was all in. It was an exhausting day. We ran around filming all day long, and rarely stopped for any reason, but this is what I love about doing what I do. I could literally do it all day everyday. I get consumed by it. I simply love every aspect of film making.

This particular video is somewhat of a milestone. It marks almost exactly one year since the first video I worked on with Devin. I can't believe how time rushes by so quickly, but what's even more unbelievable is how much I've learned, and how far I've come since that time. I have a lot of people to thank for that though. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't wait to see what next year brings!

Okay, I'm done blabbering (I was surprised to see that "blabbering" was an actual word). If you have made it this far down in the text I applaud you, but now you can do what you came for and watch the video below!

Anxiety and What's Next

2011-08-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here I am, back in Utah and starting to feel acclimated once again. My adventure in Hawaii may have come to an end, but I know I will be going back many, many times. I feel a bit like Jack from LOST in season 3. (I'm a LOST nerd, get over it). I must admit though, it does feel good to be in Utah. Mostly because of the friends and family I have here, but also because Utah really is a beautiful place.

The Wedge

Going to Hawaii wasn't just a random excursion of work and play. It was a lot more than that to me. I learned more about myself in 4 months, than I have in 27 years. I had to overcome many personal weaknesses before I was able to take this step. I'm sure most of you think that sounds crazy, and that going to a tropical paradise isn't exactly a difficult decision to make, but for me it absolutely was.

I've had an anxiety disorder since I was just a small kid. It wasn't until I got into high school that it really started to manifest itself. Needless to say it has been a thorn in my side, keeping me from living the way I wanted to ever since. I let it control me, and I took a backseat while it had a firm grip on the steering wheel. Something as simple as going to a movie in a theater with friends became nearly impossible. Relationships with friends, employers and significant others were negatively impacted as well. So when I was offered a job to move to Hawaii for months to work on a documentary you can imagine I was torn.

At this moment in my life I had to make a decision. I was either going to let anxiety win yet another battle, or I was going to face it head on and take control or die trying. This is why my experience in Hawaii will always be a clear turning point in my life. It presented a situation where I really had to determine the person I wanted to be, and with the help of fantastic friends and an amazing family I was able to take the steps necessary to metaphorically punch anxiety in the face. For the first time in my life I now feel like I am in firm control of how I live my life, and the anxieties that have weighed me down for so long are now shriveled up in a corner, lacking the fuel they require to efficiently have any effect on me.

My battle with anxiety will be a life long journey, but I will continue to fight it, and try my best to help others who also experience this debilitating brain buster. Everybody has something that they have to battle. Depression, anxiety, loss of a loved one, irrational fears, eating disorders, dark secrets, and the list is essentially infinite. The good news is we have people all around us who either share these same challenges or have a set of their own. The bad news is that most of us don't like talking about it, and do what I did for my entire life. Bottle it up, put a bandaid over it, and live a life that is controlled and dictated by these hurdles. For some reason it feels easier to stand idle with our feet firmly planted on the ground, but I can now say that while jumping certainly isn't easy, you will thank yourself when you land safely on the other side.

I'm excited to move on with this new found approach to life. I have already had such an amazing experience in Hawaii and know that it's just the beginning. I have some really cool projects lined up and I'm eager to get started on them. I will continue to work with Devin Graham as much as I can, he's a good friend, and equally as good to work with. My new roommate Brad, is a former co-worker of mine that I met when I started my job for a Video Marketing Company 2 years ago. He's a film nerd like myself, and has probably taught me more about the craft than I learned in College. No joke. It's great to reunite our nerd powers. I have also been offered the chance to work with Jeremy Miller, a guy who's ability speaks for itself, and works on so many amazing projects. Just to get a sense of his talents I am posting his 2011 Reel below.

JMILLS ///2O11 SHOWREEL from Jmills ENT. Jeremy Miller on Vimeo.

I don't know how I have been able to meet and work with such a talented group of people, but I'm thankful for it everyday, and hope my talents and flavor will have a positive impact on them.

Now that I'm a bit more settled in, I should have more time to keep updates coming more regularly! Thanks again for all those who like to follow along.

Stairway To Heaven

2011-08-03T16:17:00.001-07:00

First of all let me apologize to any Led Zeppelin fans out there who may have accidentally come here hoping to hear one of the best songs ever recorded. Click here to ease your woes. No, this particular post is about the hike I was lucky enough to experience called "Stairway To Heaven" here on Oahu Hawaii. If you want to know the complete history of the stairs click here, but the gist of it is that these stairs were built in 1943 by the Navy to enable them to string communication cables from one side of the island to the other. Later the Naval base was decommissioned in the 50's and was then used as a navigation system by the Navy. In 1987 the stairs were closed off to the public and remain closed off today due to liability issues. The total stair count from bottom to top is 3,922.

There is a Guard stationed at the bottom of the stairs who's job consists of turning away any eager hikers. I found this out the hard way, twice. Yes, that's correct, I tried this hike twice previously last week and both times arrived too late only to be turned away by the guard on duty. This was super disappointing because just getting to the stairs requires going over, under, and through fences, stomping through bamboo forests, navigating small beaten paths, and did I mention this is all done in the dark? The only way to avoid the guard is to go very, very early.

So as my time here on the island comes to a close, this particular hike quickly shot to the top of my "must do list", mainly because it had thwarted me twice previously. Determined and motivated I decided to give it one last shot. Only this time I was going to leave at 1 a.m. in order to guarantee not being defeated yet again by the the man in the uniform. So I enlisted a group of friends, none of which had every done the hike before and we set off.

The cast included my roommate Austin, an eager 19 year old who likes hot pockets almost as much as I do. My friend Melinda who I knew previously from Provo and is currently here going to BYUH. Melinda's roommate Lani, a girl you want to bring on every hiking trip because she literally thinks of everything, and is more prepared than any elite boyscout. Also, my good pal Carlos Mozo, little brother to Jon Mozo, the man who's life is being made into a documentary that I have been very lucky to work on. And Finally a very good friend of the Mozo family, Dillion. Needless to say it was definitely a good looking group of people.

Close look of the Stairway structure.

So the Six of us set off on our Journey at 1 a.m in the morning. We arrived at a small neighborhood where you can park your car and cross over the first of many fences that are littered with "NO TRESPASSING" signs. The benefit of attempting this hike twice the week before was that I now knew the path of finding the stairs like that back of my hand. So getting to the beginning of the stairs quickly is no problem. After navigating our way to the base of the mountain where the stairs begin I was elated to find no Guard on duty! Finally, the term "3rd time is a charm" was actually applicable to a situation in my life! So there I was, standing at the bottom of nearly 4,000 stairs that had evaded me twice already, but this time there was nothing stopping me, except myself.

Only two more fences had to be crossed, and we finally set foot on the first stair at roughly 2:30 a.m. At this point the excitement and adrenaline was all I needed. I quickly realized I was going to need a better flashlight solution than my current tool which was my cell phone. This is where Lani comes in very handy, she didn't have a flashlight, rather she had TWO flashlights. So i stuck one in my mouth, grabbed the railing and started my way to the top.

It begins.

Going up these stairs you quickly realize they are like nothing you have every climbed in your life. Almost always steeper than a 45 degree angle, these 8 foot segments, although rusted and missing a step every now and then feel amazingly sturdy for the most part considering they are nearly 70 years old. Wide enough for just one person to fit, your arms are just as important as your legs as you pull yourself up each step. The stairs literally turn into a ladder in a few spots as they go completely vertical scaling the face of rocky cliffs.

Years of wear and tear taking a toll.

I'm not sure if it was the adrenaline wearing off or the lack of food in my stomach but after climbing for 20 minutes I became very sick. At one moment I thought I was going to have to turn back, and felt throwing up wasn't a matter of if, but when. So we took a break, I sat down, leaning against the railing trying to decide what I was going to do. Certainly I couldn't turn back now. Luckily, this gave Lani yet another chance to show off her preparedness skills. She was like having a mini convenient store following behind me. She not only had an apple for me to eat, but some ibuprofen as well. After about 10 minutes I felt much better, and our adventure continued.

I wish I could accurately describe the magnitude of these stairs, and I hope these pictures are able to do them justice somewhat. Looking at them as you climb is intimidating to say the least. They are built on the ridge of a mountain where in many cases you are standing in areas where these narrow stairs barely fit with 100 foot drop offs on either side of you.

As we climbed, the rain started to fall. This made me nervous at first, because the last thing I wanted was another obstacle to deal with. Climbing a set of soaking, wet stairs isn't exactly preferred in a situation where if you fall, you are not going to stop for a very long time. However, the rain felt good and cooled us off as we climbed. It did cause the stairs and rails to become very slippery but was not enough to make us turn around.

Stairway to Heaven.

There are basically 4 main platforms that you encounter on your way to the top. These are flat spots that feel very rewarding to get to. The first one is by far the most difficult to reach, but eventually we arrived, and it felt great. We still had thousands of stairs to go, but hitting this first platform filled me with all the motivation that was just sucked out of me trying to get there. After a short break we continued to the top.

First platform. From left to right: Dillion, Carlos, Lani, Me, Austin, Melinda, and Tripod.

Built by mad scientists.

At this point I had my second wind, and sort of hit my stride. The obsesive compulsive disorder inside me was busy distracting me as it had me counting each and every stair I was going up. I lost track of time and position. Before I knew it, I had got quite a bit ahead of my friends. I kept going until I hit a realitively flat spot. This is where I had one of those moments that we live for, and never forget.

Surrounded by clouds, with light rain falling around me. I leaned against the rail and looked out over the valley. I could barely see the lights from the towns below glowing through the thick mist. I closed my eyes and took a slow deep breath realizing this may be the purest breath I had ever taken in my life. I felt the cold air rush into my lungs and imagined the oxygen being mixed into my blood hitting my heart and being pumped through my body. Standing there, on a mountain in Hawaii in the middle of the pacific ocean breathing this air is something that will stay with me forever.

Beautiful.

The group caught up to me and we made it to platforms 2 and 3 rather quickly. We could feel that we were getting close. The weather continued to get worse. This wasn't the Hawaii you imagine in your head. Far away from sandy, sun soaked beaches where 85 degree sun rays tan your skin. No, we were some 2,000 feet above sea level at this point, surrounded by rain clouds dumping water on us. With the temperature somewhere in the the lower 40's, I felt like I was right back in Utah.

Continuing on.

Finally, our destination was just a few hundred steps away. Climbing up, the giant radio station with two large satallite dish like structures on top came into view. We had finally reached the end of this amazing staircase. We were cold, tired, and hungry but the sense of accomplishment was enough to distract us from these discomforts. At least for a few minutes anyway.

Getting to the top doesn't exactly reward you as you might think you should be for climbing a near 4,000 stairs. You feel like there should be a hot tub at the top, and a buffet filled with your favorite foods. What you get though is a rundown concrete building complete with wet floor, rusted metal, and grafitti all over the walls.

I climbed to the top of the radio tower. Fighting the wind, rain and cold in order to get this shot. Worth it.


Hanging out at the top, inside the graffiti covered radio tower.

This is the part I tell you to buckle up because I'm about to throw a crazy life changing analogy your way where I compare a hike to the grand scheme of life. But that's exactly what it was. Life really isn't about the beginning or the end. Rather the experiences you have getting to the end that matter. We get so focused on where we want to be tomorrow that we forget to enjoy where we are today. Don't rush through life too quickly because the only thing waiting for us at the end of our earthly life is a six foot hole in the ground. What comes after that is another journey in of itself, but you might as well pull as much out of this one as you possible can. Take a minute to stop and fill your lungs once in a while with the air around you.

Ascending the staircase.

Carlos facing his fear like a man.

Our trip was only half over and we still needed to climb back down. This proved to be a bit quicker than going up, and with the sun finally peaking over the ocean we could now take in all the beauty that was around us. My pal Carlos wasn't too happy about that, because he isn't exactly the biggest fan of heights, but like a champ he pushed through it with a clean pair of shorts. Stopping periodically to take photos we eventually reached the bottom where the guard was waiting for us.

Luckily he was very cool about the situation, and he even warned us that cops had arrested people the day before, and he recommended we take a different path back to our car to avoid the same fate. So back through the bamboo forest we went, making it back to the car in one piece.

7,844 stairs later I can finally scratch this hike off the list. What an amazing way to say goodbye to such a beautiful place. But at least I know this isn't goodbye forever, as I will hopefully be making many more trips back to this wonderful place.

More Photos from the hike.

What, you thought I'd climb 4,000 stairs and NOT bring a slinky? You're crazy.

Staircase full of misfits.

Melinda giving her best Richard Nixon impression.

My point of view while coming down.

Carlos shooting the mountainside.

Just when you think you're done... it keeps going.

Carlos through the overgrown plant life.

Mud Fight In Paradise

2011-07-29T13:12:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, remember my post "Making a Mess and New Friends"? It was the first thing I filmed out here in Hawaii. In fact I think it was like the third day I was here? Anyway, Devin finished editing the video and has posted it to his YouTube channel! Now it's time for you to enjoy it :)

The Aftermath


Partners in crime.

Bonus Video:
The song in the mud fight video is by a guy named Kyle Andrews. His music rocks. I helped film a music video for one of his songs (You always make me Smile) last Summer. I highly recommend watching it, and I definitely recommend buying his music.

Kyle and I after shooting the music video.

Belated 4th of July!

2011-07-19T01:19:00.001-07:00

Wow, I was sitting here deep inside the 9th straight hour of editing the Documentary today when it hit me. My friend/roommate/collegue Devin Graham released a really cool video for the 4th of July celebration. I somehow spaced it off and forgot to post it!

Some of you probably caught it on Facebook or YouTube, but I really wanted to share it on here so anyone who might have missed it would have the chance to watch. I make a few cameos swinging a golf club and throwing a Frisbee. I have to thank my Jr. High PE coach, Coach Thompson for teaching me how to chuck a Frisbee like a pro. I'm pretty sure my Ultimate Frisbee team won that year because of said skills? Yes. Yes we did.

Interviewed By Skoolige.com

2011-07-15T14:04:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, I was recently interviewed by a website called "Skoolige.com". I was asked 5 questions about my photography. Go check it out here.

Sacred Falls Hike

2011-07-14T11:45:00.001-07:00

When you get the opportunity to hike an area referred to as "Sacred Falls" you can't really turn it down. What an amazing place. When you come to Hawaii it's easy to spend all your time on the beaches, and for good reason. However, I must say that going inland is just as incredible. I've never felt so detached from the world. The high cliffs rendered my cell phone useless. It was just my friend, his father, and myself walking through the untouched landscape of Oahu. Below is a very shaky, handheld video of this expedition. Enjoy!

Kua'loa Ranch [Video]

2011-07-12T11:39:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have been following my blog you may remember reading my post "Another Day At The Office". That particular post was about a day spent filming at an amazing location called Kua'loa Ranch (Koo-uh-low-uh). I was helping my friend Devin Graham with a commercial being shot for the ranch to help promote their activities. If you want to read a little more in depth of that day feel free to click the "Another Day At The Office" link above.

Here is the video that we shot for them in all of it's High Definition Glory.

Haka

2011-07-08T23:11:00.001-07:00

I got to be part of something that was quit amazing today. I helped my friend Devin film a "Haka" (hawk-uh) performed by a group of men and women who are renown for their performances and even compete in Haka competitions.

They give nothing less than a 110%

Haka is a traditional dance form of the Māori (indigenous people of New Zealand). However, these are are unlike any dance you have ever seen. They are raw, intense, intimidating and beautiful. Many people are mistaken, and have been mislead to think that there is only one Haka, or that it is a war dance performed only by men. This however, is not true. They are performed by men, women, small groups, large groups, and sometimes children. They are performed for various reasons, all of which are designed to communicate. Whether it be for amusement, awareness, preparing for war, or to acknowledge achievement.

Who would have thought some of the most intimidating people, are also some of the nicest?

Haka is physically demanding. Especially when performing many times in a row.

Before today I had seen only two Haka's performed here in Hawaii. Both at a wedding that I filmed in Honolulu. The first was performed by a group of men hired specifically for the wedding. I did not know what message they were expressing because I don't speak Māori, the other Haka was performed by the father of the bride. He explained before his performance that it was a Haka he used to perform with his High School football team before games. The message was about becoming men, playing with dignity, and never giving up. Again, I don't know exactly what was said during his performance, but watching it you can feel the message. It comes to you in the form of loud chanting, the slapping of body parts, and feet stomping the ground. It dominates everything around it. It requires your attention, and stays with you long after the performance ends. They do not need music to guide the rhythem of the performance. Instead the perfect choreography of the body slapping, yelling and movement, that when combined creates sound waves that are nothing short of musical.

The very definition of intense.

Now that you have an idea of what Haka is, watch this video below of the New Zealand rugby team the "All Blacks" (no, that's not a racial slur, that's their name) as they perform their specific Haka before a game.

Pretty intense right? This is not what I would want to see my opponent doing before a match started. Definitely a great way to start the game off with a bit of an edge. I'm surprised the other team is able to refrain from laying in the fetal position sucking their own thumbs.

Preparing for the next shot.

The Haka that we filmed today was brilliant in every way. The location we shot at is the beautiful Kua'loa ranch on Oahu. This ranch has been used as the back drop for several films and tv shows such as Pearl Harbor, Jurrasic Park, LOST, Godzilla and many others. Luckily we get to film there for free. We shot it on top of a hill, and I'm very excited to see the final edit.

Small price to pay for an awesome an amazing time, and eventually a great video.

If you ever get the chance to see a Haka be performed I highly recommend watching it. You'll be glad you did! Just don't be surprised if you find yourself shaking after it's over.

Crouching Lion

2011-07-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

This post is a bit different from what most people are used to. It's not a long article with photos, but it's also not a VLOG Episode. I went on a hike with some good friends and shot some video while we embarked on our journey. This is just a quick video documenting the experience.

People in the video include my home state friends Adam (has a camera on his head) and Sam (dark shirt, and sunglasses), both from Emery County Utah where we all grew up. They flew out here for a few days to take on the island life for a while. The other two people are my friends and current roommates out here in Hawaii. Jimmy (the beautiful Asian) and Devin (the person you don't see because he wandered off).

I think this is what life is all about. Sharing experiences with those we care about. We learn about ourselves, and it enables us to become better people. I think it's easy for us to fall into daily routines where we cease to experience anything new. I challenge you to make a list of things you have not done or have not done in a long time and do them, no matter how small or grand they may be. Break free from the daily grind. Also, take time to enjoy the experiences. Even bad experiences have many things to learn from which can in turn make them seem not so bad at all, but rather worth it in the end.

[VLOG] EP: 05

2011-06-28T23:31:00.001-07:00

"Where I live"

Learn Something New

2011-06-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

You've come to know people throughout your life. Some pass through without hardly any impact at all. Others become good friends, while a select few become part of your life. Everyone around you has knowledge. Their skills, talents, and abilities might be right out in the open, but you may be surprised in the things that have slipped your attention.

A wonderful playground.

I feel like I am quite proficient in many areas. Over the years I have become pretty good at a handful of sports, my skills in film making and photography have skyrocketed, I have composed music, created paintings on canvas, hunted big game animals, graduated from college, built computers, worked in tire shops, and most recently learned how to (somewhat) surf.

My arms were too tired to paddle.

So, I sound pretty amazing don't I? Well I wish I could say that's true, but the truth is that I owe my abilities, talents and knowledge to all those who have been kind enough to teach me and share with me what they know. My parents and brother, teachers, friends and even strangers. I owe everything to them. It's because of them that I have been able to become good at anything. The only thing I've done is take advantage of these resources which makes me sound kind of like a jerk actually.

My pal Nate. He's no rookie.

We've all ran into someone who "knows it all". These people frustrate me because generally they are too prideful to share their knowledge, and they act like they owe nothing to anyone almost as if they came across all this knowledge by themselves. Luckily I don't run into these types of people very often. It's quite the opposite in fact. I'm lucky to have so many people in my life willing to teach me. I'm glad I've never been too prideful to listen.

When the Mozo family offered me the chance to go to Waikiki and surf with them, I was honored. I mean that in every sense of the word. They have only known me for five short weeks, but that's not how they treat me. They have literally given me shelter and food since the day I arrived. A clear reflection of Jon Mozo, the man who's life is being made into a documentary. I was a bit nervous to do something new, but that was drown out by the excitement.

What you don't know, is that he is making airplane noises in this picture.

The next morning we piled into some vehicles, surf boards in tow and headed out. When we arrived it was an absolutely beautiful day. I couldn't wait. We all grabbed a board and walked to the edge of the water. My roommate Nate showed me which leg to attach the leash to. Just like a snowboard the leash is basically a cord which has two ends, one tethered to the board and the other to your ankle. This keeps the board from getting too far away from you in the event you get drilled by a wave. With my board in the water and my leash on, I was ready.

The very talented Amber Mozo and her sister Yani. Great teachers by the way.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why waves even exist or what causes them? I know I never did. Let me take this chance to explain it to you as I understand it. Basically a shore-break occurs at any beach where the depth of the ocean floor changes dramatically. Swells traveling in deep water remain intact until they come in contact with shallow water near the shore. This water then unleashes all it's energy in a short distance. That's how waves are born more or less. Every beach will have different breaks, some will have huge waves, while others will be much more friendly to someone such as myself.

It actually took some time to learn how to do this without falling off.

The first thing you have to do when you get in the water is lay on your board and begin paddling out to the break that you plan on surfing. I quickly learned that surfing is no chump when it comes to strenuous activity. I was winded just paddling out. As we approached the break, the oldest daughter of the Mozo family, Amber, was gracious enough to donate her surf knowledge to me. She quickly taught me how to deal with paddling through waves, how to sit up on my board, turn myself around in the water with my feet, and most importantly how to catch a wave. Getting my brain to actually process this information and send the correct signals to my limbs was a bit challenging however. I spent the first hour in the water falling off my board, getting tossed by waves, and trying to blow the salt water out of my nose. I found that as long as I listened to Amber, and did exactly what she said, I was going to benefit from it. Finally I got into position, as a wave approached Amber instructed me to paddle as hard as I could. My arms violently tore through the water. I could feel the energy of the wave building under my board. Then it happens, the moment where the wave takes control of you, and it owns you in every way. You become nothing more than a visitor to it's power. My hands grip the edge of the board tightly as I push my self up. I hesitate for a moment, and then stand up. A rush of endorphins are released from my brain as I realize I am actually surfing. It doesn't last long before I lose my balance and awkwardly spill into the ocean, but when I surface all I have is a smile on my face and my ears hear the sound of clapping coming from my own personal support group. I quickly hop back onto my board, because I just want to do it again and again.


See that joyous look on my face? Like a child.

Party wave!

Surfing is unlike any sport I've ever taken part of. I think it's because the ocean is so alive. You can't help but feel a connection with it. It's both terrifying and beautiful at the same time. The power that it's able to conjure up is beyond belief. It requires your attention and respect. Anything you do in the Ocean, is only because it lets you.

By the end of the day I was proud of myself for trying something new, but more importantly I was again thankful to Amber, the Mozo family, and my friends for helping me along every step of the way. It's because of them I had the opportunity in the first place. Take every chance you have to learn from others, If those chances don't come organically, then make them happen, and more importantly do everything you can to share that knowledge once you attain it.

A big beautiful mess.

2011-06-16T23:46:00.001-07:00

I haven't been in Hawaii very long. Just over a month to be exact. So naturally each day feels incredibly new and fresh. Even when I stay in all day editing on my computer, the sound of the ocean and swaying palm trees out my windows are still very much foreign to me. Each day feels like an adventure, but adventures come in different sizes and last night's adventure was a big, beautiful mess.

Around 3:00pm my roommate Devin suggested that we go camping. The location sounded amazing. A lighthouse perched at the point of the rocky coast complete with WWII bunkers on top. The catch, is that nobody is supposed to be there after dark, and cops check the nearby parking lot for vehicles. This led to the decision to travel by bus.

Our destination

So we packed lightly. A little food, some water, small blankets, a tarp, and most importantly our camera gear. We headed out the door and down to the nearest bus stop. This is when things stopped going our way, and everything that could go wrong did.

Little did they know the adventure that awaited us.

Our camera gear... complete with "Nate".


Cameras make good pillows.

Our first bus wasn't much of an issue in the beginning. It seemed simple enough. Take the bus down the coast, get off at a particular stop, transfer onto another bus, and head to our destination. Not quite. What happened is that we missed our stop and ended up going clear over the mountain to the other side. We promptly got off, and caught a bus back from where we had just come from. We got back to the original transfer stop and waited again for the next bus. Here we met a nice lady named Judy, she was from New York and in her 60's. She has lived on the island for 44 years. Why do I know such things about Judy? Because my friend Devin decided it was his obligation to interrogate the poor lady. Waving his arms, talking loudly and being downright crazy he carried on a conversation with Judy. Oh, and did I mention I filmed the whole thing? Yeah, I totally did.

Finally our next bus pulled up, we boarded and though we were running out of daylight, we were on the right path, at least we thought. The bus got us within a few miles of where we wanted to be, but still far from walking distance. We tried to hitchhike, but I guess nobody had room because we watched as car after car passed on the opportunity to pick up three strapping lads.

I guess my huge biceps were intimidating people?

With the power of Google Maps on our phone we found another bus stop that would FINALLY get us to where we were trying to get, and to our surprise it did! We arrived at "Sea Life Park", which is just a couple miles from the Lighthouse.

So up the hill we trekked. We arrived at the parking lot that sits at the base of cliffs. There is a paved trail that goes all the way around the cliff side and eventually leads to the Lighthouse, but we had little to no daylight left, so we decided going up and over was the best idea. We were both right and wrong. The daylight disappeared faster than we anticipated, halfway up a cop car had pulled into the parking lot with the lights flashing. Did he know we were there? Was he calling for backup? We didn't care, and it only motivated us to move faster.

Still a long way from the top it began to rain, and the wind was blowing violently. Through the dark we staggered our way up over the rocks and through the cactus and bushes. Finally we reached the top, but the lighthouse was at the base of the other side. We had hit the halfway mark. By this time the rain was relentless and showed no signs of slowing down, so we took refuge in one of the WWII bunkers. It's good enough for soldiers, should be fine for us we figured. As we scoped out the concrete floor for a spot to sleep with the lights on our phones I began to see movement. Upon closer examination I discovered some fun friends that we were about to have a slumber party with. A handful of scorpions and a very menacing looking centipede. Suddenly the rain and wind didn't seem so bad. We grabbed our gear, climbed out of the bunker and decided we would walk down to the lighthouse. It was dark, raining, and dangerous but by this point we really didn't care.

We stumbled, fell, and slid down to the path that led to the lighthouse. Hooray! That wasn't so hard now was it? The lighthouse was finally within sight. We finished the remaining last steps that led us to a lookout point. This point consisted of some concrete stairs leading to a concrete slab with a small fence around it to prevent people from falling to their death I suppose. This looked like a perfect spot to sleep for the night.

Best suite on the island.

This is when all the hurdles that we had just spent hours jumping over suddenly seemed so worth it. Looking out over the ocean the nearly full moon was so bright I had to squint to look at it. I'd never seen the moon look so powerful. It hung up there in the clouds, and all I could imagine was the force it has pulling our oceans around like rag dolls raising and lowering the tides. We could see another storm approaching as it dumped rain back into the ocean, but all I wanted to do is take photos.

Only in Hawaii does the moon shine like a sun.

Finally my pal Nate talked us into getting our "campsite" set up. This consisted of putting a tarp up against the face facing the wind. Not much of a tent, but I was grateful for it. It kept everything dry, and shielded us from the intense wind. After the storm passed what I saw next was not only a first for me, but one of the most surreal moments of my life. A lunar rainbow.

Dear Planet Earth. You are stupid cool. That is all.

I didn't even know it was possible, but there it was, staring me in the face. I scrambled to get my tripod set up and my camera primed to expose. Unfortunately at night the only way to take photos is using long exposure, and subtle movement during the exposure causes blurry images. So, long exposure combined with wicked nasty wind equals less than focused shots. I did the best that mother nature would allow. Nothing will compare to being there in person and witnessing such an event. We had a little more fun with long exposures as well.

Nate wins the circle game. Devin gets bronze.

My handwriting looks better when I write backwards using my phone. That's strange to me.

As the night wore on we eventually wrapped up in blankets and attempted to sleep. I don't think any of us got much. The combination of multiple rainstorms, and coastal wind throughout the evening mad it tough to doze off. Eventually morning arrived and we were greeted with a gorgeous sunrise. I'm beginning to think Hawaii doesn't know how to have any other kind of sunrise.

Insert 1000 words here


Me shooting the "lighthouse"

My shoes have never been so scared.

Even though we didn't face ideal conditions during our venture, what we received in the end was priceless. A memory that will never be pulled from our minds. A memory that we had to earn. The difficulties of this trip were what made it worth having.


This adventure ends, to make room for the next.

Living Through a Viewfinder

2011-06-14T15:34:00.001-07:00

It's not a secret. I love photography and film. In fact they are what fuel my daily life. I'm passionate about the process of using imagery to convey emotions, and ideas. It can be frustrating when you see the world in ways that you can't describe to people in words, but with a camera I feel like I am able to show them.

Growing up I loved movies. I made short stop motion films using my dads High 8 video camera. My actors consisted of Lego's and Action Figures. Later I made flip-books using post-its. I never really thought making movies was a viable aspiration in life though. I looked at it the same way I looked at the chances of making it to the NBA. It just didn't seem very realistic to me.

When I got into my teenage years I became more interested in photography, but never really pursued it. I was intimidated by it. There seemed to be so much to think about when taking a photograph. Lighting, exposure, position. Not to mention all the jargon. Aperture, ISO, shutter speed, light metering, flash controls. Was I really going to be able to learn how to harness these elements? Needless to say it was enough to keep me from pursuing photography. So I spent my high school years focused on sports and my girlfriend.

After graduating high school I had the opportunity to go to California and be part of a music video for a band called Yellowcard. This was my first "on set" experience with anything being filmed. It reignited my love for making movies. It was here that I realized there were many outlets to tell stories using film. Whether it be movies, tv shows, music videos, commercials, short films, documentaries, the list goes on. Not to mention by this time the world around me had exploded into the digital age where everything became more accessible and a lot cheaper. Suddenly I could buy an HD camera for $2,000 as opposed to $200,000+.

So now it was time to put up or shut up. After getting my Associates degree at the College of Eastern Utah, I transferred to Utah Valley University in Orem where I got my Bachelors Degree in Digital Media and Film. Since then I have worked on films, tv shows, marketing campaigns, viral videos, and currently I'm working on a Documentary. It's hard work, and long hours, but it's what I love. It will never feel like "work" to me.

We all have things inside us that make us tick. What are your passions? More importantly what are you doing about it? Sometimes the world keeps things out of reach, other times we have to sacrifice one passion for another. I don't think it's important to get everything we desire in life, but I do feel like it's vital to do our best to go after what we believe will make us happy. I think life, in its most simplest form is learning today what we can apply to tomorrow that causes our quality of life increase.

An interest in photography is what started it all for me, yet it took years for me to finally pick up a camera for photographic purposes. Would I be a much better photographer had I started when I was younger? Yes, I certainly would be. That's not the tragedy here though. The thought of never taking the chance to pick up a camera to see what I could do, now that's tragic. I'm very new to photography having only been doing it for less than 2 years. It's become one of the primary outlets for me to express myself. That to me, is priceless.

I have started a new blog to post my photos on. It's more of a sample portfolio of the different types of photos I take. A gallery, more than a blog. Anyone who wants to follow, please do :)

www.tasteofjace.blogspot.com