Well, I think I have broken my own silence streak record by a long shot, once again, sigh…
You see, I have this terrible “it’s got to be the greatest thing ever written” syndrome which tragically translates to silence way more often than anything productive. And the funny thing is, whether you believe it or not, my own silence towards you - my collectors, my admirers, my audience - is one of the greatest stresses I inflict upon myself. There honestly isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t stress about wanting or NEEDING to write SOMETHING, ANYTHING!!!
And yet here we are, what’s it been? Two years?? More than a year, I know that. Not a very good way to keep people engaged.
And so here I sit now, with so many things to say, so many things to do. And let’s face it, things are far from coming easy these days… I could say there are so many things to complain about. But you know what, ultimately I really do feel that there are so many things to be thankful for too.
And I want to keep this positive. After all, that is who I am. And I am welcoming many new subscribers from festivals of the past year and half with this…
Welcome to a place where (hopefully) Nature and the often times “occasional” crazy adventure story can transport you away from the cares and troubles of everyday life and to a place of peace and inspiration.
For those of you who haven’t just met me recently at a festival or heard from me in forever - I am alive and well and I’ve been hiking on “out there,” so to speak!
I’ve finally recently made a few adjustments and updates on my website and I am working on much more to make it a better and easier viewing experience, amongst a million other things! And fingers crossed, without unforeseen hiccups, I have a Big addition soon to be available on the site… So be on the lookout!
Speaking of Big - There’s a pretty awesome secret I’ve been holding in my pocket for over a year now… Guess who is having a photo published in the upcoming new edition of National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks??!!! More to come on this, but since I’m writing here for the first time since then, I can’t bear to hold it in any longer!
Lastly, as always, I can’t not leave you with a “pretty picture,” right?!
So in striving to keep this simpler and sweeter and continuing with the “Big” theme - enjoy this oldie but goodie… some of my photos have a grand tale behind them, and some of them are a mere matter of dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time. Here’s one on the “lazier” side of that equation. Nevertheless, always a crowd pleaser and one of my best sellers, still, to date.
I just happened to be driving by this access area of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park on this mid-July evening back in 2015 when the setting sun broke through the storm clouds and I knew I had to stop… and boy am I glad I did! I stood at the lake shore for over an hour watching the drama unfold, exposing 5 frames on the roll of 120 Fuji Velvia Film I had loaded in the magazine of my Mamiya RB67. This is the one I consider to be the “peak” moment of this sunsets eruption. And although that journey out West (my first cross-country road trip!) was tumultuous in so many ways, it sparked something inside of me that I have never turned back from. And in so many ways it reminds me to this day, a decade later, to never give up and it continues to inspire me to “Dream Big.”
All my best,
Brandon
