roots
i’m a huge believer in keeping things as real as possible regardless how crazy this ride called life throws one’s way. it’s amazing the egos + totally wacked elements that make their way into photography, visual media + our lives in general but it’s simplest terms it’s mostly bullshit. i’ve always tried to maintain ties to roots + though always throwing new things never letting go of that core ‘me’.
this might be something i learned early in life from my parents who were always there for me, solid as rocks regardless if i wore different colored shoe laces or dyed my hair. it might be from some generous elder who offered me the insight that if i made up my mind ahead of time, even for things i’m only vaguely expecting, it will make my actions that much firmer. it might be from little league baseball where i learned to think before each play, “what will i do if the ball comes to me”. it might be something i learned from a japanese professor in college who told me prior to my first trip abroad that i wouldn’t come back the same person.
in essence i think it’s a bit of all of this. it’s about finding that core of who you are, what you believe in + making a decision that those ‘roots’ won’t ever change. you’re ideals, positions, etc will vary constantly but those roots that are you are there to stay. this works for me in all my wanderings + adventures – both the fun kind + the life kind.
with that in mind it’s been fun for me to see to be reminded about lately. like with the latest issue of Kootenay Mountain Culture magazine with my name in the contributing photographer’s credits. and seeing snowboard photography icon trevor graves bringing out his old school snowboard images on facebook. and in the vein of this obvious root connection to the snow, the story on jarem frye in this month’s outside. i shot with jarem + a crew of amputee boarders a few years ago on mt hood + learned + was inspired. so here’s to staying true + staying yourself.
