let the fire burn.
A big month for life lessons…
On November 22, 2023, I took a 20 minute Peloton boxing class in my garage. Towards the end of the class, the instructor, Kendall Toole said, “When your triceps and biceps are tired, let the fire burn.”
How many times do we give up walking in the darkness, when there is light just around the corner?
How often do we stop, rather than letting the fire burn?
I, for one, am guilty.
Recently I found myself with my back against the wall. A loss of income with mouths to feed, food to buy and a mortgage to pay.
It seemed like the world was coming down on me.
For a week I felt insecure, uncertain, and often times, ashamed.
But when you are forced to play your hand, it’s a true test of what you are made of.
Do you let the fire burn?
The love of the land
Earlier this month, I launched a short film about Ray, a 70 year old farmer who loves what he does — farming. He’s been doing it most of his life, and I couldn't help but wonder why. The answer, quite frankly, is simple — he loves the land.
His humble response made me question my motives as to WHY I do what I do. I am convinced everyone has a story to tell, whether they believe it or not.
I believe stories are what bring us together, and truth be told, they are what make us feel something.
You can ask my wife, but I kid you not, I somehow manage to bring up The Dark Knight Trilogy in just about every conversation and have it make sense. Why? Because Christopher Nolan understands the power of storytelling. He takes things that are very personal to him, and turns them into stories people can’t stop talking about.
I could stay on this tangent for a while, but I will stop before my fingers get the best of me.
Anyways, I would love to hear your thoughts on Love of the Land in the comments below!
For those interested, I shot most of this with the Canon C70 (Raw LT at 30 or 60 FPS in Canon LOG 2).
I also used the 1DX MK III to film at 120 FPS (details of the plow in the dirt).
The drone footage was captured on the Mavic 2 Pro in 4K at 30FPS
It was edited in Davinci Resolve on a 24FPS timeline.
Audiio and SFX are from Audiio.com.
Photographing my dream car
When I say Dream Car, I mean DREAM CAR. I haven’t be able to stop thinking about this car since Gone In 60 Seconds was released, which was like 15 years ago… probably more. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth the watch if you are into cars. Although this isn’t Eleanor (if you know, you know), she still purrs like a kitten and loves riding at 7,000 rpms.
One of the beautiful things about IG is that you are able to make these sort of connections. Had I not met the people I did, or happen to be on IG at the time, I never would have found the owner of this car. Social media can be - at times - a toxic place, but a lot of good can also come from it.
These images were taken at Antelope Island in Utah. Fun fact… Antelope Island is a state park, however, the roadway between the entrance and the island itself is not part of the park, therefore you can fly your drone without a permit. Huge win!
New Book I am reading
With David & Goliath on the shelf, it’s time to pick up a new book — The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone.
I found out about this book through an ad on IG, and what do you know, the ad worked! Simply put, the 10x Rule means whatever effort you think you need to expend to launch a company, publish a book, make a film, launch you career, etc., you need to multiply that effort 10 times.
As Cardone says, “No one is going to march into your company and make your products known to the world. In order to stand out from the crowd — and for customers to even consider your products, services and organization — you must take massive action.”
This couldn’t be more true.
At the end of a days work, I thought I had a successful day — a couple IG Reels, some edits, and then some writing.
In hindsight it was a successful day, but I realized I could have done so much more.
I am always critical of my work and my performance, but aren’t we all our own worst critics?
I have never met Grant Cardone, but he sounds like one of the most intense go-getters out there.
If I can look back at the end of the day and say I did my best with what I was given, that’s okay with me. It’s the striving that counts.
Words of Wisdom from Joe McNally
Joe McNally, one of my mentors and true inspirations in photography said in his book, The Real Deal, “I have said often on assignments, to my clock-watching subject, who might be anxious to truncate our session, not do another setup, and pull chocks in precipitous fashion, ‘You and I will never be here together again, in the history of all time. So, give me a few more minutes, and we’ll make pictures that will more fully realize our visual ambitions.”
In other words, take your time and be patient. Give yourself the time - in the field - to “more fully realize [your] visual ambitions.”
Your future self will thank you.
I’ve had to learn this the hard one, and more often than not, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
What we do isn’t easy, and more often than not, it seems we are constantly under a time hack. People want content, and they want it right now, however, if you can find a way to get five more minutes to dial in your settings, you’re gonna be rewarded now or later down the road.
From August 15, 2015 when I met Joe for the first time at Photoshop World in Las Vegas, NV.
Enjoy the journey
I recently saw a post by Landon BTW and it’s absolutely awesome to see how far he has come. That’s what it’s really all about — the journey.
Because is there really an end? Is there really ever a finish line?
Once we finish the race, we take a few days to recover, and then we lace back up again and keep going.
Enjoy the journey, wherever that may be.
Until next year, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Years!
