Best selling author, photographer, video producer, and educator Marc Silber joins the show to talk about his latest book "Create: Tools from Seriously Talented People to Unleash Your Creative Life", and how he went from an artistic young kid with a camera hanging out around Heigh Ashbury in the late 60s, to the art institute of San Francisco, to teaching mountaineering, to spending years as a business consultant, to finally re-kindling his love of photography, filmmaking, and a creative way of living.  Marc grew up in the hills of Menlo Park, CA and was introduced to photography and the darkroom at a very early age.  During his high school years he had the opportunity to spend some time in Mexico with his Rolleiflex and created a body of work that still inspires him today and sent him on a path that would lead him to the art institute of San Francisco.  Although Marc was always drawn towards visual storytelling, he was also very drawn to the outdoors, and started teaching mountaineering at the National Outdoor Leadership School.  It would be those years of early leadership training that would soon lead him back to education in the creative fields he always loved.  During our conversation Marc tells me what inspired him to start his YouTube series "Advancing Your Photography" where he interviews some of the top photographers in the world, the daily tools and habits he uses to help him stay motivated, creative, and productive, what he's learned from long conversations with so many successful creatives, and the advice he gives to others struggling to fulfill their creative goals.   To Learn More About Marc and To Buy His Book Visit: https://www.silberstudios.com To Watch his YouTube Series Advancing Your Photography Visit: https://www.youtube.com/user/marcsilber To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/    

Award winning ski and action sports photographer Reuben Krabbe joins the podcast to talk about his most recent celestial ski photo and the newly released short film "Nebula" (links below) that traces his journey to capture a skier in front of the Orion Nebula, as well as take you inside some of the creative process on what it looks like to chase after such an elusive photograph. Growing up in Calgary, Rueben was always attracted to the mountains that were so close by and the lifestyle that went with them.  But when one of his friends got a hold of his Dad's SLR camera and they started taking pictures of each other on their ski and mountain bike adventures, Reuben began to dream about a future as an action sports photographer, and all the adventures that might entail.  Before long, after a short stint in photography school, he was living in a van in Whistler chasing that goal with a drive and work ethic that would soon enough pair him with the right athletes and companies to start making the images he had imagined.  After a while his imagination for a ski shot became a little more advantageous which would lead him to creating an image of a skier in front of the northern lights first, and then an even bigger project working with Salomon to try and capture an image of skiers in front of the solar eclipse which would lead to several awards, recognition from the industry, and another short film about the process.  With the film Nebula, Reuben sets out to capture what he says is the third and final image of a series of celestial events.  During our conversation Reuben tells me what's it like to try and work around getting pigeon holed as the guy who shoots ski images in front of celestial events, how he manages to stay relevant in such a saturated niche of the industry, the way he goes about visualizing and organizing personal projects, and the advice he gives to others coming up in the world of action sports photography.   To Watch the new film Nebula Visit: https://www.nebula-film.com To Learn More About Reuben Krabbe Visit: https://reubenkrabbe.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/reubenkrabbe/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

Award winning photojournalist, documentary photographer, and filmmaker Sebastian Meyer joins the show to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in New York, to spending ten years living in Kurdistan, co-founding the first Iraqi photography agency, and his beautiful new book that documents the journey and the people called "Under Every Yard of Sky".  Although Sebastian had a similar experience as so many others that have been on this show before of getting the chance to learn photography in a high school class, it wouldn't be until years later during college while he was studying abroad in France that he would truly fall in love with it.  After seeing some of the photos he was taking during his travels, a friend turned him on to the field of photojournalism and gave him a book on Magnum photographers that would change his life.  Soon enough Sebastian was chasing his own dreams as a photojournalist, and even ended up as an intern at the Magnum photography agency.  After moving to London to try and establish himself as a photographer there, Sebastian was given the opportunity through a friend to travel to Kurdistan on an assignment.  While on assignment, he met who would become his best friend and future business partner Kamaran Najm and the two of them would go on to create something idealistic and amazing in Kurdistan.  During our conversation Sebastian tells me what attracted him to life in the middle east and how he ended up calling Kurdistan home for so long, what it was like trying to build a photo agency, the tragic story of his best friend Kamaran, how he feels about the current state of photojournalism, and the advice he gives to others coming up in the field.   To Learn More About Sebastian Meyer Visit: https://www.sebmeyer.com To Buy a Copy of Under Every Yard of Sky Visit: https://www.sebmeyer.com/bookstore And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/sebmeyerphoto/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

My good friend, and bad ass photographer, Emily Polar returns to the show to have an honest conversation about what it looks like to truly value and honor your time, the issues she has with the conventional model of the the role of an advertising photographer, what it was like to live and study in Nepal for the last three years, the influence Buddhism and daily meditation has on her life, how she manages her money and lives with almost no overhead in order to stay on the move, and the plans she has going forward with her career and her personal life.  Make sure to check out Episode #4 from the way back machine to hear Emily's first appearance on the show where she discusses her backstory and how she got to where she is today.   To Learn More About Emily Polar Visit: https://www.emilypolar.com And Follow Her on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/emilypolar/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

Documentary photographer, respected photojournalist, and educator Glenna Gordon joins the show to talk about how she went from a kid growing up in suburban Orange County, to living in West Africa covering everything from Boko Haram to Muslim women who write romance novels.  Although Glenna was raised in a loving home and in a sheltered community, she was no stranger to stories of tragedy and hardship and was brought up with the intimate knowledge of what true suffering and sacrifice can look like.  She knew from a young age that Irvine was not the place for her and she had dreams of living in New York and seeing what else the world had to offer.  After studying art history at UC Berkley and then getting a job that would move her to NYC, she realized that she wasn't creatively satisfied and wanted more than sitting at a desk full of paperwork.  She attended journalism school at Columbia and then decided to go visit her older brother who was living and working in Rwanda.  On a whim, and full of youthful courage, she somehow managed to talk her way into a Rwandan prison and put together a story about women who were being held there.  That story would end up being the catalyst to her chasing her passion of story telling, becoming more dedicated to photography, and falling in love with the people of Africa.  During our conversation we talk about what made her decide to move to Uganda at the age of 25 and the transition from being a writer to focusing more on telling stories with her camera, what it was like to create such a viral media piece like her story on the 300 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, her eventual move back to New York and realizing some of the stories that needed to be told here in the states, and the advice she gives to those dreaming of one day telling their own visual stories.   To Learn More About Glenna Gordon Visit: http://www.glennagordon.com And Follow Her on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/glennagordon/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

Editorial and Commercial fashion/lifestyle photographer and educator Clay Cook joins the podcast from his studio in Louisville, KY to talk about how he went from years on the road as a guitar player in a popular hard rock band, to shooting fashion editorials and commercial campaigns across the country.  Although Clay was very influenced by movies at an early age and loved trying to create his own short films, at 16 years old he joined a band that would alter the trajectory of his life and send him out chasing the dream of stardom and touring the country for the next 10 years.  Music became everything to him during that time and his band put out an album that attracted the attention of some in the music business and became the foundation of so many of the stories he has from the earlier part of his life. During all those years of touring, Clay started doing graphic design work to supplement his income, which led him to finally picking up a camera in an attempt to create his own stock imagery for design purposes.  Before long he became more and more fascinated by figuring out photography and his band began to realize that it might be time to move on with their lives.  Clay began to put more of his focus on becoming a better shooter and finding clients and the rest is history.  During our conversion Clay talks about the personal project and book that helped launch his career, why he's chosen to keep his studio in a smaller market like Louisville, KY when he is shooting national work, what motivates him to keep creating, some of the positive and negative aspects of getting involved in the online education world of photography, and the advice he gives to others coming up.   To Learn More About Clay Cook Visit: https://www.claycookphoto.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/claycookphoto/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

Action Sports and Commercial Filmmaker, and one of the co-founders of Anthill Films, Darren McCullough joins the podcast to talk about the crew's latest film "Return to Earth" and how he went from being a kid growing up in the small town of Lions Bay BC to becoming part of a filmmaking team making some of the most cutting edge mountain bike films available. As a kid growing up in a small town with access to both the mountain lifestyle and the ocean, Darren had an early love for skiing and outdoor adventures.  So it was only natural that after his older brother started getting him involved in photography and filmmaking in High School, that he had created his first ski film before he even thought about the prospect of college or the future.  Because of those early tastes of creative success, and with his older brother's mentorship and encouragement, Darren began to pursue what else could come from what seemed to be a fairly natural eye for shooting.  After years of working for others in the commercial realm and continuing his education through a short stint in film school and multiple professional mentorships, Darren realized that he missed being a part of the mountain lifestyle that his first ski film had afforded him.  During that time he met a crew of like minded creatives working on a mountain bike film that would soon become the foundation of The Collective, and would go on to produce three full length feature films and after that would form the basis of what makes up Anthill Films and a very impressive list of film titles that are helping to revolutionize what a mountain bike video looks like in today's standards.  During our conversation we discuss the amount of time and schedule that goes into making a full length film like "Return to Earth", how they go about juggling commercial work with their passion of making mountain bike movies, how he deals with burnout when it sets in, the democracy of working with a big crew, and the advice he gives to those who dream of one day making their own sports action movies.   To Learn More About Anthill Films or buy the movie Visit: https://anthillfilms.com To Rent or Buy the movie "Return To Earth" Visit  https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/return-to-earth/id1470555308 And Follow Them on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/anthillfilms/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

On this episode of the podcast Matt Porteous drops in to talk about how he went from creating a successful business as a stone mason to becoming one of the go to portrait photographers for the Royal Family, building his own successful commercial studio, and creating a staggering amount of personal photography and film projects as well as multiple outlets to showcase them in.  Matt grew up on the small island of Jersey in the U.K.  It was there that he fell in love with the ocean and the culture that surrounded it.  He spent most of his days surfing and dreaming of one day traveling the world in search of better waves.  At an early age his mother remarried and Matt found himself not only introduced to more disciple in his life, but also to the many new adventures that his stepfather began taking him on that would shape a lot of his adventurous attitude for years to come.  Matt had also become fascinated with photography during his younger years thanks to a small underwater camera that he constantly carried around with him, but it would be in his early 20s as he set out to travel through Indonesia, Australia, and other surf locations that the camera became a more important tool that he understood could tell a story.  After returning home from his travels he felt it would be a better career move to continue to pursue work in the trades, and formed what would become a fairly successful stone masonry company.  As he worked at that business he continued to constantly try and hone his skills in photography, until one day he finally made the decision to chase his dreams of becoming a professional.  He walked away from his business and the rest is history.  During our conversation Matt talks about how he first began building the portfolio that would help him create a successful wedding photography business, the way he ended up first working with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, how he created enough time to constantly continue to pursue his love of adventure photography, and the advice he gives to those coming up in the creative world trying to decide the right path to take.   To Learn More About Matt Porteous Visit: http://thestudiom.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/mattporteous/ To Learn More About Ocean Culture Life Visit: https://www.oceanculture.life To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

On this episode of the podcast I sit down with automotive and lifestyle photographer and commercial director Jeff Stockwell to talk about how he turned a professional career as a rollerblader into becoming a sought after photographer working with some of the biggest car companies in the world.  Growing up in San Clemente Jeff always felt like an outsider because the things he was most passionate about seemed to be outside the norm of those around him.  Although he lived in a beach town, he had little interest in the ocean, and while surrounded by skateboarding, he gravitated more towards rollerblading and quickly began to gain recognition in what was then an exploding sport.  Through competing, video parts, and team sponsorships Jeff traveled the world and began to form the foundation of what would later become a visual aesthetic that would serve him well.  Although he was one of the top pros in the county, roller blading wasn't quite cutting it for paying the bills and so Jeff stayed close to the industry of his other passion....cars.  He worked in a machine shop and continued to learn more and more about the mechanical world and figured that would most likely represent his future.  It wasn't until years later when an opportunity arose to assist a busy automotive photographer that Jeff started to realize that he could combine his love of cars with his creative side and became fascinated with the world of photography.  Jeff put in his time working his way up in the assisting world, but before long he began to attract the attention of other art directors and decided to set out on his own.  The rest is history, and Jeff has proven he has his own vision as an artist and the drive it takes to succeed in a very competitive industry.  During our conversation we talk about constantly shooting test work and how that helps you to not only stay sharp, but to remain relevant in the midst of so may other shooters, what it was like making the decision to go out on his own after years of steady work as an assistant, how his love of vintage clothing, architecture, and cars influences his photography, and the advice he gives to others coming up in the creative world.   To Learn More About Jeff Stockwell Visit: https://jeff-stockwell.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/jeffstockwell/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/    

Renowned celebrity portrait photographer, documentary filmmaker, host of the popular show "Off Camera", and man of many creative pursuits Sam Jones joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Fullerton, CA with a focus on skateboarding and punk rock, to creating a very successful career as a photographer and filmmaker.  During his younger years Sam always had a lot of outlets for creativity.  Whether he was playing music in many of the bands he was in, drawing cartoons for his school newspaper, or riding his skateboard, Sam was beginning to shape the way he viewed the world around him. During his third year of college he decided to take a photography class, and with the encouragement of his good friend Neil Blender, start creating images of what was around him.  Although music was still the main goal, Sam began to work as a photojournalist for his school paper, which quickly lead him to becoming a stringer for national news outlets.  Before long he found himself on a plane to New York to chase the growing dream of creating a life for himself in the world of photography.  During our conversation Sam tells me the story of how he created the image of Chris Rock for Vanity Fair that would help launch his career to another level, what it was like learning how to become a documentary filmmaker while actually in the midst of making a film about Wilco, how he juggles all of his creative pursuits and how he feels that keeps him from ever burning out, and the advice he gives to others who want to make a life for themselves in the creative world.  Given his background in the DIY world of punk rock and skateboarding, and all is creative pursuits, it's no wonder that Sam is just as comfortable having a long conversation with someone like Robert Downey Jr, as he is taking his portrait.   To Learn More About Sam Jones Visit: https://www.samjonespictures.com To Watch or Listen to Off Camera Visit: https://offcamera.com To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/