Adventure photographer, director, filmmaker, Canon ambassador, and all around bad ass Krystle Wright returns to the podcast to talk about her three most current short films "Chasing Monsters", "In Perpetual Motion", and "A Restless Peace" (Links Below).  Make sure to check out Krystle's original appearance on the show back on episode #52 to hear the story of how she got started.  During this conversation we discuss what it was like trying to create three new films for Canon over the course of three years, putting together creative teams and knowing how to let them help guide her in expressing her own vision, what it was like chasing storms through "Tornado Ally" with the most recent guest of the show Nick Moir, trying to create films that have more space to breathe and interpret the imagery instead of always needing to let the audience know what you are saying, her thoughts on the current state of "like driven" content on social media, and what's next for her as she continues to evolve as an artist.   To Learn More About Krystle Wright Visit: https://krystlewright.com And Follow Her on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/krystlejwright/ **Links to all Three Films** Chasing Mosters https://youtu.be/6cCBfClDGxo In Perpetual Motion https://youtu.be/4tyqnA4Bo5I A Restless Peace  https://youtu.be/uy5XHBqEAIQ

Award winning photojournalist and renowned storm chaser Nick Moir joins the show to talk about what it's like facing down every type of severe weather you could imagine and how he has continued to evolve as a photographer, journalist, and creative after years in the field working with the Sydney Morning Herald.  You can get a brief glimpse into what the fast paced world of storm chasing looks like in Krystle Wright's new film "Chasing Monsters" which features Nick and his work.  Growing up in Sydney's Blue Mountains, Nick was inspired at an early age by the natural beauty and power of the storms and bushfires that were part of existence in that landscape.  As the son of a political cartoonist, art and creative expression were also a part of his young life and soon he would find his voice through the lens of a camera.  He became fascinated by the lifestyle of the newspaper photojournalist and began working his way up the ranks.  During the early 2000s, he set out with another photographer to document a devastating bushfire and after two years of coverage they had both brought home the prestigious World Press Photo Award.  Although he works as a daily news photojournalist, his continued fascination of storms has sent him all over the world from covering devastating tornadoes in America, to the Tsunami in Indonesia, to raging bushfires in his own backyard. During our conversation we talk about what it's like to mentally recover from the power and tragedy that can be involved in what he shoots, how he prepares for shooting in places like the infamous Tornado Ally, and the advice he gives to other out there wanting to brave the severity of mother nature.   To Learn More About Nick Moir Visit: http://www.nickmoirphoto.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/nampix/ To Watch Nick in Krystle Wright's New Film Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cCBfClDGxo To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

On this episode I sit down with Jonathan Mehring to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in a holler in Virginia in a log home his "return to the land" parents built with no concrete in sight, to a skateboard enthusiast and one of the most well traveled skateboard photographers in the world, and finally the way that would lead him to working with National Geographic on his book "Skate the World" to help spread the global message of skateboard culture.  As a kid growing up in a rural town with pretty adventurous and outdoor enthusiastic parents, skateboarding wasn't necessarily the first thing that you would assume would become the driving force of Jonathan's life, but while driving around one day, he got a glimpse of a skater airing it out over a privacy fence of a backyard ramp and that scene would stick with him and alter the direction of his life.  Once that passion was paired with a high school photography class, his future was suddenly becoming more clear.  He would go on to study photography in college and try to ignore the advice his professors gave him to give up on the idea of photographing something like skateboarding. Before long he proved them wrong by signing on as a photographer with slap magazine.  After a long run there, and several trips to Europe, he got the travel bug and an opportunity to work with Skateboarder.  It would be at that publication that he would soon birth a mission to go to the most remote skate locals he could imagine and create editorial skate trips like no one else had ever seen.  During our conversion we talk about what it was like to ride motorcycles from Hanoi to Saigon looking for skateable terrain, how he convinced a magazine to let him spend months on the Trans Siberian Railroad, what it was like to realize that he had helped get National Geographic interested in skate culture, and the advice he gives to others with big dreams of travel and photography.   To Learn More About Jonathan Mehring Visit: http://www.mehringphoto.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/mehringsbearings/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

Commercial, action sports, and fine art photographer Jussi Grznar joins the show to talk about growing up in former Czechoslovakia and watching the fall of communist leadership and repression, and how that led him to chasing his dreams not only for himself, but for his parents that never had the same opportunity.  At an early age Jussi's parents always encouraged him and his sister to let themselves be influenced by travel, music, and whatever other culture they could absorb.  At age 10, when communism fell, Jussi remembers starting to finally get his hands on skateboard and snowboarding magazines, and hear some of the music that had not been allowed before.  It would become the spark of a dream that would eventually lead him to North America and through a ton of random jobs before finally picking up a camera to document the mountain lifestyle he had fallen in love with.  While living in Whistler and attending the pro photography showdown, Jussi told his close friend that one day he would stand on that stage.  It would be a prophetic statement that would give Jussi a goal that he would chase for years before making it come true and winning best in show and the people's choice at the same competition.  During our conversation we discuss the trials and tribulations Jussi dealt with not only getting to Canada, but figuring out how to survive there and get his foot in the door of the competitive world of action sports photography, what it is was like to accomplish his goal of winning at Whistler's renowned pro photographer showdown after putting in years of work, how he made the transition from action sports photographer to commercial lifestyle shooter, and the advice he give to others coming up.   To Learn More About Jussi Grznar Visit: https://www.jussigrznar.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/jussi_grznar/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/

Mike Lewis, aka @mike2swim, joins the show to talk about how he went from being a collegiate swimmer, to working at the executive level for the Olympic Canoe/Kayak and Water Polo teams, to finally deciding to focus on photography and find himself back in the pool with the athletes he knew best.  Growing up in southern California, Mike gravitated towards the water at an early age and quickly became an accomplished swimmer.  It would become a sport that would help him have a drive and focus throughout his high school years.  During that time, like so many others that have been on this show, he found photography and fell in love with the process.  Throughout his years as a swimmer, and then later on in his professional life working with olympic athletes, the camera was always close by and gave Mike a meditative and creative outlet that he became more and more focused on becoming proficient at.  When one of his close friends started  Swim Swam, which would become one of the biggest swimming media outlets in the world, Mike found a way to be able to focus on two of his biggest passions, swimming and photography.  Before long Mike created some images that would help launch his career to a new level and provide him opportunities to work with the biggest name swimmers and brands around.  During our conversation Mike talks about how he created a niche portfolio and career dedicated to one of his life's biggest passions, the specific challenges photographers face when photographing aquatic sports, how he tries to bring mindfulness into his daily life and work, and the advice he gives to others coming up in this world.   To Learn More About Mike Lewis Visit: https://olavistaphotography.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/mike2swim/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/    

Award winning photographer/director Joey Lawrence (aka Joey L.) joins the show to talk about how he went from photographing his musician friends in high school, to shooting portraits of celebrities like Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence, to traveling the globe extensively in the pursuit of some of the most ambitious personal projects ever discussed on this podcast.  Although he's now old enough to not be the youngest person on his sets anymore, Joey L. is still a young face in the industry, but at age 29 his portfolio is packed with work most older veterans could only dream of.  During our conversation we talk about how Joey found photography and the work ethic and drive that had him shooting professionally at the age of 16, and how he continues to evolve as an artist.  Although Joey has had no shortage of interviews and press throughout his photography career, the true testament to his talents is that he hasn't slowed down a bit.  Over the years he has continued to hone his craft and blur the lines between his personal work and his commercial projects, earning him coveted spots like the Lavazza calendar is 2016, previously shot by other top photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger.  Joey gives us an insiders look at what goes into creating his personal work, how he stays organized with his schedule, why he feels "burn out" is no longer an issue for him, and the advice he gives to those veterans out there that think the golden era of photography is over.   To Learn More About Joey L. Visit: https://joeyl.com/overview/category/quick-portfolio And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/joeyldotcom/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

Filmmaker, Commercial DP, Photographer, Adventurer, and man of many talents Steve Rokks joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Long Island with a fascination for jazz drumming, to  dreams of a Navy Seal career, to working as an engineer, to a job in the music industry in Dallas working with labels like Def Jam and artists like Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube, to editing videos on the side for a filmmaker friend, to finally finding himself behind the camera focused on his current career of commercial DP and documentary filmmaker.  From his earliest years that he can remember, Steve was always inspired by the work ethic and DIY attitude of his father.  It's a thread he's taken through his own life of "when a door opens, go through it and see what you can make of it".  He applied it through his younger years of making music, through the opportunity he was presented to work as a sound engineer, and finally to working as a filmmaker.  We talk about what goes into that mind set and where it comes from, and the sometimes random curve balls life throws at you that you can knock out of the park if you are willing to swing at them. During our conversation Steve discusses how he found climbing in high school, when the name Steve Rokks came about, his latest short film "The Art of Living" that was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick, how he balanced life as a commercial DP with the personal projects he sets out to create, and the advice he gives to other creatives coming up in this world.   To Learn More About Steve Rokks Visit: http://steverokks.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/steverokks/ To Watch The Art of Living Visit: https://vimeo.com/299726072 To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/    

We finally made it to episode 100 of the podcast, and to celebrate I'm joined by special guest host Kenna Klosterman to help lead me through telling my own life story.  You might know Kenna as the host of Creative Live, or from her own great photography podcast "We Are Photographers", so she seemed like the perfect person to come in and take over hosting the Visual Revolutionary Podcast.  Kenna has also been a guest on this show before so make sure to check out Episode 64 to hear her story.  Believe it or not, I've had several requests over the last 99 episodes to tell my own story, so during this episode you get to learn more about me.  Therefore if you are one of the people who have commented that I talk too much, it might not be the episode for you.  During our conversation I tell Kenna about what it was like growing up in a small town in Kentucky, how skateboarding was the impetus of so much creativity and rebellion in my life, what it was like traveling on tour with the Grateful Dead, my stint in life as a purveyor of illegal substances, how many times I had to be threatened by legal troubles before trying to get my act together, my long standing relationship with meditation and the present moment, and what ultimately led me to a life and career in photography.   To Learn More About Kenna Klosterman Visit: https://www.kennakphoto.com And Make Sure to check out "We Are Photographers" at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-are-photographers/id1435736290 To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/    

My good friend Sean Boggs returns to the show to talk about his recent personal project working with the Ninash Foundation, where he traveled through India to document people from all walks of life and captured some of the amazing changes Ninash has made in their lives and the lives of others.  During our conversation we talk about taking on personal projects and giving back by donating your services to non profit organizations, how he went about planning and executing this project, the logistics of creating environmental portraits in all types of situations, and the way others have received the work thus far.   To Learn More About Sean Boggs Visit: https://seanfboggs.com To Learn More About the Ninash Foundation Visit: http://www.ninash.org To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/    

Celebrity and lifestyle photographer Jeff Lipsky joins the podcast to talk about how he went from working as a fly fishing guide in Telluride, CO and trying to see how many days a year he could snowboard, to shooting some of the most well known celebrities in the world and working on ad campaigns for companies like Verizon, Eddie Bauer, Warner Brothers, and many others.  Although Jeff was turned on to photography at a fairly early age, it would be his passion for skiing and snowboarding that would get him to move from the east coast to explore the rest of the country.  He fell in love with mountain life and spent 10 years in Telluride, CO until photography came calling again and he rekindled his passion for shooting.  Before long he moved to LA with big dreams and a drive to make it in the very competitive world of shooting fashion and celebrity work.  After putting in his time as an assistant with some of the most well known photographers of the time, he finally took the plunge to try and make it on his own, and the rest is history.  Jeff has gone to create an amazing body of work and has given back to the world of photography by teaching with groups like Sante Fe Workshops.  During our conversation we talk about the fear of putting yourself out there, the hustle and relationships required to make it in the world of photography, what it looks like behind the scenes of a big celebrity shoot, and the advice his gives to others who have big dreams in the creative world.   To Learn More About Jeff Lipsky Visit: https://www.jefflipsky.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/jefflipsky/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/