These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Me vs. Mt. Kilimanjaro

My next gig is unlike anything I have ever done before. I have to follow a group of people up Mt. Kilimanjaro in order to raise money for clean water in Africa. At 19,341ft Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest free standing mountain in the world. This is MUCH different than a typical documentary shoot because the physical demands are extreme. It will take us 7 days to climb to the summit and along the way we will experience 5 different climates from rain forest to desert, to the sub-zero artic. There are no cushy Holiday Inn Express hotels on the way up either. We will be sleeping on the frozen ground in tents. From a cardio standpoint I think I can make it thanks to all the cycling I do. However, altitude sickness is a huge X factor and scares the crap out of me. I have no idea how my body will respond. This job came up last minute so I haven’t been able to train like I would had I received proper notice. This will be a crazy experience and I will do my best to update the blog, though I have no idea what my internet access will be like. Stay tuned and keep checking in to The Captain’s Blog!

Here is the Wikipedia entry for Mt. Kilimanjaro:
Wikipedia - Mt. Kilimanjaro

Overcoming the Elements

Boy, my past few shoots have involved really difficult conditions. -15F in Minnesota, general cold/snow in NY and 34 degrees with a constant non-stop sideways rain for hours and hours. You can see me making the best of being wet, cold, and miserable while standing on a 12 foot ladder with an Arri 416 under some bead board for a small amount of protection. The irony is that my family never encouraged me to go into the family business so I could have a comfortable white-collar job with good pay, benefits, and a cushy warm cozy office. Now look at me. LOL! On my next gig I will be sleeping outside on the ground in climates ranging from tropical to sub zero frozen ground. Stay tuned for details about that one!

Success in the Cold

Well, the shoot went really well and no one got frost bite - even Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Pappa who were running around in dress shoes and Brooks Brother's suits! Those guys were super great to work with as well as the awesome crew. Special thanks to Clair Popkin for the photo. More details to come!

It's a Tad Chilly...

... in Duluth, MN where I am heading now to shoot ice fishing. It is a promo for a new network show. It should be fun, but with a high temp of 8 degrees and a low of -15 predicted I hope neither the cameras nor I freeze. On a positive note we will be flying into the Richard L. Bong Airport. Hopefully Richard will give us a warm welcome.

Apple of my Eye

I have been lucky to do a bunch of work with Apple this year. This past spring they sent me around the world shooting profiles of people who develop apps for the iPhone. It was yet another amizing life experience. Thanks to this job I got to learn the RED ONE camera and also helped spread the swine flu from San Antonio to Paris and Toyko. Well, perhaps it wasn't me personally who spread it, but we'll never know ;) This video premiered at the WWDC in June and launched the new iPhone 3Gs. It was directed by 2 of my favorite dudes in the universe - Pete and Luke McCoubrey. Rock on fellas.

iPhone 3Gs 2009 WWDC Apps Video

Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

Well, it has been over a year since my last blog post. The main reason for this is that I have been keeping in touch with people via Facebook instead of this blog. HOWEVER I have decided to resurrect The Captain's Blog and start posting again! Most posts will be very brief, but some will be more detailed. The main thing I want to do is just get it going again. So here we go!!!

Goodbye Alaska!

My time here in Alaska is coming to an end. It was a fun adventure and I am glad to have shared it with my two new traveling buddies Elizabeth and Jandiz. I am already beginning to feel the hot NY summer and am actually looking forward to it after weeks of cold grey rainy days. There was a chance I would return here in a couple of weeks, but that isn’t looking like it will happen so I have been cut loose and am attempting to get home on my own. If you happen to see me on the side of the road please stop and give me a lift. I have beer.

I am a Salty Dog

We recently landed in Homer, AK which is the last stop on our tour of Alaska. We didn’t waist much time and headed to the “Salty Dog.” The place looks like something out of a Scooby Doo cartoon. I met a few locals and sampled the local brews. The local brewery bottles their brew in empty Sobe bottles. Pure Genius. I know what I am telling Scott next time I am at the Captain Lawrence Brewery.