Visual Revolutionary

Photographer and Director Embry Rucker joins us on the podcast today.  We talk about growing up on a farm in Kentucky and his love for exploring the world around him at an early age.  Whether he was riding a horse or his dirt bike, he would roam around their 20 acres with endless possibilities of adventure.  When he was in middle school, a teacher turned him on to rock climbing and quickly he found himself scouring the pages of climbing publications and dreaming of the Rocky Mountains.  After graduating High School he was fulfilling that dream and living in Wyoming, studying English Literature.  He would spend his free time snowboarding and mountain biking and pretty soon fell in love with photography and decided he was done spending so much time trying to figure out what Steinbeck was trying to say.  Before long, and after a couple more moves, he found himself in Oregon shooting photos of the friends around him in the snowboarding community.  It was those early snowboard photos that would lead him into the s

Commercial photographer and mentor Joseph Victor Stefanchick (aka JVS) has been around the block in the world of photography.  From his early years growing up in New Jersey shooting skateboarding, to his many years working as a freelance photojournalist for the Washington Post, he's tried a bit of it all and isn't done experimenting yet.  Whether he was shooting sports, world politics, weddings, or food, Joseph always tried to keep a clean consistent look and embrace the new world around him while listening to what those that would become his mentors had to say.  It was this positive attitude and willingness to learn that led him to work with a large list of editorial and commercial clients.  Throughout all the incarnations of his career, he has managed to never fall out of love with photography and has now devoted a lot of his time to helping others develop their own skills through his company Personal Photo Coach.  In the last ten years, he's had the opportunity to teach seminars all over the world and work

Photographer, traveler, and motorcycle enthusiast Aaron Brimhall has one of those instagram feeds that makes you want to step into his shoes for a bit as you look through the images.  Although he might be a little sick of being referred to as a "motorcycle photographer", it was those early motorcycle images and overall aesthetic that first got us turned on to his work and had us wanting to leave the studio early for the day and go ride.  He grew up in Salt Lake City and had early inspirations of making it as a snowboarder.  After meeting his girlfriend, and future wife, who got him started with photography, he started carrying a camera and trying to document the sport and lifestyle surrounding him.  A couple of years after graduating High School, the two of them decided to move to Guam.  Aaron began surfing and shooting constantly and soon became the personal photographer of the governor.  After a while, they decided to come back to Utah, but the travel bug was there and soon they were off on their next adven

One of the first things I noticed while talking with Fstoppers Co-Founder and Photographer Lee Morris, was that he is brutally honest with himself about his abilities, level of talent, and the validity of any goals he might have set for himself.  He's always been creative, but it took him a little while to figure out where that creativity would lead him.  At an early age, while growing up in the south, he had dreams of being an animator.  When he had the opportunity to pursue that dream however, he made one of his earliest self critiques, and decided that he didn't have the level of talent that some of the other young artists had.  This attitude would continue through several endeavors until he found himself armed with a camera, taking headshots on the college campus.  That soon led him to the world of wedding photography and the slow build of creating a business and an easy going lifestyle based around it.  One day while talking to his good friend and fellow wedding photographer Patrick Hall, the two of them

If you were a fan of snowboarding during the 90s, then you are already familiar with Jeff Curtes' work.  During that time he dominated the pages of Transworld Snowboarding and signed with Burton Snowboards as the principle photographer.  He would go on to produce some of the most iconic images of Burton's elite team of riders for the next 20 years.  He was there to watch as the small sport of snowboarding became an industry and children like Shaun White grew up to be dominate athletes and business men.   Through it all, Curtes was a steady presence of consistent work with an easy going attitude based around the fact that he was just trying to have fun as well.  On this episode of the podcast we sit down and talk about growing up in a small town outside of Milwaukee and, together with his younger brother Joe, falling in love with snowboarding at an early age.  When his brother began to start winning all the competitions, and the sport began to take notice, Jeff decided to focus on documenting the world of snow

When Nikon Ambassador and Adventure Photographer and Filmmaker Corey Rich was in middle school, he won a contest for the most pull ups a student could do with a whopping number of 35.  After seeing this, one of the teachers at the school put the idea in his head that he should try rock climbing.  Shortly after, he went on a trip to try climbing for the first time and it changed his life forever.  Corey was hooked, and he began climbing whenever he possibly could.  Pretty soon he decided he would take his dad's camera out on a trip to try and capture some visual proof of what he was up to. That's when the two passions that would shape his future and his career came together.  Corey would go on to build a huge portfolio as a climbing photographer first, which would eventually lead him it create an ever-growing list of commercial and editorial clients.  As an early adopter of SLR video capabilities, Corey became fascinated with adding motion work to his abilities and soon became just as busy as a filmmaker as he

From an early age Dixie Dixon loved taking pictures and using the darkroom in her parents home.  She had been exposed to photography by her father and it had been somewhat of a tradition passed down in the family.  She split her creative time between a love of photography and a love of music.  She played in a lot of bands growing up, giving her an opportunity to perfect her performance chops that would later come in handy as a public speaker.  Once she went to college, she opted to focus most of her attention on business in an entrepreneur program, but continued to study art and photography as well.  On a whim, she decided to try and apply for a study abroad program in Europe.  She ended up assisting a fashion photographer and learning a lot about lighting, as well as the interaction between the photographer and the model.  Many more opportunities would arise, and soon Dixie found herself in demand and shooting for a TV show that had her traveling the world.  Dixie has gone on to have a very successful career

From a very early age Anson Fogel realized he had a passion for film.  He was a creative kid, living in rural areas of the Rocky Mountains, and sometimes sought refuge in movies and art.  He loved creating things and soon found himself trying to make short videos with his friends in Middle School.  Although that love never went away, Fogel pursued business and engineering for a while and ended up heading a successful company.  It was not until the money started coming in that he realized that it wasn't just "success" that he was chasing after all and he returned to his original love of filmmaking.  He slowly worked his way through the ranks on commercial film sets, from AC to DP to his current role as a Director.  After winning the grand prize at the Banff Film Festival in 2011, he began to meet a lot of people in the outdoor/adventure community and would soon end up partnering with some of them in the formation of Camp 4 Collective.  With his expertise in making TV commercials and his love of narrative story

Peter Hurley has some stories to tell and an infectious personality that keeps you wanting more. From his early days as a competitive sailor on the US team, to his years as a model working with legendary photographers like Bruce Weber, to his current status as one of the country's leading headshot photographers, he's lived a full life and he's not close to being done yet.  Although Hurley definitely had a few lucky rolls of the dice, and some amazing mentors that would come into his life, he has made a career for himself through a serious work ethic and a hunger to keep learning and growing as an artist and an entrepreneur.  Peter gives us a behind the scenes look into the life of a busy photographer and businessman. He has not only had success behind the lens, but has created the largest network of headshot and portrait photographers in the world with The Headshot Crew, and has become a leading voice in photography education.  His honesty and insight into what he feels like has made him successful make this

American Photo Magazine once named Rich Clarkson as one of the top 50 most influential individuals in American Photography.  After talking with him for an hour, we definitely understand why.  From his early years behind the lens, shooting what would become some very iconic images for Sport Illustrated, to his position as the Director of Photography for National Geographic, Rich has had a storied career spanning 7 decades and still going strong.  He currently heads up Clarkson Creative, the company he founded, and leads workshop retreats all over the country featuring some of today's top shooters.  He has seen the photography world grow and change from the early days of film, to the current state of digital technology, and has somehow continued to stay on top of the game and be a relevant voice to a younger generation.  To say the man has some stories would be an understatement.  It's like hanging out with your grandpa, if your grandpa was once shooting black and white portraits of a college aged Wilt Chamberl

At an early age, Melissa Rodwell found herself flipping through the pages of her Mom's copies of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue Magazine.  She quickly became fascinated by fashion and inspired with the culture that surrounded it.  After having the opportunity to see a Helmut Newton exhibition in Paris at the age of 17, she saw the possibility of combining a love of fashion with her new love of photography.   Melissa studied at the prestigious Art Center in California and started learning the craft that would soon take her all over the world.  During that time she found a lot of inspiration from her true love of Rock 'n' Roll Music and the burgeoning punk scene happening in LA during the 80s.  She would go on to take that aesthetic and create a look that would put her into the very pages of the magazines she loved as a child.  After years of shooting, she decided to take a hiatus and ended up stumbling into the world of blogging. This would eventually lead her to create her company Breed, that provides online educa

Adventure and documentary filmmaker / photographer Rob Frost hobbled into our studio recently after going through an experimental new surgery to help rebuild his shattered heel after a climbing accident.  Although his mood was hopeful and positive about the recovery ahead, we got a chance to dive into some of the darkness that exists when you are sidelined from an injury and not able to do the work you love and forced to reevaluate the things you hold dear.  Rob tells us about growing up a young rambunctious kid in the northeast and pushing the limits with his friends even then.  He was a ski racer at a young age, but soon fell in love with rock climbing.  After college, he found himself working as a climbing guide but started to work on a small movie about the local climbing scene that would quickly change his life.  After the movie found it's way to the Banff Film Festival and helped Rob launch a new career path, he quickly began to attract the attention of others and began to travel the world shooting the

When Mike Blabac was called upon to be the photographer to document Danny Way jumping his skateboard over The Great Wall of China, there was no doubt in his mind that he had what it took to get the right shot.  He had literally prepared most of his life for this type of pressure. From the ripe old age of 11 years old, Blabac was shooting with his first DSLR camera and developing his own photos in the darkroom.   The only passion that was bigger, and more time consuming, was his love of skateboarding.  At age 20, Blabac moved out to San Francisco to pursue skateboarding.  Before long his two passions finally intersected, and he found himself shooting photos for some of the sponsored skateboarders he was hanging out with.  The rest, as they say, is history.  He would go on to become the head photographer for DC Shoe Company and have his fingerprints on some of the most iconic skate and action sports photos in the last 20 years.  He has worked with some of the biggest names in actions sports, as well getting the

Although Nick Rosen isn't quite sure how much he remembers of his earliest years of life as the son of "Back to the Land" hippies on a rural commune style farm in Quebec, there is no doubt that some of their radical ideas and behavior rubbed off on him and helped shaped the idealistic foundation that would have Nick traveling the world looking for a revolution of his own.  Nick tells us about living with the Zapatistas in Mexico, about seeing the world trade center go down from the apartment he was living in, about sailing with friends and rock climbing in different areas around the world, and about finally re-uniting with his long time friend Pete Mortimer to help build what would become Sender Films.  After years of writing, Nick would become a very integral part of the storytelling side of things of a film company that was quickly earning respect.  Nick helped to craft character development and story arcs as they documented the climbing world around them, which you can see a great example of in their more

Photographers and Fellow Podcasters Jose Rosado and Stevie Chris have a lot to say when it comes to the younger generation, the lackluster job market, and trying to carve out a spot in the world of photography in an ever growing sea of content.  After failed attempts at trying to sustain a career path, or in Stevie's case, growing road weary after years in a hard core band, they both decided to re-emmerse themselves in the world of photography and to start their own podcast "The Angry Millennial Show".   We talk about some of the trials and tribulations of coming up in the current state of the industry, how to stay current and keep creative with so much competition, and even have the chance to talk a little "inside baseball" on podcasting and being inspired by the people on our shows.  More About The Angry Millennial Podcast: http://www.theangrymillennialshow.com More About Jose Rosado: http://www.joserosadophoto.com More About Stevie Chris: http://www.steviechris.com Original Music By: http://5thdimensioncar

Upon first look at the very impressive body of work from Commercial Director and Photographer Sinuhe Xavier, it's hard to believe that he didn't even pursue a career in directing films until 2003.  He is a self taught photographer and filmmaker with a huge roster of clients like Ford, Toyota, Gillette, and many others.  After years on the other side of the lens as a proffesional skier for the North Face team, and a couple of attempts at normal jobs, Sinuhe picked up a camera and started down the path that would lead him to what most would call a successful career and a growing list of high profile clients.  Sinuhe tells the story of growing up in Bozeman, Montana, having a big half pipe in his yard that would become the local hot spot and even attract Tony Hawk to come skate it, and traveling the world as an athlete for The North Face.  Sinuhe has gone on to direct a big list of commercial spots, worked on more personal documentary films, and traveled through Columbia on a motorcycle. He is recently back from

If you were lucky enough to get to see the recently released documentary film "Valley Uprising" about the history of climbing in the Yosemite Valley, broadcast on The Discovery Channel and now available online, than you are already aware of Producer/Filmmaker and President of Sender Films Pete Mortimer.   This week we get the chance to sit down with Pete in his Boulder Studio and hear about growing up in Colorado in the 70s and 80s and his early foray into rock climbing and making funny videos with his friends during his high school years.  After graduating from Colorado College, which seems to be producing some of worlds top climbers, photographers, and filmmakers, Pete set out on a journey that would have him in New York for several years, Film School in California, and adventures all over the globe, before he would finally settle back in Boulder to try and carve out his own place in the world of adventure film companies.  Many films and many years later, Pete has succeeded in making a name for himself in t

Photographer, Director, and Canon Explorer of Light, Tyler Stableford sits down with us to tell us about growing up as a mountain kid in Vermont and his early days of wanting to be a writer.  After attempts at incorporating pictures into some of his stories, Tyler became fascinated with photography and started down the path that would end up having Men's Journal Magazine name him "One of the Seven Greatest Adventure Photographers", as well as becoming one of Canon's prestigious "Explores of Light".  He's had the chance to work with clients all over the world and has created a signature commercial look, all the while continuing to pursue personal work in the form of documentary films and helping out with NGOs.  So sit back and enjoy Tyler's story.   Learn More About Tyler Stableford: http://www.stablefordstudios.com Original Music By  http://5thdimensioncaravan.com About Visual Revolutionary  http://www.visualrevolutionary.com BECAUSE WE ARE INTERESTED IN PEOPLE'S STORY, AND NOT WHAT TYPE OF GEAR THEY USE, WE

We get a chance to sit down with photographer, filmmaker, and athlete Cory Richards (Named National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2012) and talk about growing up the son of a Ski Patroller in Salt Lake City Utah and his early days exploring the mountains.  We learn about Cory's somewhat troubled youth that led him to dropping out of high school at an early age and his first experiences as an alpinist that would inevitably lead him further into the mountains and towards becoming a sponsored climber.  As he continued traveling and climbing, Cory found himself with camera in hand and began work on what would become an already storied career exploring the globe and shooting for some of the most respected publications in the world.  This is definitely an inspiring conversation that you don't want to miss......... Learn More About Cory Richards: http://www.coryrichards.com Original Music By  http://5thdimensioncaravan.com About Visual Revolutionary  http://www.visualrevolutionary.com BECAUSE WE ARE INTERESTED

Legendary sports photographer and Nikon Ambassador Dave Black joins us to talk about his early days as a competitive gymnast and coach, and what led to a surprise phone call asking him to become the photographer for the U.S. Gymnastics team.  After years behind the lens, shooting everything from the olympics to the NFL to the Kentucky Derby, Dave sits down to reflect on a successful career, and how he feels like he has stayed relevant in an ever more competitive field.  Not only is Dave an amazing shooter with a very deep body of work, but he has gone on to mentor many of the world leading sports shooters today and brings his level of expertise as a shooter, teacher, and businessman to the show.  Enjoy..... Learn More About Dave Black: http://www.daveblackphotography.com Original Music By  http://5thdimensioncaravan.com About Visual Revolutionary  http://www.visualrevolutionary.com BECAUSE WE ARE INTERESTED IN PEOPLE'S STORY, AND NOT WHAT TYPE OF GEAR THEY USE, WE INTRODUCE A NEW MUCH NEEDED PODCAST IN THE WO