I'm going to start a "photo therapy" series to temporarily take you, or me, away from whatever it is I'm doing. This first post is a shot I took from Cathedral Rock in Sedona, AZ back in December of 2012.
Cathedral Rock | Sedona, AZ | photo by Steven Williams
Richard Branson started his first business at just 16 and it marked the the first of many businesses Branson was behind. Today, Branson is a world-renowned businessmen, adventurer and philosopher.
As the founder of the Virgin Group, he is one of the richest individuals in the world. Yet, what makes this man so remarkable is not his personal wealth, but his desire to have a positive impact on the world.
He is an inspiration to millions of people because he lives life to the fullest and isn’t afraid to take chances. He has always been a dreamer, a schemer and a pioneer. He has failed so many times in life — most of which have given way to his many successes.
Entrepreneurship necessitates failure and Branson is a testament to the fact that you have to take risks in order to fulfill your greatest desires. Each quote below encompasses the immeasurable optimism that has led Branson to where he is today:
So many people needlessly wake up every single day and say, “I hate my job.” Well, there’s a very simple solution to this: do something else. You are the master of your fate. Don’t trick yourself into thinking that you can’t get anything better, or that you are lucky to have that job because there are so many unemployed people.
The most successful people in the world are where they are because they were never completely satisfied. They keep fighting until they mold the world around them instead of letting the world mold them.
Life is short, so don’t waste it doing something that makes you miserable. If you want something, stop making excuses for not having it — and go after it. Sometimes you have to suffer in the short-term in order to be happy in the long run.
Life is meant to be enjoyed; work and play do not have to occur separately. Think about how wonderful it would be to wake up every day and be excited for work. You can make that a reality; you have the power to make it happen. Do what you love. Don’t waste your life. Because we only get one.
Be bold. Don’t live a prescribed lifestyle. Success does not come to those who follow the beaten track. You have to be an innovator. Remember that at one point the airplane was a mad dream. Today, we have conquered the skies. The greatest human achievements have all been products of insane ideas.
We all have to fail in order to grow as human beings. In order to rise, you first have to fall. Do not buy into the illusion that any failure is final. Keep fighting, keep working. Stay mentally tough.
A resilient mind requires unforgiving optimism — so don’t allow anyone or anything to fill you with negativity.
Make your life and your work an adventure. Learn with each step you take. In the process, bring others along for the ride.
The most successful people in history have always improved the lives of those around them. You can’t take money and material goods with you when you die, but if you give back to the world, your legacy lives on. In the process, you will inspire others to be philanthropic in the future.
The world was never meant to be owned or ruled by one person — we’re supposed to share it. Build an empire, and then open your doors for all to share in its wonders.
Be unique; don’t attempt to find success by copying what others have already done. Remember that an individual is as much of a brand as a company is. You were born with qualities that only you possess, so don’t try to emulate others too often.
We can all learn from those who have come before us, but ultimately, success is about carving your own path in the world. Surround yourself with a team that fuels your creativity. Expel all naysayers and doubters. Positivity is everything.
President Abraham Lincoln once stated, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Live your life to the fullest. Enjoy every single moment. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things.
If you do fear something, all the better reason to try it. What’s the point of being alive if you don’t do things that take your breath away? You can’t be too cautious or tentative if you want to make it to the top. Push yourself to the limit and don’t box yourself in.
This is something you should say to yourself as often as possible. If you are reluctant to do something, go for it. Ultimately, you will regret all of the things you had the chance to do, but didn’t take advantage of.
The wisest people in the world have gained their knowledge and perspective by making a multiplicity of mistakes. Embrace all that life has to offer. We live in a big, random and exciting world — don’t let anyone take that away from you, especially yourself.
This short film by Rob Whitworth is awesome! It was shot using only Nikon cameras and lenses.
BARCELONA in Flow-Motion - A fast moving short film.... In few other cities is it possible to walk from spectacular location to spectacular location. I had a fantastic time adventuring around Barcelona's winding streets making this film. Special thanks to Ferran Macià Edo and his colleagues from Agència Catalana de Turisme (Catalan Tourism Board) for helping me get access to shoot at numerous stunning locations including: Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Gran Teater del Liceu Sagrada Familia Museu D'Historia De Barcelona Palau de la Música Santa Maria del Pi And an extra special thanks to Marta Garriga Bardalet for patiently modelling during an uncharacteristically cold and rainy day.
My time in numbers:
363 hours work
75 Hours Logistics and Travel
31 Hours Scouting and Location Finding
78 Hours Shooting
179 Hours Post Production
26014 Camera Raw Files
817gb of data
Kit List
Nikon D800 DSLR
Nikon D7100 DSLR
Nikon D7100 DSLR
Nikon D3200 DSLR
Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX Fisheye
NIkon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX
Nikon 16-35 f/4G AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor
Nikon 28mm AF f/2.8D
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED AF-S VR II
Promote Control
Sound Design and Music: Slava Pogorelsky
Email: kultenyeuk@walla.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Kultenyeuk
Rob Whitworth
Website: robwhitworth.co.uk/
Email: rob@robwhitworth.com.hk
Facebook: facebook.com/RobWhitworthPhotography
Twitter: twitter.com/kwhi02
Mount Laguna, CA | photo by Dmitry Word
1. They see challenges as opportunities
Most people interpret fears as obstacles and tend to run away from them. People who live their purpose successfully have developed the capacity to see fear as a sign of what they really need to go for and put all their courage and energy into it.
2. They see life as a game.
Having this vision of life opens up space for playfulness and creativity instead of limitation. This also cultivates qualities of resilience, problem solving and confidence that helps them take risks to get to the next big place.
3. Living the life they want is the only option.
They’re so committed to making their dreams a reality that they banish any possibility of a backup plan whatsoever from their mind. They don’t think things like, “If it doesn’t work, I’ll just go get a job.”
4. They always speak their truth.
They’re able to speak it because they make a conscious effort to connect to their truest desires, their inner voice, and their spirituality without fear of judgment. This connection is typically fostered through meditation, journaling, being mentored and being surrounded by like minded-people.
This is definitely one of the best time-lapse videos I've ever seen. Joel Schat does an amazing job at capturing the beauty of nature that is so often overlooked by today's fast paced living. None of the shots he took are quick and easy, they all take time and that time forces one to sit back and relax while enjoying something that's all around us, yet seldom appreciated. It's seeing videos and photography like this that continue to inspire me to get out and see as much of the world as possible. Amazing job Joel and Roadtrippers.com!
This is a great article my sister posted on Facebook. It's written by Paul Hudson for elitedaily.com, but upon reading it, it sounds exactly like what I tell people when they ask me how I live my life.
Surprise, surprise… happy people live their lives differently. They don’t have different lives. They just do a better job at living them than those who are unhappy.
Happiness is the result of subjective interpretation of perception. Of course, what we perceive isn’t always done so by choice — life does throw things our way.
However, most of the time, we find ourselves in the situations we are in because of actions we took and decisions we made. It’s the way that you live your life that largely decides whether or not you will live happily.
They like themselves and they are the only people they ever answer to. You could like them. You could hate them. You could pay them no mind whatsoever — doesn’t make a difference to them.
They do what they do because they decided to do it. They aren’t trying to gain your approval or acceptance. They don’t want to be part of your team — they’re a team of their own. They live their lives the way they see fit and if you like them for it, great. If not… then so be it.
They don’t believe they have to do anything. Other than pay taxes and die of course — everything else is a decision followed by deliberate action. If they are doing something, going somewhere, participating in something, it’s because that is exactly what it is that they want to be doing.
No one coerced them or tricked them into doing it because they value their opinion above everyone else’s. They do what they believe is right and don’t bother to ask for permission — they just do it.
Friends are tricky because they aren’t really yours, are they? You don’t own them. They are their own people who have their own wants and needs — people who will always put themselves ahead of you and your goals. Friends are great to have, but relying on them too heavily will leave you disappointed.
Those who live happy lives have very close friends, but they keep their independence in order to avoid those moments. It’s the lack of independence and over-reliance that often comes to ruin friendships — all relationships for that matter.
They tell you about the things they are doing with their lives — the places they have visited and are planning on visiting. The projects they are starting or part of. The problems they are working towards solving and the communities they are working with to get those problems solved.
When you ask them what they do, they respond with what they do in their lives, not what work they do in order to pay for the lives they want to one day be living. The real trick is that these individuals know better than to wait to live the lives they want to live. You live life whether you accept or ignore the fact, how you live it in the moment determines how happy you are.
Happy people tend to move around a bit. Maybe it’s because traveling does the soul good. Maybe it’s because the stagnancy of staying in one place their whole lives bores them.
Maybe it’s because they love meeting new people and having new experiences. Maybe it’s because they haven’t found the right place to settle down just yet. You see, these individuals see the world as their home — no single country or city. If you ask them where they live, then they’d answer “earth” if they wouldn’t come off sounding highfalutin.
You don’t need a book to tell you how you ought to live your life. You can live your life by whatever philosophy you wish — as long as you found truths that satisfy you. They have a strong grasp of right and wrong and are their own judges.
They know they’re only mortal — having this knowledge and accepting it fuels their every step. You will do. Why? Because it is inevitable. There is no way of avoiding it, only dealing with the fact.
The happiest of people don’t fear death. They don’t do their best to avoid it. They see it as the inevitability that it is in and live their lives by their terms. They may not be able to control death, but they know they sure as hell can control their own personal lives.
They don’t believe there is a single way that the world is — a single reality that exists. Instead, they believe themselves to be the originators of their reality.
They believe they have full control over how they interpret what they perceive. They see the world the way they choose to see it because they understand the power such a skill has. We all live in a reality of our own construction. Some of us just construct our realities better than others.
Happy people have hopes, dreams and goals. They have wants and aspirations, but they don’t allow themselves to get caught up and lost in them. There isn’t so much a time and place for dreaming as there is a maximum allotted amount recommended.
You can’t live life doing nothing more than looking towards the future because you’ll miss the only time that things actually matter or exist: the present. The present, the immediate moment is the only moment that you can actually live in. The rest is only an illusion.
Devoting your energy to changing other people is a waste of it. People do change, but they only do so on their own accord. They have to decide to change themselves and that only happens in time — you can’t push and force because it doesn’t work.
On the contrary, it often does the opposite of what is intended. Instead of wasting time and energy trying to do the impossible, why not do the next best thing? Learn to deal with people as they are in order to get the result you desire. If you can’t change them, then guide them to do as you wish. Otherwise, let them go.
Awhile back LowePro and Joby sent me some really awesome bags and accessories. The bags I use all the time, but up until this point I never had an opportunity to put the GorillaPod Focus to use. Last weekend I was working on a photography/video project with an ammo company called Battle Born Munitions outside of Reno, NV. The first day I shot some footage inside their warehouse and the following day we went off the grid to capture footage of their ammo in action. While we were out there I used a 3 camera setup which consisted of two Nikon D7000s and one GoPro Hero3 Silver Edition. I had the GoPro on a tripod near a steel target about 250 yards away from where we were shooting and I had both of the Nikons focusing on the shooters. The GorillaPod came in handy because I was able to set it up really low to the ground to capture some cool video footage from a lower vantage point and on top of that my steady cam rig broke and the GorillaPod actually worked as a good substitute. I think they should create some accessories to transform the GorillaPod into a highly portable on the go steady cam rig. Anyway, here's a shot of the GorillaPod on the ground in front of the firing line, it was shot with my iPhone so it's not the greatest of shots, but you can see how the GorillaPod was placed and used.
I was just going through some old photos that I had taken during a camping trip two summers ago with my buddy Jozias and stumbled upon this shot which I took while driving around Big Bear. We were camping up in the San Gorgonio Wilderness for a few days and then spent a a night or two in Big Bear.
Here's another old shot from the archives. This was also taken with my old Nikon D5000. I saw these sailboats and took this shot from the end of Point Loma (San Diego, CA) overlooking the Pacific Ocean just before sunset.
I just discovered this great video by Astray Films titled "Dark Side of the Lens."
Winner - Best Cinematography, Rhode Island International Film Festival, 2011
Winner - Action Sports Category, Vimeo Awards 2012
Winner - G-Raid Driven Creativity award - Professional Category
Winner - Best Cinematography, 5Point Film Festival 2011
Winner - Grand Prize - Chamonix Film Festival 2011
Winner - Best short - New York Surf Film Festival 2011
Winner - Digital short of the Year, Surfer Poll
Winner - Relentless Short Stories 2011
Winner - Amstel Surf Film Festibal, Peoples Choice award
Winner - Best short, Sheffield Adventure Film Festival
Winner - Best International Short, Canadian Surf Film Festival
Winner - Best Short, Waimea Ocean Film Festival
German photographer Carsten Peter is definitely one of my top 10 favorite photographers which is why he's in my Photographer Spotlight. I first encountered his work when I saw a series of photos he had taken in Hang Son Doong Cave in Vietnam for National Geographic. Upon seeing the photos I immediately looked him up to check out more of what he has done. It turns out he's a World Photo Press award winner as well as an Emmy winner and regular contributor to National Geographic. He's taken amazing photos all over the world, in deep cave systems, volcanos and tornados. If you have a moment check out the video I've included and his photos as well. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
An interview with German photographer Carsten Peter about his photo story of Hang Son Doong in Vietnam, believed to be the largest cave on earth.
In September of 2007 I traveled down to South America with two friends of mine to meet a company we had been working with based out of Buenos Aires, Argentina. During that trip my friend Matt and I decided to jump across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia, Uruguay for the day. At 8AM we hopped on El Buque Bus for the hour and half ride across the river where we entered another country. Once we got off the ferry we were supposed to board a tour bus, it's only by dumb luck that we bordered the correct one. Aside from being exhausted due to the fact that I was at bar until 6AM with two Argentinian girls I had met, my Spanish wasn't (still isn't) up to par and at the time Matt's Spanish speaking skills were non-existent. Anyway, we boarded the bus and did a quick little drive through town before exiting the bus for lunch and some free time to roam around the streets for a few hours. As we wandered around I took some of these photos:
"If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space." This is a quote that I live by. I believe we should all try new things whenever possible. Exploring the unknown and experiencing life outside your comfort zone is the only way to really know what it's like to live.
Fifty years ago, Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit Mt. Everest. Directed by Eric Becker. www.weareshouting.com. This film was made possible by support from Seattle University. Archival footage courtesy Eddie Bauer and The Whittaker Family.
Here's a random video thrown together by my friend Jozias compiled of video footage shot with our Nikon D7000s during a camping trip last year.
