Desert Bound

So it was about a week ago last year that I embarked on a journey that would literally change my life. On September 17, 2010 I set off in my 2005 Jeep Wrangler on what turned out to be a 6,700 mile, 45-day road trip which followed the west coast from Port Angeles, WA to San Diego, CA. From there I traveled east to Phoenix then north to what was the primary destination and the reason for the entire trip…The Grand Canyon! I had never been there before. It is the most amazing place I’ve ever been so far. I’m sure most of you remember me posting photos on Facebook almost daily as I progressed. It was during that trip that I decided photography was going to be a big part of my life…that I wanted to do it professionally if I could. After I arrived home, I immediately put together a plan on how to make this happen.

It’s been a ton of work but I’ve loved every second of it. In addition to shooting and editing photos, my website is up and I think it looks great. I have a blog hardly anyone follows. =) I have a Facebook fan page (and fans! Yay!) and a Twitter account...it’s amazing I get any time to take pictures. There’s still a long way to go but it I look forward to all of it.

The tough part is the sacrifices. I don’t make much money from my photography. A little…but not nearly enough to keep me in the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed. I expect that to change as I do more portrait and event work but I don't want it to be about the money. That's not why I do this. So this week I made two decisions about some things I have been considering for awhile now. I have decided to sell my awesome house on the lake. No worries. It’s my only financial liability so it’s kind of a no-brainer. I will miss it but I’m not agonizing over it. Living on a lake in Washington State is the same as owning a convertible, motorcycle or ski-boat…you get to enjoy them 2-3 months out of the year and then you just stare at it the rest of the time.

I had planned on moving back to my townhouse that I own in Bothell where I could live a simple existence that would also give me the ability to concentrate on photography full-time. Then a thought crept into my head and that led to decision #2…

I love Washington! I’ve lived here my entire life. In fact, I’ve always lived within 25 miles of the home I grew up in…most of my family is here…many of my friends are here. But I am restless and I don’t think there is any better time than right now for a big change. Hence, I am moving to Phoenix, AZ.

I fell in love with Arizona when I traveled through last year. I can’t wait to live there. The heat…the desert…the photo ops…the economics…there’s even a NASCAR track! I can’t wait to revisit Sedona and Jerome and of course…The Grand Canyon! The entire state is a photographer’s paradise!

So as I told my friends and family when I told them the news, don’t be sad I’m leaving. I’m doing this so I can continue to do what I love to do.

Aloha!

Michael

Edmonds Sunset

Amusement Park Rides at Evergreen State Fair

One of the Coolest Waterfalls in Washington State

I discovered this waterfall early last winter while exploring Mt. Baker. It was nearly dark when this shot was taken. Definitely one of my favorites:

HDR View From My Deck

Last night's sunset was pretty amazing. I set up my tripod on my deck and fired off 5-6 bracketed shots and then went to work in Photomatix & Photoshop to produce the image below. I prefer a natural looking HDR image and I think the black & white conversion was perfect. The osprey flying by was just sheer luck.

Fisherman in the Mist

One of my all time favorites. I took this shot days after I moved into my house two years ago almost to the day. This morning I woke up pretty early and saw nearly the identical scene minus the fisherman and it moved me to post this shot.

Fun in the Sun at Rachel Creek

I spent the day up near Lake Kachess recently. This was one of our favorite spots in high school. There is a waterfall on Rachel Creek that forms a pool which is perfect for jumping into on a hot summer day. While I was there a nice family showed up and I was able to capture a few shots of the kids having fun. Enjoy!