Vance Creek Bridge

The Vance Creek Bridge is located on private property, is the second tallest railway trestle bridge in America and has been off limits since it was abandoned by the Simpson logging company in the 1950's. I first saw photos of this place about 5 years ago and instantly put it in my "must visit destinations" list.  

  Finally the time came,  I had a business trip come up that was sending me to Tacoma, Washington. As soon as I found this out, I instantly looked up the destination of the bridge and saw it was located about an hour away from me in Shelton, Washington. My plan to visit this magical place was underway. 
I told work I would be extending my trip, then began my planning, I found varying directions so  I reached out to a young photographer by the name of Peter. I found him on Instagram via his hashtags and wrote him on FB. He soon replied to me and was incredibly helpful. He confirmed I had the right gps location and gave me tips on how to find the hidden path along with advice on when to go and avoid being ticketed by the local police for trespassing.  

Part of the attraction to the Vance Creek Bridge is the element of danger, the openness and the rush one gets from standing 347 feet above the forest-lined Vance Creek. Its not a place for the faint of heart, but if you can make it here, stomach the heights,  I promise you will not be disappointed.  I'll be sharing many more pictures to come as I was lucky enough to have this place entirely to myself for close to 3 hours. 

p.s. Be careful and if you do visit, leave no trace. This place is so breath takingly beautiful, but you can tell some people who have made the trip do not care, as they have graffitied and left some trash behind. It's a shame some people can't go places and not be an asshole.

Which are you ? - 52 project - Week 51

Are you more of a sunset or sunrise person?? 

While I love both, I'm more of a sunrise guy. For me, a sunrise takes more effort. You got to stay awake all night or wake up real early to enjoy it. With less people willing to do that, you're rewarded with a quieter and serene moment.  And with a amazing fresh start, you now have the rest of the day to enjoy. 

That being said, the Greek Island of Mykonos threw out a daily dose of these to try and sway my opinion. 

and DAMN 😍😍😍😍

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Wow- 52 Project - Week 49

Some things and places never lose their "Wow Factor". This is my 4th time in Paris and the Eiffel Tower is one of those things for me. Every time I see it, my eyes light up and I think to myself "WOW, I'm in fucking France! 🇫🇷 

Buddy Trippin - 52 Project - Week 42

Hey you, still here, huh. AWESOME! Glad you're enjoying my little project. Can't believe I'm ten short weeks away from completing it. I hope I can finish off  with some epic images and stories for you. Let's get to it. 

Last week I took off for 6 days on a Road trip with, Andy. Buddy, professional wedding photographer and main influence / teacher into this awesome world of photography I've decided to pursue. Thanks Buddy!  

Lately we've been talking more and more about taking a trip every few months to places near enough that we can travel to for an extended weekend specifically to photograph.  You see, when traveling with friends, a lover or pretty much anyone who is not a photographer, they absolutely LOVE having great photos of their vacation. What they don't love is pulling over at random times, waiting for the light to be perfect, for you to set up a shot or waking up super early / going out really late to get one picture with no one else around. They want those great pictures, with little inconvenience and time, which will rarely happen. But take a trip with another photog and you get to do all of those things with no complaints, but with enthusiasm! These trips will keep our inspiration high, creativity flowing and satisfy that ever thirsty travel bug. Our first trip we headed to Utah to visit 2 National Parks, Bryce Canyon and Zion. Neither of us had been. 
Bryce was awesome. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. 

Although Bryce was stunning, our next stop, Zion took the cake. Man is this place amazing!  Doesn't matter if you're really high or almost underground, the sites this park has to offer are incredible. So much that we decided to buy an annual pass to the Utah parks!

Here is one of my favorite images from the trip. It was atop the hike called "Angels Landing".  A 2.5 mile trail that follows the path of the Virgin River,  slowly gaining elevation in sandy terrain. As the trail gets steeper and leaves behind the river, it becomes paved with a series of switchbacks through the area between Angels Landing and Zion Canyon. Then "Walter Wiggles" a series of 21 steep switchbacks before you hit "Scouts Lookout"  the turnaround point for those who don't want to make the final summit push. The last half mile is intimidating because it is strenuous and littered with sharp drop offs on narrow paths to the top at 5'790 feet. While this hike is not long, it is steep, intimidating and tiring. But once you reach the summit you are greeted with an absolutely stunning view of the park.  So pull up a seat and appreciate the beauty. 

Looking forward to future trips, images and a big endeavor coming at the end of the year for us that will soon be revealed! 

Now, can someone pass us a beer? 

(To see more pics from our trip, follow both of our Instagrams @arodphoto & @reallysortofamazing )

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Havasu - 52 Project - Week 33

I finally made it. Lake Havasu, a large reservoir behind Parker Dam on the Colorado River, sitting on the border between California and Arizona. A place many of my friends for the past 15 + years have made their holiday weekend and summer destination.  While I was planning international trips every one of my summers, I would hear the stories and  see the pictures that would come of Havasu weekends. Part of me always wanted experience the river for two reasons, I love new experiences and something kept bringing them back. But alas, I never had a friend with his own boat or was chosen as one of few guy spots available on the boat. And I wasn't going to go to the river just to party at bars. Lame. 

Well thanks to my friends Bobby and Julio, that changed this Memorial day weekend. I got the invite and I took it. I must say that I loved being in a beautiful place of nature, enjoying time with friends, meeting new faces, jumping in the water, adult beverages and being surrounded by beautiful landscapes as pictured "the Gorge". Now toss in some fun bars & mankind's biggest baddest toys- taking music, power, speed and excitement to all sorts of highs. This clash of worlds reminded me of weekends in Glamis. Which is also a really good time (if you have friends with said toys). 

While I still would suggest to many to constantly indulge in new adventures.  I always knew the river would be a good time, I finally got to experience it for myself and know why it draws so many back year after year.  I would much rather do this than say Vegas. 

I got the Havasu crew approval and I look forward to future trips, to do it all over again with these peeps.  It was a great weekend!  I hope yours was as well.

Lets be adventurers - Project 52 - Week 30

I had a great time this past weekend exploring the Bay Area with this one. When asked what I wanted to see while I visited, I threw out a couple suggestions and obviously she had a couple of her own.  We revisited some familiar places and some I had never seen before. We just put our walking shoes on and explored as much of the city as our time and feet allowed. One of the highlights and new to both of us, was the majestic redwood forest of Muir Woods. Its a National Park just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Mill Valley, California. 

Muir Woods provides a terrific opportunity to see some of the oldest, tallest most amazing trees in the country. It is one of the most popular San Francisco attractions and its stunning beauty is a key reason that nearly one million people visit Muir Woods each year. When John Muir learned that William and Elizabeth Kent were naming a redwood forest near San Francisco in his honor, he declared, "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world." 

It did not disappoint. We must have easily hiked ten miles that day, branching off onto the next trail every time we came to a fork. By the end of the day we were out of water, tired, and no idea where our car was. But our smiles were huge.  Thanks for a great adventure, Shawna!