Website Mockup

Portfolio Description

Page 1: My logo.

Pages 2-3: A panorama taken from the shore of Whitefish Lake State Park this past winter.

Page 4:  A collection of three images I captured for Whitefish Mountain Resort marketing department in an effort to bring exposure to the bike park. Many of these images went on to be used in various capacities such as social media.

Page 5: One such capacity was for an article published in Decline Magazine. One of my all-time favorite magazines, it was a great honor to have my photo published.

Pages 6-7: Here I provide mockups of some of the video projects I did for Whitefish Mountain Resort’s marketing department to promote the bike park.

Pages 8-9: Here are more mockups, this time of video projects I worked on as the Snow Reporter for Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Page 10-11: As the Snow Reporter for Whitefish Mountain Resort it was my responsibility to capture and edit images for requests set out by the marketing department. For the most part the requests were left open to artistic interpretation. I was able to get creative and have a lot of fun with these.

Page 12-13: I got this panorama last fall at the shore of St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. The park was closed for the season and the wind off the lake was way colder than I expected, but the colors in the sky were spectacular. I was able to bring out the details and textures in the sky in Lightroom.

Page 14-15: In a recent class project I helped create a branding package for an imaginary outdoor outfitters retailer. As a member of our two person group, I enjoyed bouncing ideas back and forth to arrive at our designs including the logos, fonts, color palette, social icons, and patterns. Mockups are included.

Page 16-17: I got this panorama of the Grand Hyatt in Poipu, Kauai while back home visiting over the holidays this past winter. I had actually stayed up all night editing photos and, at daybreak, grabbed my camera and headed to these cliffs along the shore.

Page 18-19: We got a considerable amount of snow last december before the resort had opened up, so a few buddies and I decided to brave subzero temps and terrible windchill to ski Werner Peak. Its excursions like these, where I want to leave the camera behind just go play, that I’m always glad I brought it.

Page 20-21: While home for winter break I got a contract to photograph a few construction projects on Oahu for Unlimited Construction. One of the highlights was getting to climb up 300 ft in a crane to get shots of the project.

Page 22-23: My good friend Kyle Warner joined on my most recent trip to Kauai. He is a professional mountain bike racer and we took some time to get some shots so he could call the trip a tax writeoff.

Page 24-25: More shots of Kyle. These were taken at Waimea Canyon on the west side of Kauai.

Page 26-27: Real estate photography was some of the first work I was ever contracted to do and I have learned a lot since I started. One of the most important factors is capturing the light at the right time of day and I think these photos do well to illustrate that point.

Page 28-29: Here are some more real estate shots.

Page 30: On my trip to Oahu for Unlimited Construction, I got the opportunity to photograph some really nice cars. This is a 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT, my favorite.

Blurb Book: Part 2

Today has been a good day, mostly because I’ve been able to clear my mind and schedule of other projects and distractions. I had a Digital Illustration II project due this morning which came right down to the wire. The presentation went well and it is actually something I plan on adding to my Blurb book now.

After my presentation I had time to take further inventory of what is still left to complete with the Blurb Book. Today I finalized a rough outline of where I want what to go and got more mockups. I was also able to track down a high resolution file the Decline Magazine spread featuring my photo, not easy since the publication has since closed its doors.

Tomorrow, instead of class, I will be working on finalizing my content selection, checking format for compatibility, and begin putting everything together. I still have some content that I created during my time as a snow reporter, some photography and video screenshots, that I need to acquire from WMRs marketing department.

Beyond that it should just be dragging and dropping content into place. I expect to find some quality or format issues that I may have missed, and maybe a deficiency of content here and there, but I expect to resolve these issues with relative ease. At least I hope so.

Blurb Book: Part 1

So Adobe Indesign is interesting and by interesting I mean difficult. Step one is going to be watch a few Youtube videos in an attempt to wrap my head around it. I also need to take a more detailed inventory on which pieces of work I want to include and which to leave out.

I expect the most challenging part for me will be the organization of my content. The options to arrange and display my work within Blurb Book are vast. I’ve found that I tend to get overwhelmed by the scale of these projects so my goal is to break it down into smaller categories before breaking it down to the individual pages.

40 Day Summary

My goal for my “40 Days of Blog Posts” fell short of the 40 day mark. But I wouldn’t call the exercise a failure. I’ve written more these last 40 days than I have in a long time. I’m getting closer to understanding the “resistance” that I face and, as I get closer to understanding it, I also get closer to defeating it. I’ve learned a little bit more about myself, what I want to do, and how I can use that knowledge to define my brand.

In many ways I grew and became more determined, more accountable to myself. In many ways I didn’t grow, in many ways I fell short of my goal. I was defeated by resistance a number of times. A few times I de-prioritized my long term success in favor of short term pleasure. In my defense, the skiing has been incredible and I’m not too sure how much longer conditions like these will be possible. But that's just an excuse, I could have done more.

Although I feel short of the 40 day mark by no small amount, I am proud of what I did put out. Most of it, at least. I’m definitely getting more comfortable with writing. I’m finding my voice, which is one of the things I set out to do. I know how to move forward from here - I’m going to keep making posts. I don’t think I’ll impose the pressure of posting daily on myself, but maybe I can post 3 or 4 times a week. If I can continue to write, my writing can only improve.

Luck

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” - Seneca

I’ve been learning how much preparation is required to get a truly outstanding landscape shot. There’s a level of time and effort that I never understood before, but now I see it in every shot that captures my eye in a gallery. Sure, sometimes you can just get lucky. But far more often I see the research involved; finding the best angle, the right light, tracking sunset and sunrise times, weather conditions, proper camera settings, the list goes on.

This particular shot is one I’ve been thinking about for a long time and the other day everything came together. As soon as I arrived at the location, Whitefish Lake State Park, I knew I had come at the right time. The way the light was interacting with the clouds on Big Mountain made me pause. As I set my tripod and took a few shots to dial in the settings, I heard the sound of a train rolling into frame. I snapped the first shot in a series I would later merge into the panorama and I knew it would be an outstanding landscape shot.

The Quiet Majority: Part 1

“I write to understand as much as to be understood” - Elie Wiesel

Occasionally I’m baffled by my own world view and far more often baffle others with it. I’m writing this in hopes of clarifying to myself, and maybe to others who, for some reason, care where I stand on issues.

Currently, there's an awful lot of noise being made in and about our society and politics. The loudest voices come from the extremes on either side; the progressive left and the alt-right. I want to believe the overwhelming majority of individuals fall somewhere in the middle with moderate, rational ideals. The media would lead us to believe that we are on the brink of civil war, but I still have a strong faith in the freethinkers of our society. I am worried, however, that moderate individuals may be compelled by an emotional response to arguments on either side to join a team. I think it is the responsibility of myself and other rational individuals to speak up and reclaim the dialogue that is currently a tug-of-war between extremists on both sides.

The most glaring example I can think of at the moment is the topic of Muslim immigration. The rhetoric of the far right would have you to believe that all Muslim immigrants pose a threat and that the most prudent course of action is a nation wide Muslim ban. The far left narrative dismisses this argument calling any concerns about welcoming large numbers of immigrants into the US as racist and bigoted. The immensity of middle ground in this argument, like most arguments, is staggering.

The only way to effectively examine this issue is no different than the vast majority of the matters we face today; with logic and objective evidence devoid of emotional bias. As an individual I am empathetic to the struggle of my fellow human beings, and there is certainly no lack of hardship for the sweeping majority of my fellow human beings amid the conflict in the middle east. And I am not blind to the fact that considerable credit for this conflict falls at the feet of the United States’s policy of foreign intervention. No rational person can deny that this foreign policy has left blood on our hands. We have helped create a mess and it is our responsibility to help clean it up.

The controversy lies in the incompatibility with a conservative Islam ideology and liberal western society. The fact is that acts of jihad are exclusively committed by followers of Islam and that a frightening percent of the Muslim world would be happy to see sharia law implemented as the law of the land (source). I am not saying in any way that most Muslims want nothing more than to peacefully integrate into western society. I’m only pointing out that, as we welcome our friends from overseas, we must also be aware of the cultural differences.

I agree that a thorough screening process is prudent and necessary in these tumultuous times, but anything beyond, any sort of ban is wildly counterproductive and deeply un-American. Set aside the fact that we are a nation of immigrants, any sort of Muslim ban only gives strength to the radical Islamic agenda.

Welcoming those of different beliefs has never been more important, not only for the people suffering overseas, but for the future of a peaceful world. We have a great opportunity not only to save suffering people, but also to give them a platform to redefine Islam as a religion compatible with modern, liberal society.

Winter in Whitefish

Another Whitefish Powder Day

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth?

This video has a frame rate of 30 frames per second and the video is 54 seconds long. That means this video is worth approximately 1,620,000 words. Nuff said.

One Down

I finally got my first real estate photography contract in Whitefish. It’s been a long time coming so I wanted to share my results and lessons learned.

Challenges manifest themselves in unpredictable ways for each location, but I find that shooting in snowy environments can be extra challenging, especially with a narrow timeline. In this case, my biggest challenge was the weather. The past few weeks have been unpredictable to say the least.

After checking for angles earlier in the day I returned to the property in the evening before sunset. Just as I arrived some clouds moved in and began to unload a barrage of snow inconsistently. I moved inside to get the interior shots first and bide my time. During a short break in the precipitation I moved outside and got my exterior shot.

I would have liked to have more time and maybe I’ll get another chance in the future, but most importantly the client was happy. As usual, I am my own biggest critic which I think this is typical of any creative type.

Resistance

Occasionally things come to you just when you need them most. The theologian might call these God’s miracles, the spiritually inclined might cite this as evidence of the universe communicating with us. I think both fail to recognize the other side. It’s been said that only fifty percent of a conversation is defined by what the speaker says, the rest is determined by the perception of the listener. In our society, resources abound. It’s up to us to recognize them and, when necessary, pick them up.

You could say this was the case in my most recent neglect of my responsibilities as a student and as a blog writer. Regardless, here I am and here is something: Resistance. That is the name of the artist’s enemy as defined in “The War of Art,” a nonfiction by Steven Pressfield. On the cover, Esquire declares the book “a vital gem...a kick in the ass.” I couldn’t agree more.

Pressfield paints a vivid picture of the abstract. He unmasks the monsters that haunt the creative types, particularly those who struggle with sitting down to create. Sitting down to create, he reminds us, is the hardest part of creating. By stripping bare the mystery of ‘Resistance’ and presenting a more concrete interpretation of the phenomenon that plagues creators, myself included, he removes its power over us.

I’m about a quarter of the way through it and I already feel a surge of motivation and empowerment. I’m clearly not the first, based on many glowing reviews. For the tools to identify and overcome resistance, I highly recommend The War of Art.

Truly Raw #2 - Scott Wiley & Will Van Atta

Hold onto your britches, I’m writing something political. “Dear god no,” you gasp? “Dear god yes,” I reply, stone cold. But for now, lets keep the mood light.

Before you watch my new video, I want to provide some context. My whole goal to become a content creator means that I need to have a body of work. One of my latest endeavors is the production of a new video series I’m calling “Truly Raw.” The concept for the video series is to document and deliver content in a raw, rough edit format. This is a trendy solution that eliminates the problem of obtaining licenses for music. It authentically represents where I am and paints a picture of where I want to go.

Video description:
Just in case any of you suckers forgot, we're still out here working while you sleep, trying to make this dream a reality. It's Truly Raw at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Today, the snow is coming down hard - more on that to come. But it wasn't all that long ago that we were just barely scraping by, surviving on Tahoe's table scraps, stomping 150-ft booters on uphill ice, son. Say hi to ya boi Scott Wiley and his PBR pounding friend, Will Van Atta. Shout out to Truly Spiked & Sparkling, you fellas make one hell of a hard seltzer, give me a call and we can get something going.

F****** Epic

What can you say about a day like today? Inevitably you roll up to a familiar face and just a glance says it all. It’s f****** epic!

It was just another one of those days that, after waking up at 6am, there was absolutely no way I was sleeping in. Warm up with a nice stretch, quick breakfast and tea, getting ready between glances at the snow report and webcams, yelling at my roommate that it's time to go, "no, like right now." No friends on a pow day.

Waiting for the chairlift to start loading on a powder day, this may be one of the few places you’ll find people happy to wait in line. It sure beats the DMV. The morning light broke through the clouds to shine on the crowd as patrol dropped the rope and the first chair was loaded.  F****** epic doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Type 2 Fun: Part 3

Despite being out of the wind, the longer we sat on the summit of Werner Peak the more the cold crept into our bones. Very soon we were preparing for the decent. We clipped in and continued north along the ridge looking for a good place drop into the west face and out of the wind. It was still bitter cold and we still had to cross the giant snow drifts, but at least we were going downhill.

We found a nice shot of sparse trees and dropped in, leapfrogging around each other. In early December I was more concerned about hitting rocks than anything else. But if you go into the backcountry without your eyes open and inattentive to potential avalanche danger, you put yourself at serious risk. We analysed the danger as we continued, but all we found were perfect open snowfields. It was glorious.

Eventually we got into the old growth forest and the terrain started to level off, signs that we were nearing the end of our adventure. We had suffered on the climb and reaped only a fraction of the skiing we would have gotten within the boundary of a resort. But the margin of fun had been exponential. Putting in the hard work for accomplishment, that's what brings a meaningful happiness. That’s type two fun.

Type 2 Fun: Part 2

With our skis precariously bungeed in the bed of the truck and Scott crammed in back seat between packs and ski boots, we set off. Our destination was Werner Peak in the Whitefish Range. The plan was to take the snowmobile up the road as far as possible before skinning the rest of the way to the summit. The forecast called for more snow, high winds, and lows in the negatives. It was still early season and the avalanche danger was low, but we were still on guard.

At the trailhead we unloaded the sled, threw on our gear, and took off up the road with Damon on the snowmobile and Scott and me in tow. Quite a few miles later, we parked the sled, threw our skins on, and started up the trail. By now the snow was really starting to come down and we were getting some pretty strong winds from over the ridge. It was cold. By the time we gained the ridge we were being blasted with what must have been a -20 wind chill. We all had the same thought: get to the lookout station.

After taking the gale on the head and negotiating 10 foot snow drifts for another 30 minutes, we finally made it to the small ranger shack. We were disheartened to find it locked but found consolation in the lee of the building. Here we had a quick lunch. Damon was disappointed by his breakfast burrito, which had frozen on the hike. I explained to him what an apple was and let him try some. It confused him but I think he liked it. Ever the stoic, Scott sat in silence.

Type 2 Fun: Part 1

There are many types of fun and not all are created equal. Type 1 fun is obvious, the kind of fun that requires little to no effort. Type 1 fun is riding a roller coaster. Type 2 fun requires considerable effort and, at times can be downright miserable. It's often not until the ordeal is over, in a type 2 fun scenario, that the fun is actually experienced.

Type 2 fun isn't always predictable. But sometimes you knowingly put your feet in cramped ski boots and walk out the door into subzero temperatures. On this occasion, I did just that. I even managed to convince two friends to join me. The first, long time comrade and accomplished skier, Scott Wiley. The second, a scruffy man child with more size than sense, young Damon Sedivy.

Scott was selected to join me on this expedition based on extensive merit and charm. Scott has spent more time in the backcountry than three of me combined and his skiing is flawless. Damon was selected based on the fact that he recently bought an old touring setup from me and because he was the only one among us to own a snowmobile. Also, Damon is dumb enough to do anything I tell him to do.

chuckfin raw#2: svvag_lavvd ROUGH DRAFT

Ambition v Execution

Lately, I’ve been having to think hard and this stresses me out. I’ve always been a big picture kind of person, trying to account for all the little parts and where they fit into the grand scheme. I hesitate and slave to get my ideas organized. I’m learning to overcome this by forcing myself to execute. In the same way writing helps to organize my thoughts, action helps me to focus my intentions. I’m able to give form to my ideas and a chain reaction of progress begins.

To become the creative professional I want to be, there are hundreds of details that, all at once, overload my mind and derail progress. Of course I need a website, but I’ll need to develop my brand first. I have no shortage of content, but I have to dial in my logo to create unity in my work. For me, this is the hard work.

Luckily I'm full of ambition, that has become abundantly obvious in the past few weeks. In the coming weeks I’ll need to match my ambition with perseverance and execution, two virtues that have been sorely inconsistent in my life until now. By focusing the my same passion of photography and videography to “getting my shit together,” I’ll find myself in a much better position to achieve what I set out for in the first place. I may even get a good grade.

Vision Statement(s)

1. I strive to create innovative, compelling content in the form of writing, photography, and videography to engage an active commuting.
2. My goal is to share stories to inspire individuals through writing, photography, and videography while also delivering successful marketing outcomes for clients in a wide range of industries.
3. I work hard to deliver innovative, professional content in the form of writing, photography, and videography to not only achieve marketing success for a wide range of clients, but to inspire exploration in individuals.

Welcome to Ski School: Part 3

Like most things, from the outside, skiing may seem one dimensional. Just some people sliding down some mountains, what else is there to it really? You don’t really see it until you dive deep, head first. You need to live in a ski town to feel the anticipation as the leaves change color, as you watch the first flakes fall.

To spend a winter in the mountains allows you to see the depth of the sport and the community behind it. You begin to understand the diversity, from the terrain park to the backcountry, from the racers to the big mountain skiers. You begin to see the variations in equipment and technology. But, you can show up at the bar and, over a beer all these differences pale in comparison to the overarching common love of the sport.

I don’t know if coming from a warmer climate has allowed me to see this sport through a different lens, but I believe it has. Just as I took growing up in Hawaii for granted at times, I’m sure some of my students don’t yet understand how fortunate they are to be born into not only such a beautiful place, but also such a beautiful culture. More than wedge turns and pole plants, I want to teach a love for the culture of skiing.

Welcome to Ski School: Part 2

I always ask my students if they know the most important part about skiing. Most of the young ones shake their head, some of the older ones will say something about parallel skis, but only a few get it right. The most important part about skiing is to have fun. Why the hell else would we do it?

Luckily most of my students’ parents understand this because most of my students’ parents ski. A few ask if their child is improving technique and learning valuable skills - which is far less bothersome and tends to come off far less aggressive. But some parents question if their child is being challenged, they ask when I’ll be taking them down black diamonds. This bugs the hell out of me.

Often, I find myself explaining that, as an instructor, I’ll often ski with students on terrain below their skill level that is more conducive to learning. They may fire back with, “Well, we ski black diamonds with them all the time,” and, as a mountain employe, it takes all of my restraint to avoid telling this parent, “and your kid skis like shit, they wedge straight down black diamonds, and that's not skiing.”

Welcome to Ski School: Part 1

Teaching kids to ski, at its worst, is little more than glorified daycare. At its best, it’s the opportunity to instill a lifelong passion in some tiny humans.

I couldn’t tell you why I first applied to become a ski instructor besides my desire to live in the mountains for a season. I was pretty surprised I got the gig to begin with. I wasn’t planning on living in Montana for more than a season, but clearly things didn’t go according to plan. It’s now my fourth season in the mountains and my third season teaching. I'm still loving it.

Hanging out with kids for six hours at a time, you start to get a small idea of what it would be like to be a parent. Most of the time it sucks - they don’t listen, they throw tantrums, they always have snot covering their face. But, every now and then, you get to witness a child execute a new technique, their eyes light up, and it's glorious. I’m not sure how parents justify it, but it's not my place to judge.

Honestly though, I find it fascinating that parents trust complete strangers with their young, impressionable children for six hours a week. I can’t stand some of the conversation some of these kids try to engage me in, I have no choice but to steer the dialogue towards subjects that interest me. Today, between working on pole plants, I introduced my students to the perils of A.I. and the lessons I’ve learned through such films and “The Matrix” and “The Terminator.” I’m sure they’re going to have nightmares - welcome to the real world, kids, now let's go work on those french-fry turns.

Ride Kauai: Part 7

I have to make the distinction between travel and vacation. Vacation often includes travel, but vacation is defined as “an extended period of recreation.” Travel simply means to make a journey. I wouldn't describe this trip as an extended period of recreation, but it was certainly a journey.

They key was that it wasn't easy - it was work. With every photography contract, I feel the pressure to live up to the expectations of the clients. It's hard to find the motivation to go to the gym every morning. It's downright intimidating to shoot for a professional mountain bike racer. None of it was easy.

Writing a blog isn't easy. Going out to capture images or video is difficult. Editing is time consuming. Learning new techniques and experimenting with them until you're proficient is hard work. None of this is easy.

If this was easy, everyone would be successful. You're talent isn't enough, success requires effort.

Ride Kauai: Part 6

The Waimea Canyon is spectacular. Known as the “Grand Canyon of Hawaii,” it boasts stunning colors ranging from patches of deep green foliage to the rich reds of the hawaiian soil. At ten miles long and 3,000 feet deep, it’s nowhere near the size of its North American counterpart, but still a must see. Its also home to Kauai’s best DH trail.

Kyle had this ingenious plan to use my parent’s 50cc scooter to do some shuttling. Hitting the road with a vespa strapped into the truck bed and two bikes draped over the tailgate, we felt like absolute savages and the stoke was high. A quick stop at Kalaheo Cafe and we were heading west, on our way to what I was sure would be a trip highlight.

Rim Trail hugs the western edge of the canyon rim and at times you become intimately aware of the massive drop to the left. It’s a solid 20 minute descent if you keep moving, but there are plenty of offshoots to be explored. Beginning at higher elevation, the air is noticeably cooler and more damp than the end of the trail. Traveling through climate zones means a variety of scenery and trail conditions.

Weaving our way through eucalypts at the top, there are wooden features that beg to be sessioned. Lower down, the trail opens up and you can really open the throttle. The flow this trail has is unbelievable. The dirt is incredible. But, the real treat on this lower section is the view. Riding alongside one of the most impressive geological features in the state and ripping straight for the pacific ocean is an experience few are afforded.

Riding the vespa back up the road to retrieve the truck, the poor little motor struggling under our combined weight, was an experience in itself. To be honest, it was pretty fun and, although we had to jump off to get the poor scooter up some of the steeper hills, the looks of confusion from onlookers made it all worth it.

We were able to get in a few laps in this manner, and I was able to get a few decent shots. With cramping legs, we loaded the vespa and two bikes into the truck and turned back towards home.