Hi, I am the creator and author of Hiking with Camera. I have been hiking and taking pictures of the backcountry for years. My passion is getting out on the trail as often as I can. Luckily, my loving wife understands and shares my passion, so in the summers, you will often find me and sometimes her as well, roving through the hills and mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
My passion for backcountry photography is two-fold.
First, I enjoy backpacking for the slower pace and simpler life that it yields. I feel we often get caught in the always connected rush that seems to be our daily lives. As someone who works heavily with technology for my day job, I need a balance to that always connected side of me. Backpacking is that balance. The unconnected, simple lifestyle of bringing everything you need with you and very little you don’t.
Second, I the things you find out on the trail are amazing. There are sights to be seen that still blow my mind and remind me of the things greater than us. There is a spiritual side to the outdoors that keeps me coming back. That connection to nature, that power of awe. That is what I am trying to capture with my photography. I am trying to tell the story of the natural world of beauty. It’s the piece of pure inspiration that I bring back with me, and that I surround myself with at home and work.
Now, the reasons for why I do this are deep and spiritual, but I’m not above the material world that we live in. Some would definitely still call me a gear-head. So this blog is both about the spiritual, artistic, amazingness of the backcountry, but it’s also about the stuff I have grown attached to that makes me comfortable, gets me out there, and allows me to capture the experiences.
As a dedicated photographer and long-time lightweight backpacker, I regularly struggle with the balance between quality in my photography and lightweight in my pack. As of yet, I still lug around a full frame DSLR with one or two heavy zoom lenses. I’ve been eyeing the growing field of mirrorless cameras for years, but haven’t yet made the move. As more gear comes out, they come closer and closer to offering a lightweight alternative that is worth the cost of investing in all new glass. Will I give up my DSLR? Probably not anytime soon and possibly never, but never is a strong commitment in the fast-paced world of evolving technology. To read more about my gear, checkout the “What’s in My Bag?” article.
But enough of me. It’s time for you to explore. Checkout the Blog menu for specific post categories, or go for a search if you have something specific you are looking for. My goal here is to help share my experience and knowledge just as so many others have shared theirs with me.