MIGHTYKILLERS®

moe tang

2015

Lifestyle, Travel.Comment

What's your goal each year?

 

You may have a resolution that you've set to accomplish or you may just want to live each year to the fullest. Whatever the objective is the end result is always the same, to be better than the previous year.

For MIGHTYKILLLERS, 2015 was HUGE. The #MKEXPLORE hash tag grew from 50,000 posts in the beginning of the year to 777,000 as of today! We even had the opportunity to connect with people from around the world through our MKEXPLORE meets. As we made stops all over from Mumbai, Tokyo, Shanghai, Pacific Northwest, Sacramento, Boston, Toronto, and the list goes on and the support grows with it. Being able to host meets across the U.S. and internationally has always been a shared dream by everyone in the company. This wouldn't of been possible if it weren't for the community and the support you've shown.

Not only did we get to connect with individuals, but with companies as well. Collaborating has always been a huge part of our core beliefs, so it was exciting to work with many industry leaders from Jaguar Land Rover Motors to SanDisk, and even other creatives such as Duarte Inc. We can’t thank them enough for letting us bring our own sense of style and touch to each project, and we look forward to any new projects in the future.

Many may not know, but MIGHTYKILLLERS first started out as a clothing brand. We may have evolved a bit from a basic clothing brand, but our roots are still very much in fashion. We believe that everything is connected from fashion and styling to photography and travel. This year, we pushed out even more product while designing each piece with high quality materials that we wear everyday. The amount of support we’ve received from each drop has been incredible. For the next year, you’ll be sure to see more releases with the same dope designs.

 

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Now for me personally 2015 is probably best summed up into one word, unexpected. If you told me in the beginning of the year that all of these things would happen I probably wouldn’t believe you. That’s not to say that I live a boring life with no excitement, but rather it’s a justification as to how amazing the year was. It definitely had some rocky times and moments of uncertainty but honestly would life be any fun if it didn’t?

One thing that stayed pretty consistent was my group of friends who've stuck with me for sometime now. Year in and year out they have always been there for me, and always continue to push me to do better. Whenever I see my friends/family succeed it always fills me with a sense of pride, and this year was a testament to that. From passing the California attorney bar exam to getting married, I’m pretty sure all of them had it covered. It was a big honor to not only see two of my best friends get married this year, but also be apart of their special day.

I had the opportunity to travel a lot this year; not just with a group of friends but also by myself. Up until this point I never realized how life changing traveling alone can be. If you haven’t already, I highly suggest just taking a trip by yourself somewhere. It doesn’t have to be far or expensive; just get out of a familiar surrounding. Every time I went away, I found out something new about myself, and improved on something old.

Within these last few months, it really started to hit me that I'm getting older. I realized that people come and go in your life, but when some people come in they really make an impression and help you see things in a whole new perspective. Those are the people you really have to thank because a fresh new perspective will always give you a whole new outlook. So with that, I'm excited to be looking towards whats in store for 2016.

Cheers.

 

UNTITLED

Travel.Comment

Life can be overwhelming at times, and everyone needs a place to unwind. For many this means going out, hitting the gym, or spending time with loved ones. But for me I've always found the outdoors to be my escape. 

There's something about being outside, especially during the winter months that’s calming to me. I've always been drawn to it ever since I was a little kid, and as I grew older the attraction never faded. In my early years, family day trips would grow into snowboarding expeditions with friends, which have now turned into solo adventures in the same place. From the fresh powder lining the beach to the still clear waters of Lake Tahoe, this is where I found myself this past weekend. Reflecting on everything.

As I near the intimidating age of 30, I can’t help but to think back on all that has happened and that’s going to happen. You begin to realize that your family and friends are getting older with you, and as more time passes you being to appreciate what you may have taken for granted at one point. You appreciate that they are all finding their own path, and you look forward to the new experiences ahead. You look back on past and current relationships as you search for growth. Have you grown as a person? Whether it’s in my relationships or in my career, growth is something I’ve always found myself reflecting on the most. I think it’s important to ask yourself this difficult question, "Are you growing?" If not, what are you changing so you can grow? I’ve got a friend that always tells me, "Each passing moment is a chance for change." He really believes it, even got it tattooed on his chest, and honestly I didn't get it at the time. But maybe after all these years he knew something I didn’t... until now.

With the sun setting and the golden hour slowly turning into an incredibly underrated blue hour, I snapped a few more pictures and started to pack my things. I wish I could say that some huge realization hit me and everything was all of a sudden as clear as the lake, but lets be real that shit doesn’t happen. Instead, I left feeling a little calmer knowing that everything I’ve been doing these last few months would pay off eventually. 

Staying hungry to achieve your goals is half the battle; the other half is waking up every day looking to eat. 

CREATIVE COLLABORATION

Events, Lifestyle, Travel.Comment

It's rare these days to come across a company that truly believes in your vision, let alone is wiling to help you achieve that vision. Typically if there is no monetary return than the likelihood of a helping hand is slim. However, like with most things there are certain exceptions to this case, and Duarte Inc. is a prime example of that exception. Having built a reputation as masters in the art of visual storytelling, Duarte has become a powerhouse with a client list ranging from ESPN , former Vice-President Al Gore, Shiseido, and many moreIt's an honor to have such dope mentors guide us as we find our own voice within visual story telling. 

At first we had trouble trying to decided which MIGHTYKILLERS story we wanted to represent. We wanted to include all aspects of the brand our audience has come to know and love, but at the same time we also wanted to shed some light on things you may not of known before. We wanted this story to not only be a reflection of our past but also a look into what we have planned for the future. Simply put, like a pair of Royal Jordan 1's this story needed to be timeless. 

This creative collaboration didn't simply happen over night, but after many months of office meetings and countless emails we decided on our final story. Through trial and error, what seemed like disagreements at the time were just the opposite; instead healthy creative criticism on both sides. As a creative, its easy for constructive criticism to be perceived as a negative insight; however, its the true creatives that look at this criticism as a positive and a chance for growth. 

Stay tuned.

LANDMARK LURKIN: SACRAMENTO

Events.Comment

Over this past weekend we hosted our third installment of the Landmark Lurkin series. This traveling series is designed to highlight and showcase the major landmarks in each city. With huge success coming off of the previous events, it didn't take long to decide on visiting our neighbors to the west, Sacramento. 

In the past year, Sacramento has definitely been making waves in the Instagram community. The people of the city have produced some amazing work through its official visitors bureau page, Visit Sacramento.  So it was a no brainer to hit up our friend Faith Mari (@faithmari), who not only has an amazing feed but also curates the Visit Sacramento Instagram, to collaborate on an idea for this meet. She suggested that we also reach out to Will Thompson (@goodthompson)  to help co-host the meet. We've been following Will for a while, so it was finally dope to meet him in person. 

When scouting locations we decided that we should showcase one of Sacramento's gems, Apple Hill. This Fall favorite among locals is located just east of Sacramento, and has been a top destination for families for years. They're especially known for their ciders and baked goods, especially the donuts...mmm..donuts. Faith helped organize and reach out to the Apple Hill Growers Association who were nice enough to donate free vouchers for donuts. Now who doesn't love donuts? Especially free ones! 

The turn out was amazing! I was blown away by how tightly knit the community of Instagrammers were in the Sacramento area. Mostly all of them knew each other and saw one another on a monthly basis when meets would pop up around the city. To have Mighty Killers be apart of that was truly a blessing. We are extremely thankful for those who drove great distances to come out! 

Sacramento is definitely a stop everyone should make. 

EVERYONE LOVES THAT BEACH PFEIFFER

Travel.Comment

If someone says, "Let's go catch sunset at Big Sur" you always say yes. No matter what, even if its the wedding weekend of a Mighty Killers member. 

This past weekend many of the Mighty Killers team gathered for the wedding celebration of Elissa and Marvin. We all had duties to fulfill to help the wedding run smoothly, but when you're 15min away from the most amazing coast line you find time to sneak away. Sam (@thesamgraves) and I had no idea where we wanted to go; we just knew we had to catch a dope sunset. The anticipation of driving through the winding roads of Big Sur to Pfeiffer beach was filled with uncertainty.

The uncertainty of each outing is what makes a great ending that much more worthwhile. If you always knew that you were going to head out to catch nothing but bangers each time the photos wouldn't have as much meaning. Everyone would have dope pics and the pic you thought was killer wouldn't be that special. It's always the stories that you tell about how you got the shot is what makes the shot that much more amazing. 

The anticipation of driving around countless turns to only see a grey blanket of fog brings about a sense of frustration. But the moment that the blanket lifts, and the sun beings to descend below the horizon that sense of frustration immediately turns into a rush of excitement. 

No Lake, Shirley

Travel.Comment

It should always be about the journey and never the destination... 

Whenever I embark on a new adventure I always have a place in mind that I want to go. However sometimes things don't always work out that way. Now this doesn't mean that it was a failure, but instead I like to think of it as an unexpected detour. As long as a forward step was taken and a new experience was learned no adventure can ever be a failure. 

This past weekend a friend and I decided we should hike to Shirley Lake in Tahoe National Forest. The destination was an amazing scenic lake that was completely isolated by surrounding mountains and lush green fields. The water was calm, crystal clear, and untouched by any outside elements... This is what I gathered from Google images. You can probably guess that I actually have no idea what this lake looks like in person because we never made it there. I am not proud to explain the reason for not reaching our destination because the inner Boy Scout in me would be ashamed, but we were simply not prepared. We brought water and food, but like Harold and Kumar when we remembered we've gone too far. 

My old Boy Scout pack leader Mr. Wong would probably disown me for not bringing the basic necessities, but I have channeled my new role models in the form of Harold and Kumar and their excursion to White Castle. Similar to Harold and Kumar, we had an amazing experience with little to no resources. The scenery along the way filled with giant cascading waterfalls and vast flowing rivers surrounded by enormous boulders eroded over time by the elements... but from the pictures it looks like I was simply dehydrated and delusional to remember what it actually looked like. Either way it was an experience for both my creative side and my commonsense side.

Nature's Swimming Pool

Travel.Comment

Back to back 100° days, dry heat, and a drought. If anyone asks you to visit Sacramento these are the things you have to look forward to. So when the idea of hiking to a swimming hole came up I jumped at the chance, but since I've never actually been to one I had no idea what to expect. But I didn't care because at the time the only thing on my mind was getting away from the heat. 

When we arrived at Lemkey's Lagoon, it took us all a second to realize where we were. We all looked at each other and knew right away we ended up at a giant playground. The amount of abnormally large natural structures scattered throughout the river was ridiculous. We all knew the right thing to do would be to take the long way along the rivers edge to the lagoon. We had to climb over any and everything just to challenge each other on who could find the most creative path through. 

Surround yourself with people that challenge you to do the things you may not have done on your own. It's these people that will make you realize your true potential. Diving head first into the clear refreshing water and opening your eyes to see a school of fish swimming past you can make any stressed person feel worry free again. A lot of times we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget what it's like to not worry about if we have health insurance or not, and to just jump off a cliff. It's moments like these that you start to not worry about the consequence and begin to think the most clearly. 

DEATH OF FORESTHILL

Travel.Comment

Social media is a pretty powerful tool. 

Whether your intentions are to creep on your next date or to find the next hot photo spot, too much of a good thing is sometimes a bad thing. That’s exactly what happened to the highest bridge in California. Foresthill Bridge in Auburn, CA recently became a mecca for Instagramers from all over. The beauty of this bridge was that you used to be able to climb to the top  and get some surreal shots looking into the horizon with a 750ft drop into the valley. 

But as fast as the word got out about the views, the authorities responded that much quicker with their own actions. It wasn't until the last month that they fenced off the access point with barbered wire, grease, and metal bars, a bit over the top if you ask me. As I made my way through to the bottom of the bridge, I couldn't help but wonder would this have happened if social media didn't open its big mouth? Maybe so, but it’s events like this that push the envelope of creativity and force people to a find new solutions to an old problem. 

Unfortunately my day ended there, but as I was leaving the area I saw two people walking across the catwalk of the bridge. So maybe there is hope after all.. 

INTO THE WOODS

Travel.Comment

Ever get done shooting and realize the place you were just at could be in a movie?

That was the feeling I got after we got done shooting Muir Woods. We walked into a misty fog filled forest where the light rays were beaming through the trees overhead. Everything looked like it was taken right out of Disney's Into the Woods.

The morning didn't start out the best, it was raining and nothing spectacular was catching our eye. As we made our way through the forest, the rain started to clear out and the sun beamed through; this is when things started getting interesting. Until this day, I've never been able to catch good light rays, but once the sun burst through the tree tops it just took things to another level. The tourist and families a around us were even trying to get in on the action. They were scurrying along trying to get to the front of everyone to get the best shot. We continued aimlessly into the woods and it was almost like Mother Nature knew we were getting bored, so she brought in some fog to mix things up. 

We ended the day with sunset at Mt. Tam, which wasn’t the fog filled rolling hills that we’ve hoped for. But I think today was all about mixing it up 

MT. Inspiration

Travel.Comment

How do you find inspiration? 

Lately, I've been hit with a shooters block.  Questioning everything from the angles of the shot, all the way down to the final edit. I'm sure that I'm not the only one feeling this way. Sooner or later everyone will be faced with something similar. So the question now is, "How do we get through this?

I try to force myself to take at least one overnight trip each month to just get out and shoot. My goal isn't to shoot for Instagram worthy material, but rather to reevaluate my passion for exploring. After these trips, I always seem to remember how I felt during that time, but never what I saw.

Don't get me wrong. It's dope as fuck to see and shoot the base of a waterfall from 5 feet away, but the feeling of being that close was even crazier. The power of the wind created by the crashing of the falls made it that much more intense; however, my roshes weren't doing too well in the grip department on the slippery moss covered rocks. It was pretty sketchy, but definitely worth almost dying. I felt alive and energetic after getting the shot, and it reminded me that nature inspires me to post on Instagram, not the likes or followers.

Too often today, I see people going out to shoot just to get recognition.  Thats cool, and I'm not going to knock that, but are you shooting because that moment inspired you, or because the latest trend on the explore page said that was what you needed to shoot? 

So now tell me, what really inspirers you?

Backyard Adventures

Travel.Comment

Many people often overlook their own backyard when out searching for new spots to explore.

We're fortunate to be in Northern California, and the bay area especially because so many different types of landscape surround us. To the east we have the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and to the south we have beaches all along Highway 1. This scenic drive is one of my favorite because there are so many different areas where you can stop.

The weather in the beginning of the day didn't start out the best, but as the day went on the fog and overcast cleared out and the skies ended up being perfect. We made our way from Pacifica and headed towards Davenport right out side of Half Moon Bay. Along the way, we made a bunch of random stops and detours just because one of us might of saw something worthwhile in the distance. One of our final destinations brought us to these concrete arches right on the beach. In order to get down to the arches you had to hike down a sketchy trail that essentially dropped straight down the side of the cliff. We eventually made it down and spent a good half hour trying to climb the rope to the top of the arch. Once we finally admitted defeat we decided that Shark Fin Cove might be a better location for sunset. 

Wee got to Shark Fin and saw a bunch of other explorers leaving the same area. I didn't get a chance to stop and get everyone's name but I think we all had the same mindset of trying to get to the location to catch sunset. It's awesome seeing other people out sharing the same passion for exploring. The sunset wasn't as epic as I hoped it would be, but that's all part of exploring. Someone times you get lucky and the weather clears up for a perfect day, and other times the sunset just turns out shitty. But the people you explore with and the unknown of how the day will turn out are what push me to  constantly go out and explore. Putting together a group of people to go out is dope, but finding people who are down to take detours and stop randomly is even better. Not everyone is down to make random strops and prolong the journey, but when you do find those down you might stumble across something you could of easily  missed.

Cave Dwellers

Travel.Comment
bigfour.jpg

Exploration with friends is always a good time, but exploring won your own is something that everyone should experience.

Recently, I took a spontaneous trip by myself to visit the Big Four Ice Caves in Granite Falls Washington. I'm not sure what cam over me to venture on something so out of my norm. Maybe it was the constant reminder on Instragram that there is something bigger out there beside my mundane 9-5 lifestyle. Or maybe it was the the excitement of not knowing what adventures a "fuck it" mentality might bring

Once I landed in Seattle,  I rentred a car and took off driving in whatever direction the GPS told me. The weather conditions were perfect for my first time, and exactly how I pictured the weather in the Pacific Northwest to be. Everything was covered in a low rolling fog that sat just above the tree line. Pockets of clouds would clear up every so often; allowing you to see the mountain range bend it. 

I got to the ice caves and quickly realized that pictures simply don't do it justice. The sheer size of the cave is amazing. I was stuck starring at it; wondering how the different layers of ice are layered and carved so perfectly. Its easy to say that the ice caves left me in awe, and gave me confidence that I did not need to rely on anyone to go out and experience something this great. 

The journey is not the most difficult part of travel, but rather getting yourself up to actually start it. Everyone has obligations on a day-to-day basis, but finding time to for personal growth through exploring could have you coming back with a whole new perspective on things.