MIGHTYKILLERS®

Travel

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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. 

Halloween in New York

Travel, Urban, LifestyleKarl Orotea | @KARLNIKOLAIComment

Hasselblad 500CM + Fujipro 400H, Kodak 400 Tri-X & Portra 400NC

It was my first time visiting New York during autumn. I never catch a flight out at the time, but my friend Eric and I got lucky with the Jetblue sale (scored a $188 round trip ticket, sorry kind of have to flaunt that). Anyway, usually trips to NY are just mostly meant for leisure time away from hectic school schedules. Had the pleasure shooting alongside with the homies Insighting and marcel_white during my few days there. 

On another note, shooting street photography is quite challenging on film, but it also made me quite bored of just straight documenting. After getting the photos developed and scanned (self-processed) I found it amazing how color correction on scanners can easily make photos taken on a 4 or 5 decade year old camera give digital a run at its game. Well, this will probably one of my last posts of strictly focused documentative and aesthetically pleasing photography. Hopefully I'm able to bring more of conceptual, meaningful photos, either it be surrealism or series, without falling on the spectrum of fine art photography. That'd be the day honestly.

IN THE BAG WITH MARVIN KING

IN THE BAG, Lifestyle, TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

A few weeks back I took a trip to South Lake Tahoe with my family in search of our first sight of snow this winter. Living in the Bay Area and being spoiled with year-round awesome weather has definitely made me miss the snow, especially so during the Holidays. So since snow doesn't come around here, we decided to go to the snow ourselves. Here are some of the essentials that I carried on my trip to Tahoe at our stay at Basecamp Hotel:

  • Incase Ari Black Edition Camera Bag
  • Incase Leather Zip Wallet + 6x Sony Batteries
  • Basecamp lantern
  • iPhone 6
  • SanDisk 64GB SD Card
  • Klipsch R6 Headphones
  • MIGHTYKILLERS x Mophie powerstation XL
  • Canon FD 85mm f/1.2L
  • Basecamp room key
  • Nike Stormfit gloves
  • MIGHTYKILLERS Basic Navy Cap
  • Timberland 6" Helcor Rebar

The Glacier Tour

Travel, LifestyleSam Graves | @thesamgravesComment

To me, nothing says "adventure" like a trip through the mountains and there are few things that I anticipate and enjoy more than standing in the presence of them. Something about them have always had a way of taking my breath away and making me feel both powerful and insignificant at the same time. It's a crazy feeling, one that I find incredibly hard to find words for. 

We took a trip into Glacier National Park, knowing it was winter and that most of the park would be closed but little did we know that even the outer edges of the park still top the worlds most beautiful sceneries. We shot sunrise, mid day and sunset every day of our five day itinerary and while it was very cold, and a non stop schedule, it was one of my favorite trips to date. We toured through icy roads, hiked miles through bear country and had the most epic snowball fight the world has ever known. Ever. 

We came and we conquered. And who knew that frozen Sour Patch Kids could be so good? 

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.

SECRETS IN THE CANYON

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLS2 Comments

The slot canyons in Arizona has long been on my bucket list so when the opportunity arose to go, you can imagine how stoked I was. I think we all knew fairly well just how popular Antelope Canyon is, with the amount of photos and advertisement going around but we just didn't really think anything of it. We planned to get in early morning and find a place to give us a tour of Antelope but we had no luck. Everything was booked up for the entire day. I kept searching and searching for other companies but everyone of them were completely booked. We finally came across this one company that offered a tour of an alternative slot canyon by the way of a H2, a bit more expensive but at that point, I was ready to drop down whatever to just see them. Although it was Antelope Canyon, I was still super stoked on being here. It was completely private and we had the freedom to just roam on our own and shoot. Glad plan B worked out. 

The Sunken City

Lifestyle, Urban, TravelComment

I tend to hit the LA every few months for work but this time I wanted to switch it up a bit. During my trip, me and a few friends decided to take a trip outside of the city and head down to coast to a place called The Sunken City. When I first walked into this place I felt like I had landed on another planet. What used to be a populated neighborhood street is now an explorers dream due to the landslides and graffers that have transformed these ruins into what it is today. Thanks to my homegirl Minnie (@minniemorkie) for being my muse for the time we spent there. After that day I realized that there is much more to SoCal than just LA. I also realized that you should never snapchat while climbing loose rocks or you'll slip and smash your camera against a rock as you attempt to stop yourself from falling down a cliff.....

48 Hours in the Swiss Alps (PART I)

Travel, LifestyleJohannes HoehnComment

As the year turned to its best season fall, we decided to jump on a car and do a little weekend road trip to Switzerland. Together with @hannes_becker and @daniel_ernst I hit the road towards south on Friday noon. The car was packed with tents, camping goods, two Oru Kayaks and all the stuff you need to enjoy a weekend in the alps.

After 8 hours on the road we finally arrived at our destination: The region of Wallis. We camped near the suspension bridge in Bellwald because we wanted to grab the sunrise at the epic wooden bridge the next morning. The night was super cold and short, but we managed to get out just in time to be at the spot for sunrise. The view was epic, we were really lucky and had some fog rolling through the valley, which gave us some super nice shots.

After that we moved on to the city of Sion to meet up with our friend Patrick (@gullerpat). He is born and raised in the Wallis area and knows it better than anybody else. Also Patrick is pretty much the nicest dude to spend your time with, so we really looked forward to meeting him. 

Our first stop brought us to a lake inside of a cave... 

 To be continued...   

SOUNDS OF SILENCE

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

No matter where I go to shoot, one thing I am always most excited for is the night skies. Don't get me wrong, seeing shit and shooting during the day is dope; but there's just nothing like going off into the middle of nowhere, away from everything, and standing in complete darkness and hearing silence. It's hard to come by now-a-days; silence. No matter where you are, there is always the sound of cars, voices, airplanes, things of that sort... So when you come across a time when you're literally hearing nothing, it sounds weird. 
Hearing nothing sounds weird.
Weird, right?
Nothing has a sound.
Weird.

First Snow

Travel, LifestyleJared | @tadlockaComment

First snow is something I hold close. Being raised in Colorado, I always spent my childhood anticipating that first sight of snow in the fall. It always meant more than just a weather pattern to me; it signaled a change of life. When the weather turns cold, things become more clear and priorities have a way of reorganizing themselves; you don't have the ability to just roam, you have to be focused and direct in order to keep warm. I'm thankful to have been able to document this years first snowfall

No Expectations

TravelEric Luis | @ericluis1 Comment

In the midst of the hustle and bustle that the San Francisco Bay Area consistently brings, I feel that every once in a while, it's always a good thing to get out of the city for a few hours (or days, in this regard) to unwind, reflect, and simply take in the beauty of nature. That's exactly what I was able to do last weekend, on a quick little two-day trip to Yosemite National Park with a couple of good friends.

In all honesty, I don't think I could ever get tired of this place. The moment I left the park back in July of this year (which was my first time in seven or so years), I was already excited for when I'd have the opportunity to head back. Now, after having been back in the city for almost two weeks, I'm already beginning to experience that same exact sentiment. It's just one of those places that will always have a crazy effect on you, for some unexplainable reasons, since the beginning. 

One of my favorite parts about Yosemite National Park is that you never know what the weather is going to be like until you're actually there. It's a humbling thing, actually, driving into the valley with no expectations whatsoever. The day we arrived, we were greeted with huge rainclouds that engulfed the entire valley floor, and were informed that even though rain showers would only happen intermittently, the clouds would still remain and the skies wouldn't be all too clear during the general majority of our stay. On top of that, they were conducting controlled burns around the park for maintenance, resulting in smoke throughout some parts of the valley.

To our astonishment, the clouds would eventually part every so often, and they definitely couldn't have parted at better times. We were greeted with two insane sunsets (one at swinging bridge and the other at taft point) on back to back evenings, along with crazy light rays showing themselves along the roads during both of the sunrises that we were fortunate enough to wake up in time for. To top it all off, on our last night, by the time blue hour had ended, the skies had cleared up once more - allowing for some astrophotography, despite most of the valley being moonlit. 

All in all, an awesome little trip with great vibes all around -- I hope ya'll enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

IN THE BAG WITH MOE TANG

IN THE BAG, TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLS1 Comment
MK_itb_Moe.jpg

During the Fall, one of the best places to visit in Sacramento County is Apple Hill, located just 45 minutes outside of the city of Sacramento. It is truly a hidden gem, home to some of the best slices of apple pies I have ever had and of course, the cider. We recently had the pleasure of working with the Visitors Bureau of Sacramento and the Apple Hill Growers to host another Landmark Lurkin event and Moe was out there scouting. Although his job was to go out and shoot the grounds, he got a bit too caught up with all the donuts. Check out the essentials that Moe brought with him while I sippin' cider and downing donuts.

  • Chrome Industries Niko Messenger Bag
  • Apple Hill Apple Cider.. no Hennessy 
  • Carl Zeiss Circular Polarizer 
  • Sony A7ii with 24-70mm F/4 (Mounted)
  • Manfrotto Tripod
  • MIGHTYKILLERS Business Cards
  • Chapstick 
  • Apple Hill Visitor Map
  • Jack Spade Card Wallet 
  • Pelican 1010 case with 3 Sony Batteries and 32GB SanDisk SD 
  • Canon EOS M 
  • Apple Hill Donuts 
  • Sony 35mm F/2.8
  • Shot with iPhone 6 and Mophie Juice Pack*

Follow @gdnws on his recent adventures.

A PLACE OF PEACE AND RELAXATION

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

Something about the name Zion has always appealed to me. I can't really point out why, other than the fact that it just sounds like dope. Zion... Zion... Zion... It just has that utopic feel to it. Utopia being an imaginary place where everything is just perfect. A word very fitting to describe Zion National Park. Little did I know, Zion is a Hebrew word that means "a place of peace and relaxation." This canyon was given it's name by Mormon pioneers in 1800's and if I were a Mormon next to the one who said, "We shall name this canyon Zion" .... I would be like, "Hell yea bro! I'm all the way wit it!" Because that's exactly what I felt when we were covering the grounds of Zion. Something about the formation of the mountains that really made you feel like you were in a completely different world. I mean, almost every National Park makes you feel somewhat like you're in a different world, this is due to the fact that it's well preserved. It's free of all the industrial shit and civilization that it just feels raw. I could only imagine what this place would be like without all the roads, the visitor centers and port potties. 

Worldwide Portraits with Adrian (@1.Living)

TravelNicholas La | @NIKK_LAComment

I had the pleasure of traveling around the world this summer and execute another project with one of my best friends for a nonprofit we started called "Picture A Change." We both lived in the same neighborhood and faced many similar struggles growing up in the city of Oakland, California. We both understood how easy it was to get caught up and being another example of our environment, so we started "Picture A Change" to shine light and showcase positivity through photography and film. Since photography and film has impacted our lives in a positive way, we wanted to be able to give back to our community and to other communities around the world as one of our missions. This past summer we traveled throughout the world to showcase the amazing nonprofits doing staggering work in their communities in hopes of bringing more attention so they can continue doing the great work they are already doing. Here are some portraits I was able to shoot of Adrian during our project in Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Bangkok.

INTO THE SOUTHWEST

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment
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You always have to be prepared to deal with the unexpected when traveling. Even with all the extensive planning time you put in, the extra loot you dropped for travel insurance, making all the necessary reservations, there's just nothing you can do when your plane simply doesn't work. We sat on the Delta plane for over 3 hours and they would not let us get off the plane. They mentioned that if we do decided to hop off the plane, there's no guarantee that they will let us back on, which was bullshit. Anyhow, we ended up missing our connecting flight, and then arrived to St. George 4 hours behind schedule resulting in us not being able to go into the Narrows of Zion. This was one of the things I was most excited for coming into Zion so I was pretty disappointed that we couldn't hit it. We made due with what we had and just explored around the park and surrounding areas.

In the Heat

TravelSaltComment

Sometimes the heat can be a little too much to get use to, but anything for a new experience. This trip to Joshua Tree/Mojave Desert was pretty intense because of the heat, sleeping arrangement, and lack of coffee but that didn't stop us from hitting sunrise to sunset. The highlight from the trip was definitely checking out the Lava Tube because the light rays was just perfect. This place was a bit eerie because of the low light, smell, and flying bats but when you've crawled through the tiny cavity of a cave with only your iPhone backlight to lead the way and arrive to a beam of rays, I could careless about everything else. I'm pretty sure I inhaled something weird being down there, but I got this shot of Jack. 

IN THE BAG WITH PATRICK GIANG

Travel, IN THE BAGMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment
MK_itb_Pat-wide.jpg

We've recently caught up with @PatrickGiang shortly after his return from his off roading trip through the Mamquam FSR (forest service road) and the Indian FSR. He mentioned he doesn't typically pack this much stuff in his bag on his trips but the idea of not knowing what he will come across on his trip convinced him to bring a little more than usual. Most people think that packing more is better than not enough, and only in rare occasions are they right.. This was one of those instances where packing more came in handy. Patrick brought his Macbook that he typically doesn't carry and he's glad he did. He was able to edit photos while he was out while enjoying the soundtrack of mother nature. Here's what we discovered in his bag:

  • Nikon D3
  • Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4 (Mounted)
  • Nikon D90
  • Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5 w/ ND filter (Mounted)
  • Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5
  • Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control IR
  • Nikon Battery
  • Nikon 4GB USB Stick
  • Langly Alpha Pro Backpack
  • Map of Vancouver
  • Canadian Passport
  • iPhone 6
  • iPod Shuffle + Headphones
  • WD My Passport Ultra 2TB
  • MacBook Pro 13" Retina
  • Lexar Professional Memory Cards

Follow @PatrickGiang to see his travels.

24 HOURS

Travel.Comment

"There aren't enough hours in the day"... fuck that, yes there is it's twenty-four.

Spending twenty-four hours running through the desert has never been on the top of my priority list, but I have to say after everything it gave me a new perspective on lighting and natural colors. I've never been a fan of dry heat and high temps but the constant move from one spot to the next had me so focused that the weather conditions didn't bother me... too much. 

There's something oddly refreshing about only getting 2 hours of sleep in the back of a Range Rover and waking up at 5:30AM to shoot the rising sun. I had no idea what the rest of the day had in store for me, but I knew that we needed to pack in as much as we possibly could in a day. 

As we bounced from each location, I knew I wanted to emphasize the time change and the lighting throughout the day. A lot of people are scared to shoot in the middle of the day because the lighting is too harsh, but you can still catch bangers... you just got to go under ground.

My goal throughout the day was to capture a wide range of color and show you what a full twenty-four hours looks like. In the morning, I wanted to show off the light purples and heavy oranges of the sunrise. As the day went on the bright blues and harsh light from the mid day sun came out, but this didn't stop me from catching a dope cloud formation over the mountain range. We then headed underground, where streaks of sunlight shot through the old lava formations and illuminated the whole cave. It gave off a very dope saturated look, and when mixed with the dust in the air caused an amazing effect. We closed the last bit of sunlight with the same purples and oranges we saw in the morning. It's almost as if the day ended as it begun, and everything came around full circle. Finally, we ended the night with the deep blues from the night sky and the oddly bright moon, which helped light our way. 

Time well spent is living each day to the fullest, even if you only have twenty-four hours to do it.

Drives Through Joshua Tree w/ Range Rover USA

Travel, LifestyleNicholas La | @NIKK_LAComment

We had the privilege to work with Land Rover this past weekend by taking out one of their brand new Range Rovers to Joshua Tree!

THE WAY TO TAFT

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment
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Making our way to Taft Point, a short hike followed. With the California drought in full swing, it's left the area pretty dry and dusty, which completely sucks when you hike because that dirt and dust just floats in air.. which means breathing it in, getting in your eye and sticking on to your skin cause of the layer of sweat accumulated from hiking in the heat! On the contrary, it's freaking awesome for photos. Creating dirt dust clouds is always a challenge, wind being a huge factor. You have to know where to go to start kicking or throwing up dirt in order to have it be exactly where you want it to be in your photo. After numerous attempts, we were left covered in dirt and troubled with breathing.