MIGHTYKILLERS®

Memorial Day weekend in Mt. Hood

Travel, LifestyleSilas Sao1 Comment

Hi, my name is Silas and I'm a photographer based in Portland, Oregon. This is my first story on the Mighty Killers blog so I wanted to try and make it a good one. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to create a photo themed for that. Accompanied by my friends Nick, Chloe and Anna we set off on our adventure. This day, we had no plan and no set route to go, but I wanted the photo to have a moody feel so we decided to head into the forest.

We left around 12:30 P.M. figuring the overcast weather in Portland was an indication of some nice soft light. Unfortunately, as soon as we hit the base of the mountain, the clouds disappeared almost instantly. Here we were, right in the middle of a completely clear day with the sun beating right on top of us. We stopped at one location and hiked in, but the shots we got didn't have the moody feel I was going for. We decided to keep driving closer to the top of the mountain in hopes of finding better weather at higher elevation. As we arrive at the top we start to see the fog rolling in, giving us hope that we could still pull this off. We found a sign for Barlow Road and decided to give it a shot. We parked the car and started trekking into the forest to look for a good location. Ahead of us we see a patch of light on the ground and decide it would be perfect for this shot. We setup, pop the smoke and start firing. This time I had got the shot I was looking for, Success! We roam around, take a couple more shots with some of the other smoke we had, take a couple portraits and decide to head out to visit the top of the mountain. We get to the top and even though there wasn't much snow we still got to enjoy the view before heading back home for the evening. A special thanks to Nick for driving us and to Chloe and Anna for being models for the day. Nothing better than a good day of shooting in great company.

Exploring Bryce Canyon

TravelNicholas La | @NIKK_LAComment

Instead of catching the sunrise, we instead slept in since it was raining out. We started the day off by swinging by Lake Powell for some quick photos, then we drove a few hours over to Bryce Canyon to see one of the world's greatest wonders. Looking back at the shots some of the Mighty Killers had taken, I was definitely stoked to see the place with my own eyes. It started pouring but we were still able to get some pretty epic photos. It's almost impossible to get a bad shot here since the place itself was something out of this world. Knowing that the drive takes up most of the day, we scurried the shots we wanted most and made our way towards Monument Valley where we got a cabin for the night right in front of the three infamous monuments.

Bonneville Salt Flats

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

Coming across this... I have no idea what you call it.. was a complete surprise. We were driving down the freeway looking for the Bonneville Salt Flats, which is massive by the way, and we saw this super vibrantly colored body of water and had to turn around and head towards it. It's pretty easy to miss if you're not staring dead out the window the entire drive. It's actually dipped into the ground with about 2-3 feet of mounds surrounding it. I really wanted to jump into it but the lack of knowledge to as what this water was made out of, I decided that it was a smart decision not to. I could've came out with superhero powers, could've... But I guess I will never know. 

Quick Trip through the South West

TravelNicholas La | @NIKK_LA1 Comment

Last week I was able to join Bryan and Silas on a trip and ventured our way through the South West. In four days, we were able to travel throughout Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. The drive was one thing that I did not mind at all since the scenery throughout the drive was exquisite as if being taken right out of a movie. It was quite remarkable in comparison to the drive towards the Pacific Northwest. We were able to touch down on the Valley of Fire, Horse Shoe Bend, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and Zion National Park all the while being able to stay in cabins that were very close or right at these destinations. The weather wasn't ideal nor was it what we hoped for. However, we made the best of the situation and in the end it did indeed turned out to be a trip to remember. Shoutout to the bisons and horses we met a long the way. 

Pinnacle of the Pinnacles

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

been wanting to hit this spot for the longest. came across this location in a traveling magazine a while back and have always had it down on my list of locations to hit up and shoot but just never got around to it until now. it's one of those hidden gems that not a lot of people know about. it's not on the top of the list for most simply because it's not put out there as much as other spots in northern california; which is what made me want to come to this place even more. it, to me, was untouched territory to explore. i didn't see much photo of this place so it allowed me to be clear of any inspired shots that most places have. you know? like, if you go to yosemite, there is the cliche shot that everyone, i mean... everyone takes when they go there. but here, its clear of all of that. all you got is your thoughts, your camera, and your creativity. after hours and miles of uphill climb in the heat, temptations of turning back came into mind several times. part of the reason was because the entire climb up, there wasn't much to see so not really knowing what was at the top was definitely a coin flip. the chances of getting to the top and not having much of a view would have been devastating but that's the chances you take when you go out and explore. you never know the outcome. 
you never know what you're going to be able to capture, it could be complete shit...
or it can be something like this, beautiful.

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. 

UTAH SUNRISE

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLS

Sleeping in a penny-racer sized car with 3 other guys jam packed with camping equipment and camera gear wasn't our idea of camping at all. Due to certain circumstances, our over night drive from Wyoming all the way down to Utah was definitely a last minute decision that left us lacking in preparation. Oh, and a reservation for campgrounds. So that explains why we ended up in a parking lot of a lodge outside of Bryce Canyon National Park sleeping in the car. 
Being woke up from the sun beaming through the foggy windows, I realized we fucked up and that we were going to miss sunrise if I didn't start the car and get moving. Woke everyone up, started the car, smashed to the sunrise point at Bryce Canyon, ran to the cliffs...

and there it was.