MIGHTYKILLERS®

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...   

DREADFUL MORNING PAYOUTS

Marvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

One of the things I dread the most is waking up, especially if it's waking up when it's still dark out. I've never really been much of a morning person... ever. However, it seems that some of my most favorite photos I've ever taken are from sunrises so it's been something that I've gradually gotten used to in the past few years. The thought of staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning shooting the night skies then trying to cram in a nap session and having to wake back up at 5 in the morning (sometimes even earlier), really dread. But that's only the thought of it.. I realize that when I'm actually in the moment, on location, I am so caught up in the stars that I want to squeeze every last minute I can get capturing them, that I don't even want to sleep. I would rather just stay up all night and go right into the morning. It's exactly what we did in Zion, stayed up all night shooting the stars and then just slept for about an hour or two inside of our car right at the trailhead of Canyon Overlook Trail. Sleeping in the car sucks, waking up early af sucks, but all that paid off cause sunrise was totally worth it.

Belle Parole Non Pascon i Gatti!

Connor SurdiComment

As a white person...When someone asks me what my ethnicity is.. Majority of people will just say, "I'm white!" That's not me! I am mostly Italian (we even have a homemade sauce recipe) and I had the opportunity to go to Italy with my family in the spring and I am so glad that I did.

Though I'm Italian, before this trip, the only place I've traveled to outside of North America is Japan....8 times. Though Japan has an amazing culture and incredible history..Italy was just a different kind of history. I've never seen so much insane architecture. The colors everywhere, the foods, the people...My mind is still blown away from everything that I saw during my short 13 days there. There's just so much raw culture that it's impossible to take it all in during a short vacation. Hell, I think it would probably take decades to fully understand or even just visit all of Italy's amazing sites. 

Though I was on vacation...I made sure to bring my camera with me everywhere and capture what I felt needed to be captured. I would love to go back to Europe just for the pure fun of photographing everything that I can. Soon...Soon.

Oh and if you were wondering what the title means... It means "Fine words don't feed the cats."I really have no idea what that quote even means but it sounds super Italian!

Cheers.

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.

★ハロウィン 天使★

Connor SurdiComment

 

I actually didn't do a Halloween shoot this year due to scheduling conflicts but these photos I took of Christine Huang about 3 years ago....I never posted anywhere! Perfect timing. We shot these at Griffith Park in LA. Everything looked so....Dead. It really helped set the mood I was trying to create. On the last image....Make sure you look closely.

Happy Halloween!

Connor

Blooded Beauty

Silas SaoComment

Once again, I’m back with a themed post. It’s Halloween today so what better way to celebrate than to go shooting, right?

I planned this shoot about a week before Halloween. I had asked a friend of mine to be the model. Long story short, plans fell through the day I was supposed to do the shoot and I had to find a new model. 

I met Christa through my friend Leanna. Leanna shared one of my previous sets on Facebook. Christa saw it and contacted me to setup a shoot. Originally, I couldn’t fit her in for another 2-3 weeks. After my first set of plans fell through, I contacted Christa to see if she’d like to be my replacement. She agreed. We set a time for the very next day, the day before Halloween.

Halloween Eve approaches and I’m blessed with rain and fog. Not pouring rain, but a light drizzle, just enough for setting the mood. It was the perfect weather for the concept I had in mind. We headed up to higher elevation and entered the thickness of the fog. We got to the location I had previously scouted and start getting ready. I snapped a couple test shots and we were on our way.

First things first, I always try to knock out some nice looking portraits for my subjects before I ask them to get dirty, or in this case, bloody. We knocked out a couple shots then headed deeper into the trees. We got a little messy and being under the trees, it was causing us to get soaked. We talked for a quick minute about poses and potential shots I wanted to capture. I poured some of the blood into Christa’s hands, and we began.

I wanted to create a sort of savage feel. I wanted this concept to show a character that came off as an animal, but at the same time, sensual. I wanted to show that there can still be beauty in the darkness.

Please follow along and visually enjoy this dark journey with me.

Oh, and Happy Halloween! :)

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!

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. 

Night Adventure in Seattle

Urban, LifestyleConnor SurdiComment

It's been a while since I have gone out for the pure fun of shooting at night...I think it's been because I've been in a slight funk with my photography and personal life but tonight was definitely needed. But I saw a quote the other day that said... "The only way out is through." and that really struck home for me.

I recently just sold my 5D3 and upgraded to a Sony A7Rii and I think tonight was a good test run. Lots of shadows, lots of highlights, levitating photos, etc. And to sum it all up, it did the job quite well! It's a big change coming from using Canon for 7 years. The buttons are very different and menus are way different. It's a learning curve but the only way to learn is to keep shooting! 

Rachel joined me and was my model for the night. Being as she's behind the camera 99% of the time...I think she did a pretty damn good job.

Nocturne with Paris Call

LifestyleSilas SaoComment

One of my favorite aspects about photography is human connection. Being able to come together with another person, or even multiple, and create something is very gratifying. Paris is a traveling model from southern Oregon who consistently shoots here in Portland. She reached out to me a couple months before writing this post wanting to shoot. I was in Chicago at the time, but made a point to contact her when I arrived back home. With our matched love for dark beauty and moody portraiture, I couldn't let this opportunity pass. We set a date for middle of November.

Fast forward two weeks, she contacted me on a Thursday night telling me she would be in town the next day. This was about a month or so earlier than we had scheduled. She asked if I would be down for a last minute shoot since she'd already be in town. I wasn't busy that day and everything kind of just fell into place. We linked up in the afternoon, grabbed a quick snack then headed to my apartment to look through some photo props. At home, I have a box of stuff for photo shoots. Anytime I'm looking to involve something extra for a shoot, I go to the box. I had never shot with body paint before and neither had Paris. We both decided it would be fun to try out. We grabbed some black body paint and headed to the forest.

I love using my friends and strangers as subjects, but working with experienced models is totally different. They've done this before. They know how to pose, they know when to switch poses and they know what works best for them. They have a confidence in front of the camera that is very admirable. It allows for more photos (and more keepers) to be taken away in the same amount of time or less. After a couple hours of shooting we called it a wrap.

Paris and I are scheduled to shoot again in a few weeks. You can expect to see more work with her and myself. Until then, please enjoy this set I've put together.

You can find Paris on Instagram via @paris_call

I have put other photos from this set on my website.

Hope you enjoyed reading :)

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. 

Petit Lemans

Connor SurdiComment

 

Ever since I first started taking photos, I've always been interested in cars. The sounds, the smells, the feels...All of the feels. These cars at Petit Lemans are on a completely different level than I have ever seen. A Porsche GT3 going past you at 150+ miles per hour while shifting with a holinger shifter is something I wouldn't mind listening to every day for the rest of my life. It's so perfect. The little exhaust pops instantly make you smile.

I was invited by YAER to come along and shoot at Road Atlanta and I'm sure glad I said yes because this weekend was definitely a unique experience. Why? Well...You probably heard of the recent hurricane to batter the east coast of the US...Hurricane Joaquim? Yeah, Joaquim hit Road Atlanta pretty hard. It was raining all three days and the actual race day got cut short because of the overflowing rain on the track. But - with crazy weather conditions comes crazy imagery.

I have never shot any cars of this caliber and definitely haven't shot cars that are going as fast as they were going. Most of the photos I took were on a 70-200L with a 2x extender or without the extender. No wide pans which makes me sad but this was a different approach for me. I didn't know the track or the angles and had to make due with what knowledge I had. For the weather conditions and my knowledge of the track/this genre of photography...I would like to think I got some pretty unique shots.

Until next year! 

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
002-1.jpg

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. 

EXPLORE 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Events.Comment

#MKEXPLORE was built around the idea that seeking inspiration through exploration should always go hand and hand. The Mighty Killers have always been a supporter of pushing boundaries, sharing ideas, and building relationships within a community. 

A year later, we would never expect the community to span to a global scale and the hashtag to reach over 500k post. The response from the community has been incredible, and has allowed us to reach out to individuals around the world. This wave of positive feedback has been the catalyst for why we chose to expand our EXPLORE meets to a global scale. We not only want to give back to all the individuals who have been with us from the start, but also those around the world who continue to contribute and offer a perspective that many have never seen. We can't thank everyone enough for all the posts they've contributed, feedback they gave, and overall support they've shown. 

So, for this one year anniversary meet we wanted to do something very special and give back. We've partnered with arguably one of the best and most well known flash memory manufactures in the world, SanDisk. They were nice enough to bring out some of their top of the line products to give away, as well as contest prizes (check out Instagram for contest rules). It's very dope when a major company shows its support to a small community, and we are truly appreciative. If the giveaways weren't enough, the horrible sunsets that've plagued EXPLORE meets in the past were no where to be seen. This year we were stoked to receive an amazing sunset that hit the beach perfectly, causing a mirror like reflection. Overall, we were juiced to see old faces and meet new ones, all while enjoying a dope view. 

Thank you to everyone who came, especially those who drove great distances just to make it out. We definitely appreciate everyone who continues to support #MKEXPLORE and the Mighty Killers! 

Cheers to another great year! 

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.