I have been meaning to write and share this post for a while but it never came to fruition. I guess being home and sick for the past three days is making me dream about feeling good, adventure, riding bicycles and thinking about bikes.
As of yesterday, it was exactly 6 months since I left QBP, my former place of employment for the past 25+ years. One of the reasons I left was to prioritize myself and my well being and to hopefully regain my fitness. I’m happy to say that all of those things are in process and I have one added benefit that wasn’t on my original list; I have re fallen in love with the bicycle and all things bikes.
My purpose in leaving Q was not specifically to find my passion for bikes again. It was really more focused on health and well being. However, I quickly became consumed in building bicycles, riding them and photographing them. I sold a bunch of my old stuff and purchased some new stuff. I often rode alone as I worked through changes and focused on building up some fitness and mental toughness. I also had a blast riding with friends. In the past 6 months I have spent a fair amount of time on the following bikes.
All-City cross & gravel road bike
Salsa Cutthroat drop bar mountain bike
Salsa Horsethief mountain bike
Knolly Cache gravel bike
Ibis Ripley Carbon mountain bike
Surly Wednesday fat bike
I also found that selling my old Q branded bikes helped me with closure so I sold both my Salsa Cutthroat as well as my Salsa Horsethief, two bikes I really loved. I also have two new bikes ordered to come in and build sometime in 2022. I’ll reveal those as they get built.
While my fitness is taking longer than I hoped to regain, I am once again in love with the bicycle. Honestly, for me, nothing even comes close in freeing my mind and helping my body feel freedom like a bicycle does. True freedom. Nothing helps me work through challenges and problems like a bicycle does. Nothing helps me focus my energy and thought like riding a bicycle does. Nothing helps me feel better about life and myself like a bicycle does. Hard to believe, but after 40+ years or riding bicycles, I still feel like a kid pedaling my 1st, 20″ wheeled, red Schwinn around the family farm.
And with that, here are a quite a few pics from last 6 months of riding my bike. No particular order to this gallery. Just pics as they appeared in my digital catalog. Click on any of them to go to slideshow mode! Enjoy!
The other day someone asked me “What is a cycling photographer? Does that mean you just shoot cycling?”
Well…No. I had to think about that a bit. Just what is a cycling photographer? I like cycling. I shoot cycling. I shoot while cycling. I cycle to inspire me to shoot photographs. I photograph cycling experiences and events. I photograph bike races. I photograph bike rides. I photograph cyclists. I capture cycling moments, both in victory and in defeat. I photograph cycling in hopes of inspiring others to get out there and experience the world by bicycle. I’d like to think the definition of a cycling photographer is all of those things.
The road to Wonder Lake, Alaska – That’s Denali in the background – 1995 or 1996
That image above was taken by someone at a campground on the road to Wonder Lake, in Denali National Park on my bike tour from Alaska to Utah. My friend and tour mate John made it the Eugene, OR while I travelled all the way to Moab, UT to meet some friends and do a Canyon Lands bike and 4×4 tour. It was on this trip that I married carrying a camera with me while cycling.
To help define and answer the original question, I want to share a number of images that I have shared on Facebook over the years. I have thousands of images from around the globe like these in my catalog. These are low res, un edited from how I shared them originally so I apologize that they are not a uniform set. I think they will help add some definition and support what I am trying to say. For me, seeing this stuff together cemented the definition of a cycling photographer. I love cycling. I love photography. I love anything that puts those two things together. There are 50 or so of them so I hope you enjoy the slide show and then head outside to ride your bike or book a trip to plan your next tour or ride.
Click on any image below to go toea Lightbox Slide Show Mode!
Kenai Peninsula, AKMath Da Hey, NDThe Heywood Ride, Northfield, MNAran Islands, IrelandTrans IowaTrans IowaKokopelli TrailMoab, UTTrans IowaFaribault, MNThe Farmers WaveI see it over thereThe Youth Will PrevailFargo’s below freezingMN State CroNoto Peninsula, JapanWheelies before breakfastFlying at Trans IowaRiver Runs Through ItMid South StartThe push – North Shore, CX Nats – POW POW WinsPlumbers CrackThe Alley Beach HideoutHeywood PromotersKokopelli Self PortraitUnder the BridgeGood Light on the KokopelliTyler Means BusinessAutumn Gold – Duluth, MNMid SouthKenai Fatbike TripWinter Wonderland – IdahoMaah Dah HeyCross VegasPush On – Trans IowaSven & POW POWUpRiders on the Bike, Float, Sink or Swim?My Birthday RideSvennnessKatie Fing ComptonEurobike CommuteGo Into the LightFatbike the KokopelliInto Thin Air – Great Divide, MTFinding the Path – North Shore, MNIn Awe – Aptos, CA
It’s that time of year again where many look back and prepare for a new year. I am one of those people. This activity is really hard wired in my brain. I need to look back not only to learn, but to truly put the year to rest and file it away. This year was a big year for sure. At times it seemed like it screamed by, but when I look at these images it seems that the year was never ending. For me, the year was filled with so many great moments. As I put time into this post, it is also clear that in addition to great moments, there is progression of my personal direction, well being and creative growth.
So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and consider this the great 2021 catch up post. I am highlighting some of the significant moments & memories as well as my favorite images. Don’t hesitate to reach out to GNAT at LIVE dot COM if you so desire or leave me a comment.
January 2021
Little did I know that this trip short trip to KC to visit friends would change the outlook on my year and my future. It was on this trip, alone in my car on I35W South, that I made a commitment to myself to prioritize me, my well being and my health. It was also on this trip that I started seeing and experiencing some creative freedom and direction. Below, is my favorite shot from that trip.
January also included a ski trip and family visit to Steamboat Springs. This was a trip we had planned last year but cancelled due to Covid and the ski resort shutting down. Lucky for us the passes for 2020 were honored and my brother and his wife were able to join us this year. Bonus!
March 2021
As the world began to open up again, we embarked on a final, family spring break. With our kids off to college in the fall, we knew we this was likely our last chance as a family unit of four before our kids head off to college so we went all in, went through all the safety protocols and testing, and ventured to Hawaii! It was truly magical and a great time. Lots of pics to share here. I am only going to highlight a few here.
A Covid Spring Break!
I love this image and how it reflects the challenging times we were experiencing. These kids are part of history and this image cements the time period we in. This was a whale watching tour with friends. And yes we saw whales. Lots of whales. Everywhere! See below.
It was on this trip I captured my favorite image of my son as well. This incredible young man has so many facets and is a thinker and lover of both fashion and art. This shot of him looking out into the distance in his hand painted shirt he purchased from a local artist captures that spirit exactly and perfectly.
Oh the places you will go and the things you will see in your lifetime!
May 2021
In the final days of my twins’ senior year, I was called into dad photo journalist role one last time for senior year prom. This was a prom like no other. No event. No dance. But our girl and her friends made the best of it. No dates and a boat cruz on Lake Minnetonka! What an incredible group of girls. Honestly, this may be my most fun photo shoot of the year!
This photo shoot for Senior Prom also gave me my favorite image of my daughter and maybe my personal favorite photo of 2021. Just like the photo of my son above from Hawaii, this image captures my daughter perfectly. Happy. Beautiful. Inspiring.
My daughter. Happy. Beautiful. Inspiring.
June 2021
June marked the a significant milestone with high school graduation for our twins. It was a joy to see my kids endure the crazy year, the changes in our society and the challenges in our eduction system. So proud of them. It also gave me my favorite dog & pet image of the year. So proud of these kids and check out our serious and scholarly dog Odie!
July 2021
July marked the decision to leave my place of employment of the past 25.5 years. We also visited grandma, family and friends in Colorado. Again, with our twins leaving for college, we took advantage of those last moments before they flew the nest. A side note here, Colorado and especially Estes Park area often make my wife and I contemplate life’s choices. It was also the low point of fitness in my entire life and was even more evident at 10,000+ feet! This year that was especially strong given we knew we’d be empty nest in the fall. No decisions made, but someday we hope to have another house or property somewhere. We love Minnesota, but we are growing not so fond of our winters. Just sayin’!
August 2021
August was highlighted with a visit up north enjoying my brother’s new cabin life. He bought an old, beaten down property and has spent the summer rebuilding. It’s not done yet, but it was great to be there and be together. I often miss the whole group family photo and this trip to the cabin was no exception. I did capture the dogs though!
We also dropped Nathan off at the University of Minnesota. Fun fact: He is staying in Frontier Hall, the same dorm I stayed in as a freshman when I attended the University of Minnesota!
September 2022
September marked the reality of empty nest life. We dropped Natalie off at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I am sure any parent reading the next line will understand what I am about to write. It is incredible to see your kids off on this new and incredible journey. It is also incredibly heartbreaking and difficult to imagine relearning and letting go of the incredible 18+ years a family unit and pod. We were far from perfect parents, but this family is the best thing in our lives. So grateful and thankful for these two kids.
Leaving Nathan the prior week and dropping Natalie off in Wisconsin hit us pretty darn hard. While you prepare for these moments, you don’t really know what to prepare for. It hit us pretty hard and to combat that, we made our selves really really busy with friends, activities and travel. We capped off the month of September with a trip to Maine with our friends. I have so many images and thoughts from this trip but I will only share a few. One note, if you ever have the chance to visit Maine please go! It’s incredible.
October 2021
We were jam packed with stuff in October. A few highlights include seeing both Nathan and Natalie, lots of bike riding and out door activity as well as my birthday. I did not have my best photo month in October as I was focused on other stuff. But here is a fun one from my birthday outing with Nathan and Jen where we visited the Van Gogh Immersive experience. If ya look closely, you can see my self portrait and Jen and Nathan sitting on a bench in the background. Fun night!
Self portrait at the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit
November 2021
Two highlights to share about November. Both Jen an I traveled independently to Chicago to meet friends and we had our kids home for Thanksgiving. I even snuck in an extra short trip to Milwaukee as part of my picking up Natalie for break.
A night in Chicago!
Chicago – Here’s my favorite image from my Chicago with friends trip. I had this image in my head. I didn’t want to leave Chicago without capturing it.
Milwaukee Art Museum at Sunrise
I snuck in a dinner with friend and a Lake Michigan sunrise before picking Natalie up in Madison for Thanksgiving break.
Morning Trail Run – Turkey Trot 10K
This Thanksgiving, Jen and Natalie ran the Turkey Trot 10K together. It was a highlight for me seeing these two run together. Sorry, no pictures of Nathan as he was sick and in bed almost the entire Thanksgiving break.
December 2021
And to close out the year, December brings us the holidays, the ending of fall semester for our kids and road trips to visit family.
These two got through their first college semester and courses. It is a big transition and the first of many life changes for them. We are really proud of them. Minot delivered on the snow and the cold. Nothing like spending the day digging out of a fresh snowfall with Jen’s dad. This image has a real vintage feel to it and brings back a ton of memories for me.
And while 2021 is not officially over, that’s my year in photos review. I will have one more look back next week digging into my bikes, my riding and my photography!
Thanks to everyone for their friendship, their love and support during this fun and at time challenging year. I hope your holidays has been spectacular and may 2022 be your best year yet! Love you all.
I have been silent here on the blog. My last post was from January, what now seems like years ago. Travel? Hanging out with friends? Walking a new city? Eating out? This past 5 or so weeks at home makes that trip feel like a distant memory.
Times sure are different now. This “Shut In” is something few ever would have imagined! It’s drawn out highs and lows. It’s exposed some terrible underpinnings of our society. It’s exposed the delicate balance of our economy and our world. It’s defined how small the world is and that despite any differences that cultures and races might have, we are one in the eyes of this virus & global pandemic.
I’ve tried to come up with words. But frankly I don’t have them. I am finding things out about myself and my family that I did not know or have taken for granted. I am finding how much my kids, my wife and my friends mean to me. I will only speak for myself, but it has had made me realize what is important. I, for one, have taken family, kids, friends, employment, health care and travel for granted. My thinking on these things has shifted from privilege to gift. We each have our own view and coping mechanism, truth be told I am still trying to figure mine out at this crazy time. Thankfully I have a hobby and passion that documents my life.
Photography continues both inspire and calm me. It is a joy in my life and at times like these, I sure love to look back at these incredible memories. Here are just a few memories since my Seattle trip. Hope you are safe. I hope you and your loved ones are healthy. We’ll get through this and I can’t wait to savor the things I have taken for granted for too long. Love you all. Hope you enjoy the pics. Click on any of the images to go to slideshow mode.
And with that, here is my final shot. It is quite possibly one of my favorite shots ever. It was earlier this year when my wife and I went to see our kids play music at the University of MN. We had a free, Saturday afternoon and we were in Minneapolis. We hit up the Walker Art Museum Free First Saturday and had a cocktail at Esker Grove. While this photo might looked staged, it was not. We had just walked out of the exhibit past these numbers and I saw this young man walk by me. I told my wife I had to follow him. I was imagining the shot of him walking by these numbers but instead he sat down for about 15-20 seconds. I snapped two photos and walked on. It just makes me smile. Hope it makes you smile too. I think the world needs this right now.
I was fortunate to get to celebrate my friend, and friendships, in Seattle last weekend. It was a short trip arranged by my close friend’s wife. When asked to go I jumped at the opportunity. Any time I can garner time and experiences with these two fine fellas is worth any amount of $$ or energy. Every single time I get together with these folks I laugh. I cry. I learn. I eat fine foods. I drink a lot of coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening. I leave inspired. Again, my friends, delivered. Thank you boys and happy birthday Brady!
The friendship and our recipe of traveling to a city to explore and photograph is pretty much a proven and known formula at this point. I think we could find interest anywhere. As I reflect on Seattle and our time spent there, I again came home inspired. I again fell in love with the location and what it has to offer. I also came home with some images that I like. While not technically perfect in anyway, I like them for various reasons, one of which was I pushed myself on this trip to see differently.
I also went into it with a bit of prior knowledge as I had been there a few years ago with my wife. I had some places in mind. I went in with a plan to push myself and not just take the shots that one might expect from me if you have followed along at all over the years. I went in with a plan to show some of the many postcard shots in Seattle in a different way. I went in with a plan of printing a couple of specific things and I wanted color and contrast in those images.
While I certainly did take a few of my expected shots, I pushed myself a bit as I was in a beautiful city and what did I have to lose? Nothing. But I had everything to gain. And with that, here are few collections reflecting my personal challenge. These are edited to taste and not reflective of out of camera.
Series 1: Reflections – I have always been inspired by street photographers that layer reflections and shadows on the subject. Consider this an exploration. Some of these are not what you think you are seeing.
Series 2 – Light and shadows at the Chihuly
Series 3 – The postcard shots….But in my interpretation.
The famous Seattle Skyline
The famous Gum Wall
The Space Needle – Look closely at the layers too!
And lastly, because even though I challenged myself to not just take the postcard shots, I share one that doesn’t fit the series that I absolutely love. One might call it a post card shot from Pike Street Market. It’s not the famous sign but if you’ve been there you’ve certainly seen the beautiful flowers throughout the market.
And with that, I am signing off. Thanks again boys. What a blast. Here’s to planning the next meet up!
Parting Shot: Cocktails before dinner…..And gear talk.
ImagineGnat 