Early this month we all traveled west to visit family and so that I could attend the first ever Photo Field Trip. Field Trip was a surprisingly fun combination of glamping, summer camp activities, learning experiences, personalized friendship bracelets, and inspiration. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I feel like I was preparing for the worst for weather, food, and cold. The weather lived up to it’s forcast of near constant rain, and I barely took my camera out the whole weekend, but everything else left me so fulfilled and wonderfully surprised. I really think you got out of Field Trip what you put into it and I tried to do as much as I could, but I still feel like I missed out on so much. I wasn’t sleeping at night, and that combined with the weather, kept me from hiking and biking to the beach and perhaps meeting as many people as I would have hoped, but I spent plenty of amazing time with those who were most important to me.

I could have put myself out there more. I could have braved the rain, taken more photo walks, and taken more classes on technical aspects of shooting, I could have stayed up later drinking whiskey, and I could have gotten my butt down to the polar dips in the mornings. That said, I did as much as I could do, and I am happy with my experience, happy with my memories, and hopeful that I will get to do it again.

For me, Field Trip will be remembered as the time I lived with online friends I had never even been able to meet before, had multiple portfolio reviews from people I respect, drank champagne with Jose Villa, danced more than I had in years, tried as many new things and met as many new people as I could, and took the time to really think about what I want from and for this photography journey that I know will span my lifetime.

And when I returned to Ventura and Ojai, and had just a day and a half to catch up with loved ones, I felt inspired to pull my cameras back out and do what I could to put my newfound inspiration to work. These images are the result of four rolls of film and two cameras over just two days… all I need to remember the journey.