A Tale of Adventure

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Ian Hanson

 

The sheathes of these khukuri's struck fear into the hearts of men...and let you know what country you were in.

Reliable internet is not what Nepal is known for.  Nor should it be.  But let that be my excuse for trying to jam an entire month’s worth of exploring into one simple blog.

It's no mountain top, but at 17769 ft above sea level...It might as well be.

Each step is slightly harder than the last.  The darkness doesn’t help, but your eyes have adjusted to walking by moonlight and it is really quite spectacular.  You legs continue to move, slowly, one foot settling down slightly in front of the other for forward progress.  If only the sun would rise, perhaps those fingers clenched in two pairs of gloves would warm up.  The fact that forty extra pounds of weight are strapped to your back is constantly reminding you of itself by digging into your already sore shoulders.  Short, shallow breaths.  It’s the only way, as you near your goal of 17,769 feet above sea level.  That last, rock hard and un-chewable Snickers…isn’t helping at all.

It’s not all grim and gore though as the Thorong La Pass comes with in reach.  You can’t see it but you know it’s getting closer.  It has to be getting closer!  Finally, and surprisingly, you can see the waiving of prayer flags just on the horizon of the pass.  That’s the finish line.  You whip out your camera (which turns on painfully slowly, it too dislikes this cold) and you film the last few steps as you obtain glory in the mountains.  It’s a celebration, a crowd of people wander around, catching their breath, hugging, high-fiving, fist-pumping with excitement.  Some had to be carried by horse, some without loads due to the hiring of porters, some in just ridiculously good shape with no problems at all.  Together though, you’ve all accomplished a fairly respectable feat.  You’ve essentially beaten the Annapurna Circuit!

Maybe that’s just how I felt about it all.  Honestly, it was one of the most physically trying things I’ve ever done, the last climb to ascend into the pass.  Sure the next mile of downhill on slippery gravel was tough (I only slipped/fell twice), but we’d been hiking for days and gaining elevation the whole way.  That’s probably what I say ever  time I do something strenuous; I prefer to forget the pain of the event and delay the opportunity for it to strike again.  Perhaps after some time has gone by I’ll try a full on mountain next.  Then it can be my new hardest-thing-ever.

Our 3AM wakeup call, yielded a beautiful sunrise.

That was one of the most defining moments of the last month for me, but much else has been experienced.  Nepal has managed to show us a great many things in our time here, and I feel some of them should be mentioned as well.  I’ll give them to you in a relatively chronological order.

Kathmandu.  Is crazy.  But I’ve heard India is worse.  Let me explain.  Upon landing it was already after 10pm so we didn’t see much coming into town.  The streets were empty as we wound our way to the hotel.  I wondered silently to myself, “Where are the roads?”  We were traversing the city through what seemed like a maze of back alleys and shady streets that were so narrow we certainly didn’t belong there in a vehicle.  Turns out that’s just the way it is.  Power lines criss-cross each other and converge on rebar-enforced cement poles.  When you see the pictures you’ll understand my concern…a rat’s nest doesn’t have as many separate pieces.  The traffic is impossible to explain.  I’m glad to say we were only in one car accident, a rear-ending of a motorcycle.  No damage, no exchange of information, no problems.  Just a quick back up of traffic, accented by an explosion of car/motorcycle/bike horns just in case we didn’t realize we had stopped in the middle of the street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there was the trek.  We started by leaving our unnecessary gear in Pokhara, and proceeding to the trail head in Besisahar.  It wasn’t long and we were engaged with our environment.  We walked alongside the Marysgandi River to start, finding strange squirming bugs and walking sticks in the road.  The spiders scared the men in our troupe, but Kim just laughed at us.  We jumped right into rustic living that first night by sleeping in a “hotel” that was more of a barn.  With beds in it.

The trek would take Kim and I twenty days to complete.  We had many adventures and hiked many miles.  To date I have not compiled the total numbers in kilometers or miles…but it is extremely safe to say we walked over one hundred miles on the circuit.  In an attempt to skip some walking we took a mountain bus, only to find ourselves on two wheels tipping towards the  Kali Gandaki River below us.  Hundreds of feet, below us.  We walk whenever we can now.  It may have been our original plan to also complete the Annapurna Base Camp hike, but sickness and a desire to leave the mountains behind left Eric hiking alone.  Kim and I returned to Pokhara.

Lay Low, Down Wind, Or Get Run Over

Here we again split, Kim would stay in town and I would head out on a pilgrimage to Bardia National Park and Bhojpur.  My quest brought me into the jungle of the Terai, the flat part of Nepal that was home to it’s most desirable wildlife.  I sought the Royal Bengal tiger here, following prints from the night before.  We walked through tall grass that also hid rhino’s, stalking over rocks and through water.  None were sighted, but the thought of catching up to one on foot in the jungle or grass was enough to make the trip worth the fourteen hour bus ride.  Here I would also learn of Lonely Planet’s map labeling mistake…that this town of Bhojpur (where I would find the most authentic of the legendary Khukari knives) was actually on the eastern side of the country.  There was no way I was going that far for a souvenir, so I returned to Pokhara.

Sadly, this is a completely abridged version lacking a majority of the detail and story that really describes the last month.  Feel free to take the account of my travel partner Kim as well, her blog includes more photos.  This can be found at www.curiouskim.blogspot.com

Until next time, stay classy.  World.

I guess yak heads are lucky. Just not for yaks.

Everything you'd ever needGharials won't bite ya...stick your finger in and find out?Those dots ain't cheap. Beware the Holy Man.

Another early morning, we bolted up the path for a Poon Hill sunrise.

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Doctor’s, Pills and Pushups

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Ian Hanson

“Can you please roll up your sleeves?  We’ll do two in each arm.  These could hurt a little.  Wow, no blood.  You might feel those tomorrow or later on…when I last got my flu shot all the sudden a couple weeks later my arm hurt and I couldn’t figure out why…”

“Alright, we’ll get you in shape.  Have to get those legs ready for climbing, we’ll do some workouts so that we can increase your lung capacity for the elevation.  Build some muscle and have you ready to go for Nepal!  Let’s have you do a 5k today…”

“Those pills…let’s see.  I’m not sure what your insurance will cover…let’s say you pay thirty percent.  Ninety malaria pills in a three month prescription, you purchase them through our pharmacy, that’ll be about one hundred dollars.  You’ll also need some Ciprofloxacin, something for altitude sickness…”

Trekking abroad and doing so comfortably will include a lot more than just having the right gear.  This will not be a trip for the weak of heart, the weak of mind, the weakly immunized, or frankly; the weak.   Knowing this, I utilized my unemployed time to pick up a new part-time job.  Hitting up Viterbo’s Mathy Center.

I knew I wasn’t in the best of shape, not really any shape at all.  So I made up my mind to get in every day and take part in Viterbo’s group fitness classes.  I also made it a point to sign up for the physical trainers they provide.  Free of charge.  After the $25/semester fee for alums.  Not a bad deal right?  It was a good enough deal that even after subleasing my apartment I would stay with a friend for three weeks to get the most out of it.  I took Zumba, Boot Camp, Kick Boxing, and Yoga Stretch.  I met with my trainer on Mondays, and he would give me a different workout every week.  For more information visit Viterbo’s Mathy Center website.

Sometimes I would take a break from indoor workouts and took it outside.  Knowing that I would need to carry extra weight I figured I should do some backpacking in the bluffs to practice.  One Wednesday night, I filled the backpack I had chosen to use with as much stuff as I could, hiked through town and into Hixon Forest.  Perhaps you saw me and wondered who that strange person was.  I hiked and hiked; straight up the TNT trail.  My legs were burning and I looked forward to the ground to level out a little.  It finally did…and in less than half an hour I had walked from in town, down the highway, into Hixon, and to the top of the bluffs with my huge bag on.  Pretty short workout.

Aside from preparing my body to work, I had to shield it from the massive attacks it will see from disease, bacteria, and viruses.  This came through discussions with a friend who’d been seeing a travel clinician, reading precautions on US CDC website, and visiting with my local doctor.  It took a combination of the three, a couple visits and quite a few phone calls to get it all ironed out.  In the end I finished with immunizations of the Flu, Polio, Hep A, DTP, one of three Rabies shots (cut short after finding the price was $350 a pop, series of three), and Typhoid.

I now feel immune to the world.  I could walk barefoot through a field of used needles, fending off rabid monkeys while drinking untreated water downstream from a dirty factory without any repercussions if I wanted to.  Perhaps not, but if I get sick I’m going to be pretty bummed out about it.  I’m starting to feel prepared.

No time left to waste at this point.  Tomorrow we leave on this great adventure, Eric, Kim, and myself.  If you’re at all interested in a second point of view (and why wouldn’t you be?) I encourage you to enjoy Kim’s first attempt at blogging  on her website.  Together we hope to meet up with friends of friends, assist in the teaching of Nepal’s youth, volunteer with India’s organic farms, climb to ridiculous altitudes, provide locals with American perfumes (no joke), experience new food, bungee jump, tour jungles by elephant and deserts by camel.  There’s an amazing amount of this world that one can find outside your backyard.  I challenge you to go out and find it, and I challenge myself to bring some of it back for you.

Be back in February.

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Early Preparations

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Ian Hanson

I could probably write you a mini-novel describing all the things that go into organizing a trip like this.  Every aspect has to be looked at, from what shoes you’re going to wear to what shots will be needed to protect you.  I’ve trained my body, looked at (not learned sadly) the different languages, prepared documents, purchased equipment, arranged finances and there’s still more to do.

It all started on May 27th; I received a message on Facebook from a friend.  It was this very article that culminated a desire in both of us to attempt Annapurna’s trek before it was “destroyed”.  I was immediately intrigued, but uncertain whether I would be able to go.  It took a random evening of contemplation and clarity for me to realize…why not.

The single most important issue for me would be funding.  Ironically that’s also the first question raised when I discuss new travel plans.  ”Ian, how do you keep paying for all of these trips?”  My strategy for this endeavor would be different than all those that came before.  I decided to let go of the extraneous belongings I had and essentially “pawn” them off.  This would be an attempt at clearing the clutter of my life and provide the essential cash flow needed for the trip.

To illustrate just how serious and diligent I have been on this, look at the items I got rid of.  My beautiful, 46″ LED tv, the 250 gb Xbox 360, my HP Mini laptop, my entire Magic The Gathering collection, my swords, and the Star Wars Trading Card Game collection.  That’s just the short list of items that were actually sold.  To put the icing on the cake, my camera gear is currently being quoted for sale to Adorama.  I will plan on upgrading equipment when I return next year.  Alas, what is all this cash good for without something to spend it on?

Much of one’s comfort while traveling can be attributed to their gear.  Can you imagine, a long mountainous trek with a heavy bag that doesn’t sit right?  A flashlight that just never seems bright enough?  Also, oftentimes gear can be large and bulky.  When everything you have for three months is going to be carried on your back, you’ve got to get the stuff that packs down small and light.  Oddly, one of the smallest items for this trek would also be one of the most complicated for me to purchase.

I had gone to the mall in La Crosse in search of a journal to document my travels.  I knew that Barnes and Noble would have some, so I meandered in.  It had been suggested that I get some Moleskine’s.  When I found their display, I was at a loss.  There were rows, upon rows of choices.  Not only different colors, but hard/soft covered, ruled, graphs, some with straps, folders, music staves, address books, etc.  Not to mention, each style came in a variety of sizes.  Dumbfounded, I stared for fifteen minutes, until I realized I was in public and others might be starting to wonder about my sanity.  Then I walked around to the other side of the display to find even more!  A full half hour slipped by while I flipped through notebooks, tried them out in my pockets, and imagined situations where I would use them.  Bewildered, I took a break…to look at the entire wall of non-Moleskine journals to see what was offered there.

There were many more options; heavy, small, too girly or maybe too complex.  Eventually I returned to the Moleskines.  Besides, after reading about their grand history, I couldn’t pass them by.

“Moleskine was created as a brand in 1997, bringing back to life the legendary notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two century: among them Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Bruce Chatwin. A trusted and handy travel companion, the nameless black notebook held invaluable sketches, notes, stories, and ideas that would one day become famous paintings or the pages of beloved books.”

Obviously I had to have one.  I bought five.  They came in packs and were on sale, so I should now have no problems keeping track of my thoughts and doings abroad.  A few days into the trip and I can already tell you I enjoy using them; much more than the last notebook I purchased for this purpose.

With the simplest of gear taken care of, I have gone on to purchase hiking socks, fleece layers, procure an old backpack, re-lace hiking boots and piece together other small bits.  I still need items like a compressible down jacket, convertible pants, moisture wicking base layers and such.  Hence a little stop in Seattle to visit one of REI’s flagship stores for last minute pick ups.

Trekking abroad and doing so comfortably will include a lot more than just having the right gear, and whether you’re interested or not I plan on divulging my secrets of physical fitness preparation.  Currently I am enjoying my first dark and dreary day here in Seattle, and am planning to hit the bike-friendly streets for a little exercise and urban adventure.

More to come, stay tuned, and stay class.  Hanson Photography out.

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The Last Supper

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Ian Hanson

Years had passed since we’d last seen each other.  I find that strange to say, as I’m only twenty five.  In the interim we had finished school and pursued varied careers and adventures.  As many people now do, I would check in on my old friend via Facebook from time to time.  Perhaps I’d leave a quick comment about the Twins, or hear about the latest album he’d gotten into.  Then one day…he wrote me a message.

The island was a beautiful place.  The lodge, Stout’s Island Lodge, had been constructed there over one hundred years before I stepped foot on it.  Being set in the middle of a pristine lake surrounded by woods; it gave you a comforting feeling of isolation as you walked the grounds.  It helped that while I was there the season was all but over with only two accidental guests booked on a Monday night.  Aside from the main lodge, there were a number of cabins on the island for guests.  Each had a different name, one for each Frank Stout’s (the original owner/builder’s) children.

I found myself loading into a small, covered boat.  With my old friend Andrew at the helm, we skirted over the water to the boathouse.  Conversation was sparse at first, as we slowly caught up.  Upon arriving we entered the historic building, and I was shown to my room.  No work was to be done tonight, instead we would relax.  The Brewers were playing to advance to the World Series, and I was given a cocktail.

Andrew is the Executive Chef of the island, and was looking for photos to exemplify the kitchen’s creations.  In addition to that I would be taking a few photos of the rooms to go on their website.  He had asked if I would be interested in helping him out; in exchange for some really good food and board.  I figured, “Why the heck not?”  We ironed out the details and I showed up.  The next day, when the food was cooked and the rooms were ready, we would shoot.

The next day came.  The sun appeared, lighting the island in a most pleasant fall fashion.  I was almost disappointed that I was not brought to take photos of the grounds.  Work had to be done, and we set ourselves to it.  We started with the rooms, moving from cabin to cabin.  I looked and looked until I found what I felt was the best angle in each space.  From there I built up my shots, adjusting as the sun moved back and forth behind the clouds.  Eventually we needed a break so we stepped inside and whipped the kitchen into action mode.

This is what I had been waiting for!  Not only were we photographing the food coming out of the kitchen, but we had to eat it when we were done with it.  Honestly we did HAVE to eat it, this isn’t the kind of food you let go to waste.  I’m not a foodie but I can at least read off the words from the menu.  They are as follows:

Whole Roasted Trout

Fingerling Potato*Mushroom*Spinach*Brown Butter

Duo of Pork

Pork Chop*Crispy Pork Belly*Braised Greens*Pear Mostarda

Braised Chicken

Piedmont Pudding*Butternut Squash Puree*Brussel Sprouts*Brandy Cranberry Sauce

Each dish was photographically accompanied with a glass of wine.  Now this could have gotten messy had we changed the glass with every meal.  Reluctantly we left the same glass of riesling in for every dish.  Then it was time to move on to the desserts!

Poached Pear

 

Shortcake*Vanilla Ice Cream*Chocolate*Creme Anglaise

Pumpkin Creme Brule

S’Mores

 

Cinnamon Shortbread*Maple Marshmallow*Vanilla Ice Cream*Chocolate Sauce

By the time we were finished I was full, and ready to go.  I had come up to help out a friend, and had come away a better person.  Well, at least a more well-fed one.  We stepped back onto the boat that would take us to the mainland.  In less than twenty four hours we accomplished both work and fun.  Through photography, two old Cinemites had been reunited in a common goal.

Perhaps next time, it won’t take so long.

 

This was Hanson Photography’s last photo shoot of the year, until early 2012.  Hanson Photography will be traveling abroad and return early February.  If you are in need of a photographer for Engagement sessions or 2012 weddings, please feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

Stout’s Island Lodge is open from May 27th through October 24th. Additional dates may be available for larger groups.

There are 43 guest rooms available in the historic Main Lodge, Shore Lodge and surrounding cabins. All are comfortably furnished, many with antiques. Each room has a private bath and many have fireplaces and/or screen porches.

For more information, please visit their website:  Stout’s Island Lodge

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Hanson Photography…is heading abroad!

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Ian Hanson

Life is meant to be lived.  Even if it means graduating from college but not moving into any particular career right away.  Even if it means going against the wishes of your parents and ideas of your friends.  Even if it means selling all your possessions and quitting your job to go on a dangerous trip around the world.

What are you talking about Ian?  Get to the point man!  Well here.  It is officially official, on November 4th, Hanson Photography will be flying out of Vancouver and heading to Nepal.  For anyone who might not know, that is a country sandwiched in between the nations of China and India.  The latter is also on the list of places we shall be visiting.

Your brain is now becoming inundated with a cloud of concern.  ”Why are you going?”,  ”That is awfully soon, did this just come up randomly?”,  ”How are you paying for this?”, etc.  These are all very good questions, to which some answers are better than others.

Suffice it to say, the idea for this trip was conceived months ago when I was sent a link to an article online.  One of the focuses of our trip, the “Annapurna Circuit Trek”, is supposedly one of the best treks in the world.  It can take up to three weeks to hike, staying in tea houses along the way and experiencing some of the most majestic views available to the human race.  The focus of the article explained that to accommodate more tourists and make the trek easier/quicker they would be completing more roads, shortening the actual trek and allowing vehicles to be used instead.  The friend who brought this to my attention…wants to enjoy it before they “ruin” it.  Completion for the roads are set to be done by next year.  No time to waste.

So for the next two and a half weeks, I will try to get some more blogs up explaining the buildup of this crazy trip.  What am I hoping to gain?  How am I putting it together?  Am I afraid of getting sick and dying in a jail cell after having someone plant drugs on me?  How will we cope with Hanson Photography being out of the country unavailable all winter?

Your questions will be answered.

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Free

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Ian Hanson

Honestly, I am still learning the art of “the blog”.  Does every post need to monumental in what it puts forth?  Can I (should I) share the little moments with you so you can begin to understand who I am and where I come from?  Does every post need a story to accompany it?

This sunny afternoon on a busy Sunday I found myself wandering in the woods along the water with an old friend.  She’s helped me both on stage and in front of the camera a number of times.  She was about to leave town in the near future and I wanted to fit in one more project.

To be free, to wander, to let your cares fall to your side and to immerse yourself in cleansing waters.  That’s what I had hoped to portray and I think that’s what we got.  Even though it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we had the area almost solely to ourselves.

May her travels and new life show her a great many things, and allow her to experience something new and wonderful.

May she fly with wings spread, open to whatever comes next.

 

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Field Rockstar

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Ian Hanson

We hadn’t put much thought into it.  We didn’t have a lot of time.  I didn’t know where we would go.

The idea had sounded cool so I figured, “What the hell, let’s do it.”  She loaded her gear into her car that morning and waited for me to arrive.  I hopped in with equipment and we headed out.

The sun was high but we started early enough to get a little bit of an angle on it.  I experimented with my flash in daylight coupled with a reflector.  We trampled the grass down.

She was afraid of bugs…and we were in a field.

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Hitching in America

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Ian Hanson

Life just isn’t the same as it used to be.  Kids could run and play in the yard and parents didn’t bat an eye thinking about them being picked up by crazies.  If you just started flying commercially in the last six years then you won’t remember when bottles of liquid over 3.4 oz weren’t always bomb threats.  Also, as I’ve heard from my countless elders, a person could stand on the side of the road and expect to get a ride from a complete stranger.

I caught the travel bug while studying abroad.  Since I desired a “follow your dreams” type of college degree I am insured to only accomplished continued travel by doing it as cheaply as possible.  I have experimented with this in a few different ways; either being paid to work somewhere else, road-tripping in a fuel efficient vehicle, hostels, Couchsurfing, etc.  As you work your way down the cheap-scale, you find that you’re not really lowering your standards of travel.  In all actuality you are experiencing a more organic, fundamental, deeper means of experiencing the world.

Still though, there were means of travel I hadn’t attempted yet.  Certain method’s of achieving one’s “A to B” are looked down upon, even feared.  I was ready for it.  I had seen a friend (well not actually seen, but heard about it from him) utilize his skills of the road across Africa, Central America, and thus far even the West Coast USA.  He was still alive, uninjured, and possessed exponentially more stories because of this reinvention of old travel.

He hitched.

It was simple.  Elegant.  Safer for the environment.  It required very little of you financially and could take you great distances.  It forced you to travel light, which has many intrinsic benefits.  His experience gave me the courage to want to try it.  I had a destination in mind and this was the way I wanted to go about getting there.  Only thing was…I didn’t want to tell my parents about it.

Let me recall the conversation:

Me: “Hey Dad, I’m taking a trip to Seattle.”

Dad:  ”Well that sounds good.  How are you getting there?”

Me:  ”Driving with my friend.”

Dad:  ”Oh, that sounds good.  Are you taking his car or yours?”

Me:  ”Actually we’re not taking either of our cars.”

Dad:  ”Well, how are you going to get there then?”

Me:  ”We’re hitch hiking.”

Dad:  ”What?!?  No you’re not.  Really?  No come on, are you guys flying?”

Me:  ”No dad.  It’s for real.”

After that, the rest was easy.  We began our journey here in La Crosse, WI.  I won’t get into the details of every stop and ride but let me tell you, there were quite a few entertaining ones.  Thankfully none of them ever made me fear for my life.  Within two days we’d made our destination of Denver, CO.  Total money spent…$0.00.  How did we do that you ask?  Secrets of the road my friends.

The concept is simple, but there are little things you can do.  It’s about knowing your audience, guessing what will make the hundreds of people driving by want you to ride with them.  Do I make a sign telling them where I’m going?  Is it ok to sit or will they think I’m lazy?  Sunglasses or no?  Maybe if I play with my phone they’ll think I’m not just a hobo.  Is a smile too cheesy?  As two guys hitching together will we have better or worse luck than say a single guy, or guy/girl combo?  On the road you think about these things and try a variety, but in the end the people that want to stop are the ones that will stop.

We stayed with an old college friend there and soon it was time for my buddy and I to split ways.  My journey continued up to Mt. Rainier National Park to visit another friend.  Here I volunteered with the Revegetation Crew to pick weeds for the week.  I couldn’t come so far without a weekend in Seattle so I broke the thumb out again and made my way up.  The weather was beautiful, and as the locals made sure to inform me, not what it’s usually like.  Personally I like my unscathed version.

I had a wedding to photograph on the third Saturday of my trip, the end of three weeks.  I gave myself five days to return home.  It was slow going at first, short distances and staying in houses.  Montana is believe it or not, a rather large state.  We were slow to cross it, until one morning I was offered a ride with a couple headed all the way to Ohio.  Turned out they even changed their direction a little to get me within six miles of my parents home.  It was a good, long sixteen hour trek but got me back on time and I was able to enjoy a night out in La Crosse before wedding day.

When it comes down to it, this is really a story about trusting those you don’t know.  My eyes were opened once again to the fact that the world, even in America, is not only full of rapists and murderers.  When I told people what I was doing I always got mixed reviews, “You’re crazy!  Don’t you know how dangerous it is?”  Ha, do you?  Have you ever tried it?  Or sometimes you get, “Wow, that is really amazing.  I wish I had the guts to try it.”  The majority of the people who picked me up were those who had hitched in their youth.  It might have been around the country, maybe every day to and from school.  Aside from those who used to hitch, the rest always told me, “I don’t ever pick up hitch hikers.  But you looked like a decent guy.”

Somewhere along the line our mentality has changed.  Growing up in this new fearful society, I feel like I’m missing something.  Media shows us the ugliest of the ugly, missing persons, estranged families, parents that bag up their babies and dispose of them in the river, the list goes on and on.  Nobody wants to hear these success stories though, such as crossing America with nothing but a backpack and a camera.  At least not as often as the bad stuff.  On the road I was inspired to try and change our current mindset.  It may take awhile, but it would sure help to have a few more reputable faces out there.

Next time you need groceries in town or a lift to school…stick out your thumb.  You might find you like it.

 

*By strangers I refer to the traveler’s website, “www.couchsurfing.org“, a website that allows you to really get a taste of a place on the cheap.  Also, significantly more intimately than from a bed and breakfast or a ritzy hotel.

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Hottest Wedding Ever

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Ian Hanson

 

This last weekend I was given the opportunity to catch up with an old college friend.  Not to mention photograph her wedding!  It was a super hot day, beginning with rainstorms, but by the end I’m sure everyone had a great time and was glad to have the weight lifted off their shoulders.  Not to mention the couple was one day closer to their honeymoon in the Bahamas!

I still remember meeting Claire that first week of college, in 2004.  We both had iBook’s (remember laptops with 30gb harddrives?) and she tried to help me out by sharing a couple programs I didn’t have.  Time went by and one day last fall I got a message asking if I’d be interested in photographing her wedding.  I called her from B&H Photo (just so happened I was on a roadtrip and in NYC at the time) and we set it up.  By the time I got to the church in Neilsville, WI, we hadn’t seen each other for two years.

I had a great time meeting her family and taking photos as the bride to be and bridesmaids got their makeup on and played with the kids.  We got the girls done so that when the guys arrived Claire could stay hidden…keeping that big surprise for Greg when she walked down the aisle!  Then Greg came along with his entourage and we finished up most of the formals in time to grab some of the details and the crowd as they arrived to support their friends and family in marriage.

The service was great, relatively short and sweet with a full female chorus!  Soon enough the new couple walked back down the aisle and greeted all their guests.  We grabbed the last of family shots and took off outside for a few pictures before we got eaten by bugs and sweat our butts off!  One word to the wise for anyone wanting to try and take pictures of this couple as they grow and raise a family.  GOOD-LUCK!!!  They’re so in tune with each other you absolutely can’t get them to sit still or hold a straight face.  Just too busy goofing around with each other and making funny faces.

I had a great time and I hope everyone else did as well.  These are just a few of the photos, a little taste of what they’ll be getting as I finish up the editing and putting together their wedding album.  Congratulations guys!

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Muddin’

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Ian Hanson

You’ve seen this face before, but where?  Was it, downtown the other night?  Maybe, I don’t know her personal schedule.  Was it in a show somewhere?  Most likely, she’s performed many times in many places in the last few years and even won some awards through Second Supper for her performances.  You’re still as cold as the ice in Antarctica (which believe me is pretty cold).  Her name is Samantha and you’ve just recently seen her in the last post here on Hanson Photography!

In her last shoot, she donned her ballet gear as we hit the town to show that dance is very much alive and well here in LaX.  This time, she donned her cheap, white bikini from Walmart and we hit the swamps.  What you’re probably saying in your heads (I can read minds) is that, “That’s ridiculous, why would you shoot a bikini model in a swamp?  Isn’t she going to get dirty?”  Exactly my point.  I’m trying to say that beauty is everywhere, especially in our natural habitats.  I’m trying to show people they can get out and enjoy the beauty of nature even if it isn’t the stereotypical sandy beaches and sparkling waters of our large oceans.  Throw a little mud on an attractive girl and…she’s still attractive.  Had there been leeches though, we’d be whistling different tunes.

So enjoy the photos we took and think about hitting the woods instead of the beach next time.  You won’t need a great tan and besides…you never who you might find playing in the mud!

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