Reminder: The world is really really cool

Mike Olbinski drove 17,000 miles capturing this footage, shooting 105,000 frames worth of time-lapse in the process.

It was so well worth it.

Blu-Ray discs available here: http://www.mikeolbinski.com/shop/ Song by Kerry Muzzy: "Palladio Rebuilt" (on iTunes: http://bit.ly/pall_MO) Follow me: http://www.mikeolbinski.com / https://twitter.com/mikeolbinski / https://www.facebook.com/mikeolbinskiphotography / https://instagram.com/mikeolbinski ---------------------------------- I've been chasing the monsoon in Arizona for about 6-7 years now. This summer was different though. Back in late July, I was wondering why it felt like I was out chasing more than ever before. And then I remembered. I had a job last summer. This year I didn't. I went full-time photography in November of 2014 and haven't looked back. I was free to roam and had virtually no limitations. I even had multiple chases where I never actually wend to bed, but instead chased all night. I took the kids to New Mexico at one point early in the season. Last year I counted roughly 31 total days that I chased a storm during the monsoon. This summer: 48. Yikes. 17,000 miles driven, which was about 3,000 more than last year. Perhaps the biggest difference this year was shooting nearly 60,000 more time-lapse frames than I did in 2014. 105,000 total. And what sticks out to me even more than any of the other numbers above, is that only 55,000 of those 105,000 frames made it into Monsoon II. What that means is I was able to stuff this new film with only of the best of the best. We missed out on some of the huge dust storms like I've captured in years past, but overall, I think this represents some of the best weather I've ever photographed in Arizona. There are stunning shelf clouds, gorgeous rain shafts, lots of blowing dust, tons of lightning, and even multiple mini-supercells/mesocyclones. The brief meso over Cottonwood at the 3:38 mark is one of my all-time favorites. I can't talk much more about the film without addressing the music real quick. The song is called Palladio (Rebuilt) and it's once again by the amazing Kerry Muzzey who donated it to me for Monsoon II. He also let me use another song of his for my previous film, The Chase and I'm beyond grateful for his generosity. I mean, how do you thank someone enough for that? Click here to find the song on iTunes and please support his work! I've said it a million times...the music is at least 50% of these movies I make. Kerry's art helps bring my films to life. Thank you my friend! When I'm out there capturing footage for these films, I'm constantly thinking about the story I want to tell. For example, I wanted a lot of erupting, towering cumulus at the beginning to launch into the meatier clips. I started laying out the film back in mid-August. Certain clips I already knew would be in certain places in relation to the ups and downs of the song itself. As the season wore on, I gathered more and more clips and began to lay out the entire film. I'd remove clips when I got something better. There was exhausting editing, re-editing, looping music, reluctantly dropping clips that didn't work or were unfixable and watching it over, and over and over, to make sure I was telling the story I wanted to tell. At one point, about halfway through...I was telling Jina that I have a lot of great stuff, but still haven't shot the final scene yet. I had no idea what it would be, but I knew I didn't have it. And then that very night (or maybe the next day)...I was out west of Tonopah and I knew on the way home that the monsoon had finally delivered my ending. That is what is so amazing about doing this. You hit the road with zero idea about what you're going to see over the course of a summer. You might imagine scenarios or have ideas, but they get blown out of the water by reality. And that's what I love about it. My hope is that you can see and feel that love in this film. The beauty of the monsoon in Arizona. This is where I'm from and this is home. More on the story here: http://www.mikeolbinski.com/theblog/2015/10/monsoon-ii/ -------------------- Technical Details: Captured with Canon 5D3's, a 5D2, Canon 16-35mm, Rokinon 14, 24, 35 and 85mm. Processed using Lightroom, LR Timelapse, After Effects and Premiere Pro

Fall is for firepits

It could be a nesting instinct that kicks in for me, come fall. Or the cooler temperatures. Or just the sudden realization that there was so much more that I had planned for the year. But fall is when I get things done.

Around this time last year, my son and I were working on a northwoods fire pit. Building an ash and white oak bench to go alongside the random stump and stone seating our pit had accumulated over the years. It was the perfect bridge from summer into fall.

This is what fall is for. Fall is for firepits.

THIS IS NOT A SURF FILM

Those of you that know me know this: Johnny don't surf.

Not that I haven't. And not that I won't again (hopefully soon, I love it). It's just that in my neck of the woods, the only rideable waves are called "wakes."  And the closest we get to surf's up is "snow's down." 

So why am I diving into another surfy post? Because this: Surfers make the best videos. That's just how it is. Or at least they make the most soulful ones.

Trust me, I've at least dabbled in pretty much every solo sport there is: winter, summer, action, silent, hook, bullet, esoteric-stuff-that-white-guys-with-dreadlocks do, you name it.

The point is, my interests tend to careen. And with each new obsession comes hours of youtube time. So it's with absolute certainty that I say no one draws the connections between who they are, and what they do, as well as surfers do. 

The short film "Out of the Black and Into The Blue" is no exception. Of course, the surf footage is spectacular: Ridiculous sets – the likes of which I've never seen. And ridiculous rides – the likes of which I can only imagine in my wildest Spicoli dreams... right before me and Mick wing over to London to jam with the Stones.

But this is not a surf film. 

You can watch it as a surf film, yes. I'm sure director Luke Pilbeam would appreciate it, since that's the film he made.

But once you've watched it, play it again with your eyes closed.

Just listen.

This is a life film. 

Of course, that's the film Luke made too. Surfers just get that kind of thing.

"It's difficult to explain to those who haven't found their calling..."

Winner : Best Short London surf film festival 2014 This is a story about drive, passion and ambition and what it means to put everything into something and gamble it all. Directed by Luke Pilbeam Music score: Nick Tsang Words: Joey Brown Colourist: Matt Holloway Voice: Nina Symons Featuring: Jayce Robinson, Lyndon Wake, Andrew Cotton, Axi Munion, Nic Von Rupp Frederico Morais, Alex Bothelo, Pablo Garcia. Additional footage: Peter Clyne.

Props to Luke Pilbeam (Director), Nick Tsang (Music), and Joey Brown (Words).

Stop Sense Making

Tree forts don't make sense. A compound of tree forts, high in the mountains, overlooking your own massive poured concrete skate bowl, really doesn't make sense. But Foster Huntington just went ahead and did that shit anyway.

You can get his story here, and check out his excellent blog called A Restless Transplant.

But what you should really do is watch the short film below. It's a leisurely look at the year it took for him and his buds to build and settle into Cinder Cone. It's a very well put together piece, documenting a very well put together place.

The whole thing leaves me feeling a little jelly, of course. But what it really does is leaves me thinking about the no-sense-making shit I should get started on myself.

Go camping! You! Go camping now!

With Labor Day behind us, my head shifts to camping (car camping, backpacking, float trips, whatever ya got). That's because camping, while an entirely reasonable summer activity, is an entirely kick ass fall activity.

If this video doesn't make you wanna get out there, I don't know what will. Just the sights, sounds and sweetness of camping with no extra filler added nor required.

It's from Hipcamp which is an Airbnb-style concept for finding and reserving campsites. Although I haven't used it yet, the site looks solid. And this video, to me anyway, is damn near perfect. 

Edward Abbey and the sweet and lucid air

I spent today on the water with family. And friends. And a splash or three of tequila. 

This evening I spent reading Edward Abbey. And now, for whatever reason, I decided it would be a good idea to share. I have a strong suspicion that "whatever reason" = "a splash or three of tequila." But so it goes.

Uploaded by Bring Limes on 2015-09-07.

Hat tip to mi amigo Señor West for originally steering me to this quote. 

Longing for the apocalypse? Try Rx Nature!

This 90-second video is 100 percent awesome – a perfectly crafted reminder to get yer ass outside. It also includes what must be my favorite disclaimer copy of all time: "Results may vary. Golf is not nature."