Alterra is one of the major reasons I love Milwaukee. The mood in all their locations is so relaxing and comfortable, but the Fifth Ward Foundry location will always be my coffee haven. Their practices are worth supporting and the fact GQ named them one of the best coffee houses in the nation speaks volumes. Read more on Alterra here.

I’ve been shooting a lot in black and white lately and experimenting more and more with split toning, drawing off the dynamic contrast created with shades of grey and the mood changes you can create for a setting. It’s been really intriguing to see the way lack of color enhances a photo, particularly certain areas that would otherwise blend in.

Lots on the horizon for taking my photography to a new level and potentially in a new direction (much thanks to a few friends for their efforts on this). It’s amazing when opportunities fall into place.

Countless tiny shells grasp hold and become one with rocks along the coast of Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador. From far away one can’t make the difference between a rock with or without them, but up close an endless history of shells present themselves.

As we walked to play some soccer along the water I noticed this traveler doing yoga by the water. He has been around town for a few days and seemed to be alone everywhere he went. It is almost more interesting to me to not know his story, than if I were to ask.

Tomorrow morning I am heading to the airport to set sail for Ecuador, my first stop on a South American journey. The itinerary is open, but my first month will be spent volunteering in Bahia de Caraquez with reforestation efforts. Posts will most likely be less frequent for a while, but I will do my best to check in. Please follow a travel blog my buddy and I will be updating at www.sustainablethos.com. Comments and emails are welcomed!

In a sea of color red will always possess an impact. Sanguine like wine, like blood, like a red dress or lips awaiting a kiss, red is an undeniably powerful color.

Our time taking photos felt limited by our eagerness to continue making our mark in the snow, but we did our best to represent the massive scale of the rolling peaks in our shots. A struggle I have in working my way to the top of a peak is seeing another peak and immediately having the feeling, “I want to climb that.” I’m not one who prefers mountain climbing per say, but I do enjoy pushing myself to lengths I haven’t before and hiking my way to the peak of a mountain seems to be so fulfilling that I find it addicting. After this trip I immediately looked up the tallest mountain in the continental US – which is Mount Whitney (coincidentally growing from the lowest point in the continental US, Death Valley) – in California. I’d like to hike it sometime.

From the archives, this photo was taken under the Fremont Bridge in Seattle. The VW Beetle he is holding is real and the entire sculpture is concrete.

Another shot from the peak. The glow of sunlight was welcomed throughout our time spent carving individual impressions into the mountain face as we explored throughout the week. Colorado amazed me at how the combination of warmth from the sun and persistent snow merged so well.

This was taken at 12,060 feet on the top of Mary Jane in Winter Park, CO. We took our camera gear up top for a day, which gave us a break from riding to just take in the landscape. Info on Winter Park found here.

Happy Christmas to everyone. Enjoy your holidays with friends and family!