0002 - 4 years for 1 photo
In the summer of 2018, I found myself living out of my 2003 Subaru Forester. I was working two jobs that summer. One for Louis and Clark white water and another for Snow King, the local in-town ski hill. This would be the summer of living out of my car in Teton County, Wyoming. It would go on to become the greatest summer of my life.
During this time I was a member of my university’s men’s cross-country team. This was the summer between my 4th and 5th (and final) year of competition. Because of this, I would also spend the summer training out there for the upcoming cross-country season. This would involve me running 70-90 miles a week. I would go on to explore every possible trail, bike path, and dirt road I could find. I would spend nearly all my free time traveling through national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and countless river banks. As a young man barely in his 20s who had spent his entire life on the east coast of the country being immersed so extensively in the grandeur of the American West was impactful, to say the least.
All the views of the wilderness were incredible but there was one spot that stuck with me more than anywhere else. I would often pass through in the evenings when I was off work. Running along the trail system that encompasses Jackson Hole I would find myself drawn to this place. Located near the intersection of Ferrin’s and Skyline trail south of town was this incredible vista. I would find myself constantly stopping on my runs for 3-5 minutes during golden hour to witness the view and the sunset.
I never run with a phone and I wasn’t yet a photographer. I only had my memories and my words to describe this place to my friends and family back East. The summer went by and my time camping out of my car in canyons and forests throughout the county was coming to a close. On one particular evening run in early August, I paused there for half an hour. Watching the sunset behind the Tetons to the north and the snake river reflecting the gold light of the evening I decided that my words alone would not be enough to describe not only this place but the entire wilderness that had been my home that summer. I came back into town and bought a camera on eBay.
Through a series of unfortunate and seemingly vindictive events, the first camera I ever bought would not arrive until after I had begun my journey back east. Devastated by the fact that I wasn’t able to capture this place that had left such an impact on me. But it had knocked over the first domino on my very long journey to becoming a photographer. I would end up using my little Nikon D5500 relentlessly back east. Taking it everywhere with me and photographing everything that I could. Portraiture, Landscapes, Architecture, everything that I could shoot. I began my journey into becoming a “real” photographer. All the while keeping the vista and memories that had captivated me alive in my heart.
My final year at NC State would come and go. I would graduate with my second degree and start my professional career in science working for Pfizer. However, less than a year later covid happened and I would find myself living off unemployment playing video games until 4 am with my best friend. Trapped in a small apartment in Raleigh I began to daydream of escaping North Carolina. I had essentially lived in the state my entire life and nothing I had experienced there had ever captivated me like that summer in Teton County. I became stir-crazy and decided to take a chance.
My lease was coming to an end and I wanted out. Without a job offer, a place to go, or really any concrete idea of what my future held I moved to Boulder, CO. While it wasn’t the Jackson Hole that had captivated me it was still a new adventure. And with the unyielding support of my girlfriend, Angeline, and a ton of luck we made the move. We signed a lease for a small apartment in north Boulder. 1 week later, after lying on my resume that I lived in Colorado Springs (close enough to Boulder to be considered to be hired, but far enough away that they couldn’t ask me to interview on less than a 2-day notice. But this is another story) I got a job interview for a lab tech role in Boulder. They would extend a job offer two days later.
With a job and a place to put an air mattress Angeline and I would pack everything we could into my faithful Subaru. If it didn’t fit we sold it or gave it away. In mid-September 2020 I would solo road trip across the country. Angeline would fly out to meet me in Boulder 3 weeks later due to logistics. In the early morning of September 10th, I would say goodbye to her and North Carolina and drive west. I planned to take 2 weeks to meander across the country before starting my new job in Colorado. But, this roundtrip was planned with one place above all else in mind, Teton County, Wyoming. Back to view which had inspired everything. I would arrive in Jackson Hole determined to capture the view. I had a camera, lenses, time, and excitement. But, unfortunately, it didn’t matter. Canada and the Pacific North West had other plans.
Wildfires had ravaged that region of the continent all summer and when I arrived in Jackson the haze of thousands of acres of forest consumed in the blaze suffocated the county. Seeing more than a quarter mile in front of you was nearly impossible. On my final day in town, I would attempt to take the shot anyway. I hiked up the trail at midday and stared out at what should have been the vista that consumed my dreams for years only to see nothing. Just the hillside and a few trees were left unobscured by the haze. It had been two years and it still alluded me. Out of time, I drove 9 hours south to Boulder the next day. The day after that I would start working and my new life in Boulder.
A photograph taken by a friend during my attempt to photograph the landscape of my dreams in 2020 during my roundtrip across the west.
I fell back in love with the West almost instantly and explored my new home to my heart’s content. I released my most ambitious art project to date, An Analog Odyssey. But I still couldn’t shake the desire to head back to Wyoming to capture the photograph that had started this whole journey. Life, Logistics, and a lack of resources kept me from being able to go back. But, then in the summer of 2022, I had a new job, better finances, and most importantly significantly more PTO. Angeline had heard me rave about Jackson Hole and Teton County for years but had never been. We made the necessary arrangements.
We would arrive in town around noon in early September of 2022. We were greeted with beautiful clear weather and had no real plans for our first day there. My friend and local smokey Sean was able to greet us and the three of us chatted about what to do with our first afternoon in town. With the dream of capturing this view weighing on my mind. I asked my companions if they’d be willing to make the hike that afternoon. To my delight they both obliged me. We brought 4 cameras and headed up the trail. At the start of golden hour, we arrived. It was exactly how I remembered it.
After 4 years I was finally back with the landscape that had consumed my dreams. The view that started me on my journey as a photographer and by extension Nomadic Aberrations. I shot it in full frame digital, I shot it on Medium format black and white and color, I shot it on 35mm color, I shot it on aps-c digital. I spared no expense to make sure I got it right. Hell, I even took a picture with my cellphone. After 4 years I was finally able to come home with my dream image. We would spend the next 4 days camping out of Angeline’s ‘02 outback. And ironically the next day wildfire haze would once again fill the valley. But I couldn’t be bothered. After 4 years I had finally captured the image of my dreams.
Getting to spend the rest of the trip showing Angeline the place that very much made me who I am today felt surreal. The magic of Teton County was and is very much alive and I could not be more thankful for the place that started all of this. I haven’t gone back to Teton County since. I will one day, I know. For now, there’s so much more of the west to explore and that’s where my sights are set now. I hope everyone can find a place as magical and important to them as I did that summer back in 2018. I’m happy to say I’ve found a handful more since then. I’ll write about them another time. But, for now, this is the story of how I became a photographer.
This is the story of how running countless miles in the wilderness of Wyoming and living on BLM land in 2018 changed the trajectory of my entire life.
This view changed my life. I hope you too one day find one that will change yours.
