I've been France | Stoke-Ness
This month
I’m sharing my full France Photo set, an honest to god simple way to make better stories, and whether or not GoreTex is worth a dang.
Be stoked,
Isaac
Gear and Tools
GoreTex jacket
I’m a skeptic by nature.
Lately, a couple of “Save the (insert location or cause)” initiatives have popped up in my local town, and instead of taking them at face value of preservation, I raised an eyebrow with suspicion. Turns out I had smelled Big Tech millionaire money from out of state was behind the “saving” and I had a reason for concern, but that’s a story for another time.
It’s this skeptical nature that has made me for years resist using outerwear made from GoreTex. It sounds too good to be true, being both breathable and waterproof. I’d heard that from other fabrics like Pertex, g500, and treated with DWR. All of them made me wet and clammy from the outside and the inside. If that’s how outerwear works, why pay double for GoreTex?
Then I tried it. Dry and comfortable, I am a believer.
Recently I picked up the Keilir Gortex Paclite jacket from 66 North. It is really 100% waterproof, even in the 40 mph winds and rain squalls of the North Atlantic. The jacket packs so small I take it with me everywhere, even if the weather is good.
I’ll never go back to a shell jacket that doesn’t work. This is one product that is worth the spend.
Photo Set
I am adding a new segment to the newsletter where I will share complete photo sets I’ve taken but that don’t work for IG or other places. Some of them will have stories, others will just be collections of photos.
This month I am sharing my trip to the La Manche region of northern France with Alex Strohl. I hope you enjoy!
Photo/Video Technique
Story Arc
I hear and read so much about how to tell better stories. There is nuance and craft, I am sure I will never stop learning new ways to refine my technique.
The one guide post I come back to again and again is the simple arc. It helps with everything from my commercial photo shoots and commercial video directing to my Instagram stories.
Every story has at least three parts.
A beginning, middle, and end. For example:
Beginning: I started my IG story yesterday with my excitement for the opening day of our ski resort, telling the viewers what was about to happen then making my way up to the resort.
Middle: I had coffee with Alex Strohl then we both went and rode the resort.
End: I drove back home, sharing how good it was to be back on my snowboard and how excited I was for the rest of the season.
Create these sections on your next IG story or photo series, using all three segments, and soon your stories will be much more engaging.
Who I am Following
George Stienmetz.
George is a National Geographic photographer specializing in aerial photos. The places he shares are beautiful, new, and striking. He also shares detailed captions that teach me about parts of the world or systems I didn’t know existed.
Music I'm Diggin'
IJ’s 2022 Playlist
It’s my last chance to share my ’22 playlist. It’s honestly my best in years. Not to brag but, my friends have mentioned how good it is and that’s something.
Videos, Movies, and TV
Nikolai Schirmer
Consistently one of the highlights of Youtube, Nikolai Schirmer is setting the bar impossibly high for ski films. He releases around 12 films a year each with better stories than the typical big-budget ski films. He does all this while starring in, writing, directing, narrating, and editing each one. And he is no slouch on the skis either, he skis some of the most insane big mountain lines I’ve ever seen.
To top it all off, he goes against the trend by making it approachable and story based in a world where the norm is to highlight “epicness”.
10/10 would recco his latest film, A Time For Everything
Reads
Annie Leibovitz At Work
I had heard of Annie before and even seen her work, but wouldn’t have said I knew her work well.
Recently I picked a copy of her book “At Work” from the library and was captivated. The photos are iconic and her words about how they came to life are entertaining. I learned so much as a photographer, but also a lot about the perspectives of the time at each moment she photographed over the years.
Her career spans more generations than Forrest Gump and this book is a must read for any photographer.
Parting Thought:
In conversation with a friend today, I told him I’ve never considered myself an artist but someone who is consistently learning how to make art. Not having my identity wrapped up as an “artist” has allowed me to let my curiosity lead me into video, writing and other forms of art I might have discarded if I needed to be seen as a legit artist. It’s about creating, not being seen as one who creates.
Be stoked and have a great month,
Isaac
This newsletter, my photography and my videos are all free, but not cheap. If you want to help me continue to make things you can buy me virtual coffee.
Don't have the funds to buy a coffee at the moment? Then sharing this newsletter with someone you think would like it is the next best thing. Thanks!
