After waking up in California, we headed up the coast through various towns.

We picked up a new rider and photographer in California named Robyn Richardson. Being from the area, she led us on some curvy and beautiful roads as we moved through the state. We eventually stopped at a famous biker stop called the Rock Store on Mulholland Highway in the Santa Monica Mountains. The owner gave us a tour of his place, and we stayed for a bit to order food and eat outside.

From there we explored various roads and highways, hitting mist and fog, sunshine, and a bit of rain. Here’s some of the photographs I created as we rode.

There’s some famous biker stops along the way, and we stopped to see them all. Neptune’s Net is one, and it was set in a beautiful location.

Here’s a selfie of Ron Henry (founder of BLACKRAPID) and I.

From there we went up the road a bit to look off a cliff and hang out. I got out my small drone and created this fun group portrait overlooking the ocean.

We eventually landed in Santa Barbara, and got hotel rooms for the night, ate dinner and relaxed – talking about our adventures and planning out next day’s ride.

Coming up in Part 3, we explore the small roads and towns surrounding Santa Barbara. The creative side of my brain really loves to see the world as abstract squares, so I’m often running away from the group here and there to capture the square abstract in my mind. Here’s some of these from these two days in this area.

Coming up, I’ll share more images from our ride through California (part 3), then our ride home through Death Valley and the Utah Salt Flats (part 4).

And until next time, America.

The post BlackRapid Photo-Moto Ride 2023 – Part 2 by Bry Cox appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Ron has a place in California, so this year we did a ride down to his place and toured around California. It started with Mike Ridinger and his son Cade, driving from Lewiston Idaho down to my place in Utah. Then we took a couple days to ride out to California. Being photographers, we stop along the way to photograph anything that catches our eye.

From my place to Ron’s, then touring California and back, was over 2100 miles.

The rule of riding is to avoid freeways and straight roads. We prefer the curvy, less used highways that take a bit longer and cut through small, older towns. These places are passed over by all the travelers on faster roads, in a hurry to “make good time” and get somewhere fast. We may ride fast, but our emphasis is on “good,” not “time.” We stop to take pictures, backtrack to hit a curvier, prettier road, or search out the highly-recommended small town burger stop.

Heading south through the backroads of Utah, we were constantly avoiding rain clouds. At one point we were in the clear area between three different rain storms surrounding us.

This way of traveling meant we rarely saw anyone on these pretty Utah backroads. The wide-open country was just ours.

By nightfall we had hit St. George, Utah, and needed to reluctantly use the freeway to get to Mesquite, Nevada to stay for the night.

The next morning we gassed up in Vegas, and then headed south-west through the desert heat on more backroads.

My attention is always caught by abandoned signs. These old roads used to be the main roads before freeways, so they’re littered with the remnants of old signs from motels and gas stations. When I look back on my photographs from the trip, I have tons of images of old abandoned signs. This one was particularly pretty.

When we arrived in Palm Desert, California, we met up with Ron and our friend Angel who rode in from Arizona. Then we all went to eat in the swanky town.

Coming up, I’ll share images from our ride through California (parts 2, 3, and 4) including ride home through Death Valley and the Utah Salt Flats.

And until next time, America.

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The post Episode 008 – Mike Ridinger, Photographer appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Steven Rossi Photography: Fine Art Photographer / Wildlife

I moved From New York City to Minnesota to live among the wildlife I love photographing.

Do you have a good tip to share with us?

Spend time with the wildlife you plan to photograph, learn their behaviors so you might anticipate their actions.

After The Storm

Two young ospreys — about a week from being fully fledged — are safely back in their nest after being blown to the ground on Saturday, 7/18/20, at 1:15 AM, by a tornado touching down on an east-central Minnesota lake. They were searched for during the weekend and finally found and rescued by lake resident Ritchie Ronning early Monday morning.

He immediately brought them to be health-checked at The Raptor Center in St Paul. They both were fine. On Tuesday morning they were delivered back to Ritchie by volunteers from both The Raptor Center and Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch to be placed back where they belong – in the care of their parents. After sticks were raised up to help rebuild the nest, and fish were placed in the nest just in case the parents didn’t quickly return with food for them, then the delicate re-nesting procedure began.

Each young osprey was carefully hoisted up the 32’ span to the nest by rope separately, in a closed canvas bag. The parents stayed watching from the sidelines the entire time we were there – and they even took flight twice in defending their territory when unfamiliar ospreys and eagles flew overhead. After placing the second young osprey in the nest we watched from a distance, and within three hours the parents began interacting normally with their young.

Ritchie took the lead role in their rescue and re-nesting — thank you for a job well done! And thank you for the help and guidance of Terri Headley of The Raptor Center and Vanessa Greene of Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch!

This occurred at a nesting site that I have been visiting for many years – and each time I feel extremely appreciative to be able to capture the daily activities of generations of beautiful osprey families.

What is in your bag?

Canon 7DM2 with 400 f5.6 on a sturdy tripod, and a Canon 70D with 70-200 f2.8 on a fast BlackRapid Sport X Coyote Camera Sling!

Follow Steven

Website – rossi.photo

Instagram – instagram.com/srofmn

Facebook – facebook.com/srphotomn

The post Steven Rossi / Wildlife Photography appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

encourage . equip . empower

After being in the photography industry for over 2 decades, Nicole Elliott has become an award-winning Professional Photographer, Speaker and Designer; who’s work and writing has been nationally recognized and published. Her heart to encourage, equip and empower the next generation of photographers is the foundational principle of her business and her photography courses. This last year she has been working with BLACKRAPID on the design and development of a brand new camera strap for women. The Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID – Live the moment in Comfort and Style!

In her own words…

“I am a mother, a wife and a wild dreamer. As a 4th generation entrepreneur I come from a long line of dreamer women who had one goal in mind… to dare to push beyond their own limitations and make something amazing with what little they had. In doing so, they would leave a legacy that would empower the next generations to do the same. As a daughter of an immigrant mother who taught me the value of hard work and the belief that with God all things are possible, I have a burning desire to equip, encourage and empower other women to do the same. I don’t just want to create products – I want to create a belief system that gives voice to the undeniable hope inside each one of us. A God given hope that fuels us to change, create and move. Through my story and through the hope and grace of Jesus, I want to inspire women to dare to believe in greatness and challenge them to take the steps beyond their limitations and into the reality of their dreams.

Simply put – if I can push through the barrier of doubt, fear and uncertainty then you can too! I am no different than any other women out there. I just dared to believe I could accomplish something great. It’s amazing what we can do when we just do it. One of my favorite verses and the Truth that carries me on, every single time I want to quit – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”Joshua 1:9

Here’s to moving past the doubts, fear and uncertainty – let’s move forward in Strength and Courage!”

-Nicole

You can follow Nicole on Instagram @nicoleelliott.inspire, on Facebook NicoleElliott.Inspire and find out more about her on her website Studio Elliott. Get your own Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID camera strap at www.blackrapid.com/Nicole-Elliott-Strap-by-BLACKRAPID.

The post Meet Nicole Elliott, Designer of Our New Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID Camera Strap! appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

locally named Melrakkasetur Íslands, in Súðavík which is in Iceland’s Westfjords. They’re brothers and they were found orphaned in the mountains in 2015. The Arctic Fox Centre in Iceland is responsible for advising worldwide on Arctic Fox populations and behaviours, and gathers data from a number of sources for this. The centre itself as a tourist attraction, with these two resident foxes, is just a minor part of the operation. 

FOR ME AS A TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER,

it’s fantastic to have connected so well with Midge, the boss, and it means that when I’m up in the Westfjords I can go warm up with coffee and a little play with the lads. I’ve made three trips to Iceland in 2018, and this last one included a stop off to shoot Ingi and Móri, however it didn’t go quite as planned. One of the things I was aware of is that as young foxes they love to play, and with that they’re very curious. Last time I was there I came out of the enclosure with scratches on my hands and tooth marks in my clothes. Móri in particular has a particular attraction to anything dangly, so I prepared myself by tucking in my bootlaces and thinking that would be enough. How wrong I was, it turns out.

MÓRI WAS BUSY HAVING A CLOSE LOOK AT ME AND I WONDERED WHY,

but I was just settling in and letting the boys get used to the intruder in their enclosure. Ingi was busy playing the part of the model whilst Móri kept circling and stalking me, edging closer every now and then. I ignored it and just assumed he was just checking me out. Well what was happening in fact, was the little blue morph was eyeing up my BLACKRAPID Sport Breathe.

I SQUATTED TO GET A BETTER PERSPECTIVE OF INGI LOOKING ALL CUTE AND FLUFFY,

and Móri seized the opportunity to strike! The extension on the back of the strap is secured with a piece of plastic. Well let me tell you, I had no idea it could be detatched! It turns out that the teeth of the Arctic Fox, capable of chewing through bone, are more than good enough to dissect a nylon strap! Initially quite entertained by the fact that Móri wanted to play tug-of-war with me, I was shocked that he very quickly won!

TAKING OFF HIS PRIZE, A PIECE OF MY STRAP,

he proudly wandered off to the other side of the enclosure and was busy chewing away for a few minutes until every last piece was gone save for the piece of plastic which he spat back out. The stomach of the Arctic Fox is pretty hardy, capable of dealing with bone, fur, and whatever else the fox puts into it through nature, so the camera strap would be no problem at all for Móri but it became a problem for me!

Luckily the folks at BLACKRAPID saw the funny side and sent me a replacement, however they did point out to me that it’s not covered by the warranty.

Dave Williams is a travel photographer and social media influencer, writer, educator, and blogger, based in London, UK. His work has featured worldwide in renowned publications and campaigns, and customers including Time, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, The Times, Shell, Marie Claire, and many, many more.

Find out more about him on his website www.capturewithdave.com, and be sure to follow him on Instagram @capturewithdave and Facebook Dave Williams capturewithdave.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Dave Williams | Not On The Warranty appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

“BLACKRAPID introduces Groovy, our first upright camera strap line. We based it on the iconic fashion of the late sixties and early seventies where bohemian babes flowed with flower power and guitar straps rocked at Woodstock, and took inspiration from the timeless aesthetic of vintage film and polaroid cameras.

Taking cue from the photography industry’s gesture of bringing back retro cameras, we’ve designed two different guitar-strap-like patterns that are perfect for the photographer wanting a stylish strap with a positive vibe for their mirrorless, film, and vintage cameras. Far Out takes inspiration from extreme disco shades in blue and orange while the bold, hippy colors of denim flared with fire red and earthy green influence Peace.

Here at BLACKRAPID we wanted to bring back the feeling of
‘LOVE is my weapon MUSIC is my religion PEACE is my soul.’
(author unknown)

Get into the groove and #LiveTheMoment with BLACKRAPID’s new Groovy line.”

RON HENRY
Founder,
BLACKRAPID

Groovy is now available exclusively at BLACKRAPID.com. Order yours today!

FEATURES

• Classic neck strap for holding a camera upright.
• 2″ wide Shoulder pad: 100% polyester blend with cowhide full grain leather Black velvet backing
• 2”” Shoulder pad: Non-adjustable; with adjustable 10mm nylon webbing trim, overall length 64″ circumference
• Adjustable: up to 64″ in circumference.
• Plastic adjusters on the webbing trims.

PRODUCT SPECS

• Care: DO NOT WASH. Spot clean with damp cloth only.
• Strap length: 64″ (162.5 cm) fully extended total circumference
• Shoulder/pattern piece length: 2″ wide, 36″ +/- 0.25″ (including leather ends)
• Adjustment length: adjustable nylon webbing trim- 14″ fully extended (14″ each side of the shoulder strap).
• Non-adjustable shoulder pc material: 2″ wide shoulder pad made of 100% polyester blend with cowhide full grain leather, black velvet backing
• Non-adjustable shoulder pc width: 2″
• Adjustable webbing material: nylon
• Adjustable webbing width: 10mm
• Product weight”Peace”: N.W 3.2 ounces , G.W. 3.8 ounces
• Product weight “Far Out”: N.W 2.5 ounces , G.W. 3.2 ounces

MEDIA:

Images and one-sheet for media are below. For more information, email social (at) BLACKRAPID (dot) com.

The post Introducing Groovy, our first upright camera strap line. appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Hi everyone! I’m Stefano, I’m 26 and I’m an Italian photographer. I’m here to talk about my photography and share some experiences and shots I took during my trips.

I LOVE NATURE AND I LOVE THIS PLANET.

My goal is to make people aware about the beauty of nature, capturing it through my photos. I want to show people how wonderful the world is, and how important is to protect it.

I LIKE TO CALL MYSELF A LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER,

although I do not mind making portraits of the people I meet during my trip. Nature is my inspiration, anyway.

I SPEND MY TIME AND MONEY TRAVELLING, ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.

Because of this, I need to be light, avoiding too much weight on my backpack: I just carry with me my camera hanging on the incredible BLACKRAPID Curve Breathe. This strap allows me to have my mirrorless constantly ready for taking the right shot, in a very handy way. I carry it during my hiking even under the shoulder pads of my backpack, with no problems. I have a micro 4/3 mirrorless Olympus with the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro (which is 24-80mm on a Full Frame) and sometimes I use my girlfriend’s Canon 1000D with 10-24 mm Tamron when I need a wide angle: the Curve Breathe strap is perfect for both.

FURTHERMORE, I LOVE ROCK CLIMBING.

When I climb, I hook my camera to the BLACKRAPID Curve (through the LockStar and the FastenR system), hanging it with a carabiner to my harness. Then? I just climb, with my camera safe and fixed behind my back. So when I’m on the top, I just bring ahead my camera and I start taking picture of the view I’ve just conquered. I’ve never done it before having the Curve Breathe! This is how the BLACKRAPID Curve Breathe changed my photography.

PEACE TO EVERYONE!

Stefano Bonetti is a traveler, climber, and photographer. Find out more about him on Instagram @telecasteph_photo
.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Stefano Bonetti | Traveling and Rock Climbing with the Curve Breathe appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

BLACKRAPID HAS HUNG AROUND MY BODY IN SOME WAY ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF MY PHOTOSHOOTS FOR THE ENTIRE TIME I’VE BEEN SHOOTING PROFESSIONALLY.

I was working side by side with Peter Treadway when we discovered these awesome straps and although I’d patented (lying) a ‘death grip’ method for securing my regular stock strap to my arm, these things just took the lead and I haven’t stopped using mine ever since.

THEY’RE GREAT FOR WHAT I DO – I OFTEN FIND MYSELF WALKING LONG DISTANCES IN MY SEARCH FOR LANDSCAPES AND SCENIC VISTAS.

On one occasion however, I required my BLACKRAPID strap whilst being taken to the vista by another means. The safety brief was pretty straight forward: – Make sure everything in your hands is attached to you, and don’t stick your head out! One out of two isn’t bad, right?

THE REST OF THAT BRIEF WAS COVERED BY THE STRENGTH AND SECURITY OF HALF OF MY BLACKRAPID RS-DR1.

I was very excited by the prospect of a helicopter ride, especially as I’d had some awesome flights before and I’m so into drone photography that I’m forearmed with the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t with aerial photos. The other thing I had on my side for this amazing experience is my passion for aviation and experience of flight, meaning I have an absolutely zero chance of getting motion sickness and I’m quite comfortable hanging out of a helicopter despite having a pretty knee-trembling aversion to heights!

PREPPED FOR THE FLIGHT, BRIEFED TO THE EYEBALLS, STRAPPED IN FIVE-WAYS, AND WITH MY PHONE AND DSLR TETHERED TO MYSELF, IT WAS TIME TO FLY!

Let me tell you this one important piece of life advice: – If you ever get the opportunity to fly in a helicopter with the doors off, do it! A helicopter ride is pretty cool in its own right, but take the obstruction out and have nothing much between you and the view and you’ve got a winner. Take a look at this: –

MIAMI WAS A WHISTLESTOP TOUR FOR ME ON THIS TRIP.

I spent just the one night there and so had limited time to soak up as much as I could that the party city has to offer. Bustling with art, culture, cocktails, music, food, and influences from all across the Caribbean and Central and South America, this place to me is what I envisage Havana to look like had their not been an embargo. When I visit somewhere so briefly I try to get the best view from the highest spot, spending a moment up there enjoying and capturing the vista or the skyline. This flight, it turns out, was the perfect replacement and was a fantastic way to get the feel of the city and the beach, and enjoy a little exhilaration with the sun setting behind downtown Miami.

Dave Williams is a travel photographer and social media influencer, writer, educator, and blogger, based in London, UK. His work has featured worldwide in renowned publications and campaigns, and customers including Time, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, The Times, Shell, Marie Claire, and many, many more.

Find out more about him on his website www.capturewithdave.com, and be sure to follow him on Instagram @capturewithdave and Facebook Dave Williams capturewithdave.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Dave Williams | Photographing Miami From a Helicopter appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

I GUESS IT’S COMING UP ON A YEAR NOW AND THE MEMORY OF DRIVING DOWN MY STREET THE MORNING AFTER HURRICANE IRMA HIT THE FLORIDA KEYS STILL STICKS VERY CLOSELY IN THE BACK OF MY MIND.

A neighborhood that was once canopied by beautiful 50-year-old shade trees was now ripped open, brightened with contrast and covered in debris so bad that we had to chainsaw our way down the street and back into our driveway. The most immediate need was for generators and chainsaws, food and water was next, and then finally getting cell service and power back 5 days later.

BEING A JOURNALIST I WAS NOT ONLY OBSERVANT ABOUT HOW THE AREA LOOKED PRIOR TO THE STORM,

but I captured the before as well as the after reporting all that I saw to Getty Images every step of the way. The before pictures convey the story just as strongly as the after shots. I shot drone footage of the traffic patterns heading out of The Keys that were used by Google maps during the evacuation of the Lower Keys.

LEADING UP TO THE STORM, I PHOTOGRAPHED EVERYTHING FROM PEOPLE BOARDING UP THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES, TO BOATS BEING TIED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF CANALS TO KEEP THEM AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

I made sure to photograph many of the antique classic hotel and restaurant signs highlighting them in their glory days feeling that they might not be there after the storm.

AFTER THE STORM THE DEVASTATION WAS EVERYWHERE.

There was debris piled up on the side of the road along with seaweed, boats, jet skis, coolers, and ever type of appliance along the tree lines. It looked like a junkyard in a war zone.

They were iconic images in every direction such as the 70-foot sailboat that ran aground in ocean front backyards which is still there today, and the subject of a lawsuit over who’s responsible.

THERE IS WHAT LOCALS ARE CALLING “THE SUNKEN HOUSE”

which is an entire two-story home sunk into the ground in the Lower Keys along the Atlantic coast line. This backdrop was used by many of the news agencies that descended into the Florida Keys in the aftermath of hurricane Irma. I happened to be there when the family that used to live there returned to survey the damage. Today, the home remains un-touched, condemned, and the subject of a large insurance dispute.

OF COURSE, THE HARDEST HITS WERE THE HOMES ALONG THE SHORELINE AND ESPECIALLY MOBILE HOMES AND TRAILERS.

Most of the communities were devastated to the point of no return and many of those people have had to relocate to other states.

THEY HAVE CLEANED UP MOST OF THE MOUNTAINS OF DEBRIS WE CALLED “MOUNT IRMA’S” THAT WERE PILED UP FOLLOWING THE STORM,

but clean up crews are only now starting to clean out the hardest hit canals and waterways. Canals in Marathon Key were filled so high with sunken debris from in-tact Winnebago’s, trailers, and entire motorhomes immersed right below the roofline, that you could walk across them and not get your feet wet.

THERE WERE SO MANY FLOODED HOMES AND DESTROYED CONTENTS THAT ONE PART OF ISLAMORADA A HALF MILE STRETCH OF ROAD BECAME KNOWN AS “APPLIANCE ALLEY.”

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of washers and dryers, barbecue grills and smokers, refrigerators, dishwashers, ice makers, bait freezers, microwave ovens, and anything else that had to be disposed of in a professional manner lined up on the side of the road.

THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE MY INITIAL FEELING UPON FINDING MYSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERMATH OF THIS DEVASTATING STORM WAS THAT MY SIGHT, MY SMELL, AND MY HEARING WERE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN OVERNIGHT.

The once quiet and peaceful island became abrupt and loud with chainsaws, sirens, and helicopters overhead. The once clean, fresh, and pristine ocean air was filled with the smell of dead fish and animals as well as garbage and rotting food. My incredible sunrise and sunset views turned into war zone type areas along the side of the road and the oceans filled with sunken boats and debris. The once prevalent taste of the freshest seafood in the world turned into Bob’s burgers, canned food, and hotdogs on the grill. We are back to about 85% of where we were a year ago with hotels and restaurants that have re-opened, but our biggest industry, sport fishing and diving, is still hurting with the hotel rooms having been down for so long. No heads in bed = no tourists and no fishing and diving charters.

WE ARE NOT WORRIED THOUGH, OUR COMMUNITY REMAINS “KEYS STRONG.”

Marc Serota is an award-winning photographer, videographer, and Founder PolaroidUniversity.com. Find out more about him on his website www.marcserota.com, and be sure to follow him on Instagram @marcserotaphoto and Facebook Marc Serota.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Marc Serota | Photographing Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys appeared first on BLACKRAPID.