First I wanted to say sorry to everyone. Things have been as crazy as ever for the past couple months.
I was in 3 car accidents, I got extremely ill for a couple weeks, and work had ceased. All in all, it was just a very difficult time.
I booked a ticket home to Oklahoma just so I could go do some shooting. Needed to get them bills paid!
Well plans never seem to happen the way you plan them.
I got to Oklahoma and then work started pouring in. Jobs in and out of the country have come up. Some are happening, some are not.
Some possibilities with a Television show & some possibilities with some music videos. I have been in Tennessee for a couple weeks now, with a trip to Seattle in between. With all the work coming in, I am seriously debating subletting my apartment in LA. No need to pay for something I am not using. I only packed a weeks worth of clothes and have now been gone a month. It will be at least another week before I am able to go back to LA and other work may keep that from happening.
I have absolutely loved my time here in Nashville. My friends and the people I have met here have made this trip amazing. I have been here working relentlessly with Jeremy Cowart on his upcoming tutorial dvd. I am very excited to wrap this project and get it to you all. I think it’s something that could definitely benefit all photographers.
There are so many things coming up and in the works. I promise to have some more content/updates for you all soon. In the mean time, in Seattle, I took my first jab at shooting “implied nudity.” I am very picky when it comes to this type of work. I wanted to be completely sure of what the final outcome should look like before I even asked my friend to shoot. It was definitely a learning experience. Here is my favorite.
After almost 1 year, Joey spent last week losing sleep over editing this short doc. The result is a 17 minute piece over our journey with The Mentawai. The video seriously just zooms by. There is insight on our trip, the people, the culture, and some shooting with Joey. It is seriously a trip that I still can’t believe happened. There is so much more that went on but we will save that for next time. Joey, Will, and I are all wanting to venture back there soon and do something more in depth.
I am so pumped Vimeo “premiered” it on their HD page! It’s my first video they have picked to premier, so thank you Vimeo! It helped the 17 min video get near 20k plays in just 3 days of being online! Check it out sometime when you guys get a chance.
Earlier this year I posted a video of just visuals from the trip. Video below.
If you would like to read up in depth about the entire trip, with tons of photos, click the links below.
Katie:
New blog looks nice! Thanks for posting this...it's so awesome to see the friendships you guys made, and really interesting to learn a little about the culture from the locals. What an amazing experience that must have been! Very very cool. (06.12.2010 06:02pm)
Amber:
I really love all of these photos. I have been a fan of your photography for awhile, and it just keeps getting better. (06.17.2010 03:36am)
Long story short.
India got postponed! Joey landed a big job the day I arrived. We thought the job might be far enough off to go to India first, so we waited around to find out. However the news came and we would not be going to India. Hanging with Ryan and Joey was good times though. Got to swim in the ocean, meet some awesome people, see the world’s tallest building, and the worlds biggest mall. Seriously, their mall was ridiculous. We walked around where the trade vessels come in. We met some merchants from Iran and they gave us a tour of the boat and then asked us if we would like to go to Iran that day. We passed. Dubai is seriously one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. The architecture was something out of the future. From the airport to the subway to the mall. Everything was so precise and made of granite and marble. Unreal. EVERYTHING is in some sort of construction. Although our plans didn’t work out how I had wanted, I am thankful to have spent time in Dubai. I definitely tried to make the most out of the trip. Got some good footage from the city.
I got to meet Ryan McCarney, he travels with Joey on several of his trips. All I can say is very solid funny guy. Another awesome Canadian I have become friends with. Ryan and I were at an arcade one night and just destroyed some kids. Go Orange Team! No, I don’t feel bad they were only 10. A couple times when we were walking around we got asked if our tattoos were stickers. Oh those crazy folks.
Back now and time to put together my first reel. A lot of things coming up, very very excited. Will keep you all posted.
Good luck with your campaign there Joey. Be safe bud.
Enjoy the pics.
brad trone:
really like those pictures. sucks the trip got cancelled. (03.23.2010 11:42am)
cale:Brad - Thanks buddy, bummer but hopefully another trip will happen soon! (03.28.2010 10:06pm)
Alicia:
Sounds like a really fascinating trip! I'm glad you were able to make the most of it, even though your time was cute short. Perhaps you can go back sometime! I think I'm the most jealous about the mall with sharks! I love sharks! ;)
Anyways, thanks for posting pictures!
Alicia (03.30.2010 09:07pm)
Liyana:
you guys seems to be coming down to South East Asia more and more lately...
Any chance of Malaysia being on the list.. hahaha
Would love to give you a tour.
and Dubai is a great replacement for India.. :) (04.06.2010 01:19pm)
Let me first briefly explain what these tower jobs are. I always get asked, “Tower jobs? What?” I would love to simply clear it up for everyone who has been asking. It starts back when I was living in Muskogee, Oklahoma. A man named Gary owned a local photo/print shop as well as President to a company called “Tower Inspection.” I printed all my work at his shop so we quickly became aquatinted. He enjoyed my work so he asked if I would be interested in documenting projects here and there that TI was involved with. Initially, I thought….”What a random job.” However I came to soon fall in love with it. I had to get tower certified so I could climb these towers and photograph the employees on and around the towers. I have mixed emotions about heights. Sometimes it freaks me out, where as others I am absolutely loving it. I only went on my first roller-coaster ride in 15 years, this past year, when I was succumbed to peer pressure from the great dudes in Relient K. I even got nervous when I did my tower climb test. The tower was only like 50ft. It is weird just hanging off and letting the wind move you, nothing below your feet.
In Guam we stayed at the OKA towers, which had an amazing view all the way around. The balcony wrapped halfway around the 14th floor. It was unbelievable. Some pics of the building.
Anyways, here are some photos from Hawaii and Guam. The locations were, again, absolutely gorgeous. The tower sites are always in beautiful places around the world. No photos of the towers yet, however here are some random photos from the trip. Wish the internet could do panoramics some justice. Each one is MASSIVE. Can’t wait to print some of them off.
adelloodel:
Must be nice to see those kind of views, on daily basis T_T (02.18.2010 08:40pm)
Justin:
Dude this is sick, congrats on your success. Props. (02.18.2010 11:35pm)
Nick D.:
Simply Amazing dude. And that beer shot is making me quench...literally. Miss you man. Can't wait for more posts and photos and/or videos. (02.19.2010 01:07am)
Brett B:
Beautiful.
Glad you had a good time and were able to see such beauty that our God has allowed us to live in. (02.19.2010 08:44am)
grace b:
These are incredible! Was this trip specifically tower-related? (02.19.2010 09:28am)
cale:Seth - Thank you so much Seth! (02.19.2010 04:42pm)
cale:Adelloodel - I wish it was more on a daily basis. It was gorgeous! (02.19.2010 04:42pm)
Last week I spent a couple days in New Orleans covering an event called “BIG TUNE.” Music Producers compete in a head to head battle based off crowd participation. These guys were very talented. Several times through the event I found myself bouncing along, bobbing my head, and throwing my hand in the air. It was a very cool event.
The above photo is the winner of the event ”Ill Gamez is Hannibal the Beat Animal.” His stuff was so epic. The runner up was a producer by the name of “SkyScrapa.” I really couldn’t decide who I liked more, however they both move on to the finals and the definitely deserve to. The first night I was there I spent around 4 hours shooting the promos for each producer. They would pick 4 shots of each producer and display them on flat screens while each one battled each other.
Red Bull has some insane deadlines, which are fine however they require me to stay awake all night to be able and finish on time. Casey (Red Bull Rep) would go over all the raw photos and pick the top 15 out. Then after raw processing I would edit the jpeg and upload them to Red Bull. I would stay up editing while she would write overviews for the event. Red Bull put us up in the W hotel on the 17th floor. Great view, cool people, limitless Red Bull, incredible food, and LOTR while I edit….one of the funnest jobs I have ever done. I got to hang out with my good friend Pascal, who brought along his friend Lindsey. Some of you may or may not know him. He played bass for As Cities Burn and was undoubtably one of my favorite musicians to watch perform. Not only that but he’s remained a good friend over the past 7 years. It was great running into him again. After the 2nd night I finished editing as the sun was coming up. I met Casey in the lobby and we were off for the airport.
This is where my day went downhill. I am dead tired, but I know I can rest on my flight. I always sleep through my flights. Going through Security this is the 1st time on ANY flight I have had my face wash and toothpaste thrown away. On over 60 flights! I shake it off and go to the plane. I fall asleep immediately and wake up to everyone standing in the isle. I figured we had landed at our destination. About this time the Pilot comes on the com….”Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking, it appears we have something hanging from the wing. It appears to be tape, we are gonna check it out and we’ll be on our way soon.” The entire plane started muttering and cracking jokes “Oh thank God the wing is being held on by tape.” I mean really pilot? You told everyone you thought it was tape? He comes back on the com about 30 min later and says that it was some “hydraulic” part or something, however it needed to be fixed before the plane could fly. Everyone became uneasy as reality set in…mulling over what could’ve happened if that ground crewmen hadn’t spotted this part dwindling from the wing. The pilots apparently missed it on their walk around of the plane or it fell off as we were taxi’ing. Either way, we were all just relieved to be getting off the plane.
Airport “Security.” Saving the world one cartoon at a time. Easy money.
As we walked back in through the gate, we asked the attendant “What’s going on, what do we do?” The only reply we got was a hastily “Just follow the person in front of you….” Are you serious? That is all the direction/explanation we get? Some of the passengers got in one line, half got in another line, then some others made their way back out through security. Finally someone came on the intercom and told everyone on that flight to go get back in line at the Delta counter. Why couldn’t they just tell as this as we were de-boarding? So there I am, back in line behind a couple hundred people. After hours of waiting I never saw a SINGLE agent or representative come out and explain, apologize, or offer assistance. The only thing they did was walk through the line once and ask if there was anyone NOT on that plane, then they got to go to the front of another line. So glad Delta were convenient to them and not us. So finally I got a new plane ticket which left at 5pm….keep in mind I was originally supposed to land in LA at 3pm. The lady gave me $14 to use at the airport for food as I was waiting. $14 only usable at the airport really put me to comfort after we almost took off in a broken plane. By the time we took off I was so tired. I still hadn’t slept. I finally got to LAX and wouldn’t you know…my bag doesn’t show up. I go check with Delta who says “Oh yeah no worries, your bag is on another flight. It will be here in 1 1/2 hours.” Yes no worries at all Delta…thank you. They said, “We can deliver your bag at no charge. Just pick your bag off the chart.” Skimming through the chart they have ever picture of a bag possible, except for a Pelican case…..At this point I started laughing. Do you ever get so mad that you laugh? One crazy coincidence after the other? I just said, “forget it, I am going to wait on my bag so you don’t bring me the wrong case.” So i sat at the airport until it finally arrived and took a bus back to my car. It was the worst flying experience I have ever had. Delta’s customer service is terrible. Thanks for making my day so memorable.
All in all, I would rather go through those inconvenience’s 1000 xs or deal with those rude people, if that meant living and getting one place to the other safely. For that I smile and am extremely grateful for.
Thank you Red Bull, all the Producers, and Casey. Thanks for all your help and advice!
Tony:
Haha! Never a dull moment. Where can we hear some of these guy's music? (10.12.2009 03:26pm)
Lindsey:
YAY!!!! It was so lovely meeting you!!! I hope you come back to NOLA soon and we can actually go get breakfast! Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL! You make the republic look like an actual place I'd want to hang out in! hahaha!
P.s. where are the pictures of Pascal and I "drinking" redbull and dancing? (10.12.2009 05:04pm)
Mandy:
Minus the plane experience that all sounds totally awesome. Also, I'm really excited that you also use the word epic! It's pretty much a favorite in my vocabulary. Southwest is definitely the way to go for planes. (10.12.2009 05:24pm)
cj:
That airplane business is just nonsense! But I'm glad you had a good time. That's my dream: to constantly be on (functional) planes, never resting, just constantly working, shooting everyday. I'll sleep when I die.
I love coming here and reading your thoughts and junk dude. One of the only interesting blogs I can get into..
P.S. Photos look dope man! :) (10.12.2009 05:50pm)
cj:
P.P.S. Juuuust noticed how you have Lost on your sidebar. I approve. (Y) (10.12.2009 05:53pm)
cale:CJ - Heck yeah man, that's what I am talking about. Been wanting to do this for a such a long time. Feel blessed to finally be getting the chance to do it. Thanks for checking out my stuff regularly. Really appreciate it. (10.12.2009 07:12pm)
cale:Mandy - Yes definitely one of my favorite words. Still hard for it to rightly justify these experiences. Yeah I love southwest, they just didn't book it for me this trip. (10.12.2009 09:21pm)
cale:Lindsey - Yes I need to get myself back down there soon!! Oh I have the pictures. I will have to send it to you soon! Where are the pics from the club you took? (10.12.2009 09:25pm)
Justin:
That's sick man, great opportunity. Red Bull would be amazing to get hooked up with. Good luck. (10.13.2009 09:46am)
Casey:
Looks like your "boss/stand in" is a seriously tough lady. ha! Great job, Cale! See you in Houston in a few weeks! (10.14.2009 10:07am)
The journey to the Mentawai was the most strenuous trip I have ever attempted in my life. Frankly, if I ever top it, I will be deeply surprised. Not only was it mentally shattering but physically arduous. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when Joey mentioned the trip months ago, but nothing I could’ve done would’ve adequately prepared me for the trip. Plans had actually been on and off for 4 months while Joey and I both waited on potential clients to come through. However, 2 days before I was to head home for my 23rd b-day, I found out Indonesia was happening 100%. This put me in complete crunch mode as I had to finish the Relient K documentary and a Tiger Army Webisode. I ended up taking 3 hard-drives to Oklahoma just to finish the work load before I left for Indonesia.
The day came(August 7th) and I took my pack, camera, and computer. Only taking the bare essentials. Meds, a couple pairs of clothes, socks, and underwear. My trip started as I left two of the most important women in my life crying. I was going to an island halfway around the world to stay with tribes, having absolutely no communication, and basically no information about exactly what we’d be doing. After a 1 hour trip to Tulsa, I boarded my 3 hour flight to LAX. I changed from the domestic airport to the international airport. During the 5 hour layover I spent most of the time talking to an ER Nurse named Justice, who was moving back to the Philippines to go to medical school. She wants to be a surgeon. Right before I boarded my 15 hour flight to Manilla, the airline informed us we would not be stopping in Guam, but flying straight to our destination. It would put us in Manilla at 3am, instead of 6am. This presented a big problem because my friend Apy was picking me up from the airport at 6am. I had no way of calling her so I sent a quick Facebook message hoping she would get it. I landed at 3am, went outside the airport, and sat on a railing just hoping she got my message. Well 6:30 rolled around and I finally see Apy. She told me she didn’t get my message. My flight to Jakarta didn’t leave til 10pm that night so I spent the whole day in Manilla hanging with Apy, Derrel, & Benjo(2 of her awesome friends). We went straight to get breakfast where they made me try local food. I had chicken and steak at 7am. Although it was good, it was way too early for steak and chicken. After breakfast we visited some historical spots, market places, and the slums. The slums were just visually depressing. Sheds stacked on sheds, stacked on sheds. We walked around there for a bit and they warned me not to take my phone nor my wallet. Supposedly people will just straight up snatch em. We had lunch, relaxed for a while, and then we all went and got Thai massages. It was exactly what I needed. It was $3 for a hour! Derrel told me at the parlor the girls were fighting over who would massage the American. It is insane how much I stood out there. Not only because I am a foreigner but my piercings and tattoos were so interesting to them. They kept grabbing my arm and touching my tattoos. After the massage we went to the mall of Asia to eat some seafood. I started to feel sick after dinner. Pretty sure it was due to exhaustion. I hadn’t slept but 3 or 4 hours since I left Oklahoma. They took me to the airport for my 8pm flight and we said our goodbyes. I had such an awesome day there. I miss Apy, Derrel, & Benjo. As I waited for my flight, I bounced in and out of sleep.
I took a 3 hour flight from Manilla to Jakarta where I was met by Willem and his friend Wilma. Quick backstory. Will lived in Indonesia for 6 months with a group of other students. He speaks Baja Indonesian fluently. Very cool. So at 12pm, we drove an hour to her house where Joey was already asleep. I was afraid for my life on the drive to Wilma’s house. Her friend drove so fast, and of course there are no traffic laws. We sped past everyone, weaving in and out of lanes. I already had anxiety from all the flights, and the insane driving multiplied it. After a couple hours of sleep we had to be up and make the hour drive back to the airport by taxi. From Jakarta we took a one hour flight to Padang where we met our guides Ricky and Charles. We drove an hour before we had breakfast, where we discussed our plans for Siberut. We thought we were staying the night in Padang before we went to Siberut but last minute we found out we were taking a ferry that night. We went to Ricky’s uncle’s to consolidate our gear. Take the bare minimum. Joey and Will came from a workshop in Australia so they had extra gear that wasn’t necessary to bring. We all went to the island with a couple pairs of clothes, but the main bulk was obviously our gear. We left his house to hit up a bank. The economy is so bad here, the banks maximum accounts were between $1000-$1500 American. While waiting at one bank, Will and I fell asleep in the lobby. We still hadn’t had a break in traveling. After the bank we went to the local market for food and supplies for Siberut. We bought rice, noodles, cheese, some condensed milk, sugar, and a lot of tea. We also got beads and tobacco to give as gifts to the tribe’s people. The entire time we were there someone stared at us. It was worse than Manilla. I have never felt so uneasy. Will would talk with everyone and they would get this surprised look on their faces. Everyone stared at his gauged ears and touched our tattoos.
We made it to the docks that night to catch the ferry. I got very nauseous just by looking at the boat. It’s a big wooden clunker that was packed with at least 200 people. Mainly locals with a few surfers, and tourists. The crowd of 200 people completely packed this ship shoulder to shoulder. There was absolutely no space left. To even walk down the main corridor you’d have to be like Indiana Jones and plan each step so you wouldn’t set off a booby trap. One wrong step and you are stepping on a strangers face, hand, leg, or stomach. If that wasn’t bad enough, it got even worse. Extreme heat and the smell of rich diesel gasoline burning through-out the entire boat. I told Joey I felt sick and I rush to the bow of the boat so I could hopefully find a spot and breathe fresh air. The back of the boat had comfortable room for 15, but there was probably 50 or more people back there. Most of the tourists and surfers attained space in the back, along with 8 muslims straight from Pakistan. They were having discussion with a minister who I later found out lives about 10 minutes from me in California. We were both very shocked. I stood in the middle of the crowd waiting for someone to relinquish their seat or make space on the bench. A muslim ,named Nasiem, saw me fanning myself so he moved over creating a spot for me. All of them smiled when you looked at them, and they gave everyone food and offered them places on their prayer mats to sit down. I found myself in between two of the muslims while one of them fanned me. Much relief, air! The boat ride was a 10 hour over night cruise. About 30 minutes into the slow churning of the boat, a woman pushed me aside to start throwing up over the side. Now anyone that knows me well knows I hate throw up more than ANYTHING. At that moment, I knew I was in for one hell of a night. After an hour the “throw-up fest” opened up in full force. At one point I counted 15 people throwing up over the sides, 6 of them being the Pakistanis including Nasiem. They were way too close to me. I felt sicker and sicker each time someone threw up. I started talking with Nasiem, between times he was throwing up, and I explained my fear of throw up and he started giving me advice to conquer this. The muslim on the other side grabbed my hands and started rubbing heavily on the space between my thumb and index finger. He said it would help, then right after, he started puking. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. About 3 hours into the boat ride he told me to sleep and he put my head on his leg. At first I was very hesitant, but I remembered learning that friends are very “touchy” where they come from. Friends hold hands, lean their heads on each other, and wrap their arms around each other. It represents friendship and closeness to their brothers, not anything homosexual. So I laid my head on his lap and I fell asleep for 2 hours. I was woken by loud cracks of thunder and bright flashes of lightening. The ocean acted as a mirror reflecting mother natures fury. Lighting up the entire ocean, highlighting each raindrop. It was beautiful. I put on my rain jacket and got pelted by rain for about an hour while I tried to sleep. Joey woke me to film some stuff while everyone was sleeping, so after filming for only about 20 minutes, I returned to the back where some girl had stolen my seat. I was so pissed! She had been sleeping next to her boyfriend(they were cuddling so I assumed) and now she had her own spot. She didn’t have the decency to move when she saw me sit back down so I weaseled my way back next to Nasiem and fell asleep for about 30 more minutes before I was woken up at 5am to the Muslims praying and singing very very loudly. I decided I wouldn’t be sleeping anymore. After Nasiem got finished praying, I talked with him the til we docked at 7am. We talked about religion, work, family, and love. He was so interesting. I will never forget meeting 8 of the nicest strangers in the world, all muslims from Pakistan, who any other day I would’ve felt uncomfortable just by being around them. Big kick in the teeth and I felt awful for it. As we approached Siberut it was the most beautiful sunrise I have seen to this day. The ocean, dolphins, and a rainbow. The color scheme was just mind blowing. It sounds like a stereotypical of a dream, but I am actually humbled that God could create something so surreal, for those few minutes, perfection had taken completion in my eyes. We had arrived, and Siberut had welcomed us to the island!
We took a short 15 minute drive to get to our pong pong boats. They are long wooden canoes with small engines. We packed up all of our gear and started our 4 hour ride up the river. Several times along the way it started raining on us. How absolutely refreshing and beautiful it was. We finally made it to Madobag where we met with our other guide Gejeng and cook Peno. He lives there in the government village with his wife. When we arrived we were greeted with hugs and a lot of odd stairs. We took off our wet shoes and socks and all just laid down for a while. We ate some rice and noodles as more and more people started showing up to the uma(Mentawai name for house) we were at. There were probably 20 people on the little porch just watching us. After sleeping a couple hours I was woken from counting sheep around 3am. My stomach had enough. I am sure it was the travel and change of food. I rushed out into the jungle with a bucket of water in the pitch black of night and had pretty terrible bowel movements. Not only was it pitch black and I was in the forest alone/scared, but it was raining. I think that was one of the worst experiences on the whole trip. It was an awful night! I got around 6 hours of sleep which was the most I’d had in 5 days. We met with our Sikere Shaman porters Aman Lala Ogo, Bajak Tarason, and Bajak Toikoik. Intimidation is the first thing that comes to mind when you are staring one of these guys down. Their choreographed full body tattoos, bold jewelry, cut muscles, knives hanging from their pen(loincloth), and if that isn’t enough for you then maybe their sharpened teeth will put the cherry on top. If I was in the woods and came across a Sikere, I’d be sprinting in the other direction before you could blink. We were giants compared in stature but I wouldn’t let that influence your judgement. That morning Joey took photos as I worked on my Letus Extreme. It was the first day and my 35mm converter malfunctioned. Letus + moisture + rainforest = Failure. After Joey took photos we packed our things and headed for our first location. The Atabai! The clan was a grueling 4 hour hike away. Three quarters of the trek involved climbing a mountain. Many variables made this the most difficult hike I’ve ever done. Narrow paths with big drop offs, tree snakes, the heat, heavy packs, and did I mention it was very steep? Bare in mind the rain forest is devilishly slick, making trekking that much more punishing. What amazed me was the architecture of the path. All the paths were either carved rock, carved roots, and strewn out wooden logs. As we engaged in the difficult hike, I couldn’t help but respect how long it must’ve taken to engineer such paths. Most of the wet rocks had bowl like cuts to create steps. Paths running next to trees had been dug deep revealing the roots, to which acted as individual stairs. Then hundreds and thousands of small logs laid across paths, to make it easier to trek through the ankle deep mud. Most logs had machete cut outs every few inches to make walking on them more manageable. The Shaman made us walking sticks after observing our failing attempts to walk naturally. We seriously looked like we were walking across a decrepit wooden bridge crossing a lake of lava. Trudging along, arms out to our sides for balance, looking down at one shoe going in front of the other, tongue sticking out concentrating on every shifting ounce of weight. A walking stick was an absolute necessity. I can’t tell you how many times I would’ve fallen without it.) The Sikere walk around barefoot and can make it over the mountain and back in 3 hours. It took us 4 hours just to make it one way. We had so much gear it took 15 locals from Madobag to get it all there. A quarter way through the trek, it looked like Will, Joey, and I had just gotten out of the shower. Water ran off of us like a rain cloud was cruising over our heads. Not a single Mentawai or Sikere had a drop of sweat on them. We had barely made it up the mountain before we could barely catch our breath. Some of the Mentawai women made fun of us and asked if we needed to be carried over the mountain! We all laughed pretty hard. Its funny, I thought I was in good shape but that mountain made a fool of my confidence. After 4 hours of near falls, many rain showers, losing liters of sweat, thick narrow paths, and staring at the ground, we finally made it to Atabai.
In the Atabai , we stayed with Ta Jia Jia. He was the most intimidating of the Sikere in my opinion. His uma was in an stunning location, and it housed his wife and 5 beautiful kids. As tradition goes, the first night guests arrive, they slaughter a pig and we feast! Joey and I were so tired, we actually slept through the squealing pig for about 15 minutes. Will later told us the Shaman made fun of us for sleeping through it. Later I was woken up by Will saying “Hey Joey, they are about to kill the pig, do you want to watch it?” Joey replied, “No, but Cale should film it.” Pretty sure Joey doesn’t remember saying that, but it’s definitely funny now. I got up and watched the fascinating ritual. Ta Jia Jia and the other Shaman sat in a circle and sang as Ta Jia Jia rubbed a chicken on all the Shaman and the planks of the house. They do this to ward of evil spirit. Then they cut the pigs throat and catch all the blood in a bucket they will later boil the pig in. Yes, they boil the pig in its own blood! FTW! It is Taboo for blood to touch the ground, so they make sure it completely bleeds out in a bowl. After the pig is killed, Shaman sing non stop until the pig is cleaned, cooked, and served. This takes around an hour. That night I woke up several times to hear the Shaman singing and talking. I don’t know how they have so much energy. They next morning we left early to go monkey hunting. The Shaman loaded up with their bows, poison tipped arrows, and machetes. I came to later find out, Shaman always stay up the entire night before a hunt, singing and praying, asking for help on the hunt. Half way to our destination Toikoik sung to the spirits to bless the hunt. Soon after we came to a clearing where a big hill was cut out and completely encased by the mountain. In the middle the hill was a hut that most Shaman stay in the night of a hunt. The location is important because it is in the clearing, surrounded completely by a tree line. They stay there overnight and listen for animal sounds, so they know which way they need to trek. It started pouring, just as we arrived. I couldn’t help but stand out in the rain and close my eyes. A perfect unearthly feeling that will never leave my thoughts. We sat in the hut for a couple hours just listening, talking, resting. For once it finally looked like the Shaman were getting tired. Lala fell asleep and drooled all over himself. Joey snapped some good shots of it! Along the way back to Ta Jia Jia’s uma we actually heard some monkey’s calling loudly. Lala said they were too far to track so we just continued on to the uma. At this point we had been constantly doing something since we got there and still lacked any basic hours of sleep. Will and I were quite delirious. That night we named one of Ta Jia Jia’s pigs Mohawk. Then we started debating who was tougher out of Babe or Wilber (Charlottes Web). We debated for about 15 minutes before Will said, “Man Babe would take a s*** in Charlotte’s Web!” I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. We both realized our minds had completely strayed off somewhere away from our bodies. That night we went to bed early and got some essential rest.
The next morning I woke up at around 4:30am. It had rained the majority of the night. The most refreshing thing of each day was walking down to the stream at sunrise and cleaning up. Washing my clothes, taking a river bath, and washing my face supplied me with more joy than I would’ve imagined before the trip. After breakfast we went to another uma where the women were going fishing. We followed them for a while as they caught little minos. I filmed and Joey took photos. He would get neck deep in the water with his Phase One. Crazy guy that Joey. After filming I walked back to the river bed where Ta Jia Jia and Aman Mita Punin were smoking and talking. I pulled out my Iphone and watched their eyes light up. They were so confused by this magical gadgetry I had unveiled. Mita Punin’s face was just priceless. One thing I found particularly interesting is, besides the reflection in the water, these people have never seen themselves. I mean we were only the 3rd white people he’s seen in his life! They are always wanting you to film them and take their photo. Then they want to see them immediately. Last night I turned on my laptop to transfer footage and the black screensaver with swirling lights came on. The entire uma surrounded it and just stared for about 15 minutes. I then thought I would introduced them to PhotoBooth, which they stared at diligently, transfixed on themselves like I had put a spell on them. At first, no-one waved, no-one smiled, and no-one spoke. They just stared at themselves. I tried to grasp this concept, but I couldn’t. I didn’t look in a mirror the entire time on the island, and that itself was weird. Imagine living your entire life and only knowing what you look like from a water reflection. There is no concept of looks and stereotypes. There is no ugly, hot, cute, skanky, preppy, gothic, nerd etc…..no hollywood, no NYC, no celebrities, and no illusion of what America has ordained the standard for the world. There’s absolutely nothing for them to compare themselves to. I find that absolutely beautiful.
The next night was my worst sleep yet. There are two small mats, less than an inch thick, that Joey, Will, and I take turns sleeping on. Typically one wouldn’t even consider this mat as something to even make a difference, but on the island it was a luxury! That day we decided to kill two chickens for lunch. Ta Jia Jia’s daughter Pet Pet would leave at sunrise(4:30-5am) and not come back til she caught the chicken. We ate chicken three times on the island, and each time it took her about 6 hours to find and catch them in the jungle! One chicken was for us, and one for the Sikere. When the Sikere killed theirs, they involved us in their ritual. They sat Will, Joey, and I down and rubbed the chicken on us. As Ta Jia Jia was rubbing the chicken on us he had a sinister grin as he spoke to the spirits. All the Shaman started laughing loudly. He thought it would be funny to say something like, “Please keep the spirits from this uma and the people here, but if you must, please take your wrath out on the white people.” He said he was kidding and continued to wish well on us. After lunch we found out we would be witnessing a ceremony called “Ulia Sibau” which is when a young Mentawai Sikere becomes a Shaman! The number of Sikere’s becoming Shaman is diminishing rapidly, so we felt extremely fortunate to witness this event in person. That night, while waiting for the ceremony to start, I passed out twice. After they ate, they pulled out some drums and started the “Turug Dance.” The father Bilijo (pronounced exactly like Billy Joe) and son would dance around each other and stomp their feet as the drummers played them on. Joey took photos as I filmed. They would dance for about 10-15 minutes, then break for a little while. They repeat this over and over. After 4 dances, we went back to Ta Jia Jia’s uma. As we slept, the stomping of the floorboards and beat of the drum echoed throughout the jungle the entire night.
The next day we trekked to a fallen Sago tree so Joey could photography 6 of the Shaman. I tried my best to film, but these conditions are the absolute worst. My hvx has somehow began to malfunction. I would have to put my battery in and out anywhere between 50-80 times. It would automatically record on start-up and none of the camera buttons would function. After popping the battery in and out several times, I could finally film. After that monotonous process, imagine trying to get smooth shots while walking in thick mud, stepping over brush, logs, and plants. An absolute nightmare trying to achieve my shooting style. After we left the Sago tree, we had just made it back to the uma before the heavens opened up and it rained harder than any day before. Thankfully we made it back because we forgot to take our rain covers to the tree. It could’ve been a disaster. The rain and cool breeze had put us into complete relaxation, and then the Uma started shaking violently. As the uma shook for a solid 10 seconds, we all ran outside to look at the trees. We didn’t have to worry about buildings falling on us, but the massive trees in the rainforest. We later found out that earthquake was registered as a 6.7. That first earthquake acted as a portal to what was coming. We had multiple earthquakes every hour, that continued for the remainder of the trip. I went to the national earthquake registry and counted over 60 earthquakes we had while staying in Indonesia. Several were registered over 6.0. I imagined since the Mentawai lived in the Ring Of Fire, they wouldn’t worry too much about earthquakes. It wasn’t until the Shaman said they were scared that made me nervous. They hadn’t had this many frequent earthquakes in years. Something beautiful in my eyes happened every time an earthquake struck. Ta Jia Jia would run through the uma to check on his family. That is the first thing he did every single time. The tribes are very family oriented. It was very evident to see the love they have for each other. Being around them really made me miss my friends and family even more. A couple times I wanted nothing more than to tell them how much I love them. When the earthquakes came they would grab their family and everyone would go outside, most going to the banana grove. This event goes back to an old Mentawai story.
“A long time ago there was a young boy, who was the most skilled builder the tribes had ever seen. He built the most spectacular uma’s in a mind-blowing 24 hours. Other tribe members became jealous and plotted the murder of this young talent. A family bribed him to build an uma in trade for several livestock and durian trees. Upon building the uma, they had him dig the stilt holes extra deep. While digging one they dropped a beam on his head killing him. They then covered him up and planted the beam over him making it “the perfect crime.” They had all but gotten away with it, until the feast held at the uma’s completion. They feast hosted several tribal people including the victim’s sister. While in the uma, she was visited by her brothers spirit who warned her to leave the uma immediately and go to the banana groves. They all mocked her for acting weird as she gathered her food and went to the grove. As soon as she made it to the grove, the earth began to shake knocking the uma to the ground and killing everyone inside. So now, every time there’s an earthquake, they go to the banana grove in respect and remembrance of the atrocity and justice served centuries ago.”
For the 2nd half of the story, read “Mentawai Part 2″
It will be up in a day or two along with other various content from the trip.
Also be sure and check Joey’s page. He will be posting stuff from the trip soon and I promise you will want to see the photos.
Michelle:
<3 Love everything. Glad to see some more from your trip :] (09.13.2009 06:33pm)
Bekah:
So very cool, Cale! I look forward to part 2 :) (09.13.2009 06:46pm)
Joey L:
Epic dude. It's so interesting to hear everything through your head instead of my own journals. I hope you know how fortunate I feel about you coming on this trip, let's do it again soon. Joey (09.13.2009 06:50pm)
Anna Grace:
Cale, this so amazing. I am so, so, so envious that you had the chance to experience and see all of this. You are so lucky. (09.13.2009 06:51pm)
Jeremy:
watching your amazing rocket ride in the last year has been great. Congrats man. Great stories here, can't wait to hear more. (09.13.2009 07:03pm)
Duby:
this absolutely awesome brother , looking forward for part 2 (09.13.2009 07:33pm)
casey:
dude these are sick!!
hope your doing well my brother! (09.13.2009 08:09pm)
Mandy:
This is all so awesome. Definitely worth the wait.
It's crazy to think that when we first started talking you had never been out of the country and now look at you! God has done some amazing things in your life, Cale. Your drive, determination, and passion are inspiring. I am so glad you had such a beautiful experience, even with the crazy treks, earthquakes, lack of sleep, and everything else. Looking forward to part 2! (09.13.2009 08:36pm)
cale:CraigThanks a lot bro. Soon! (09.13.2009 10:02pm)
cale:Bekah - Thanks. In a day or so it will be up. (09.13.2009 10:03pm)
cale:The Real JoeyL - Yeah each moment and experience is absorbed differently. Very very stoked on it man. (09.13.2009 10:04pm)
cale:Anna -It is something you could do yourself! Just gotta work hard. Thank you very much. (09.13.2009 10:05pm)
cale:Jeremy - Hey man thank you very much. The past 12 months have definitely been interesting ones. I hope things continue to get more and more intense. (09.13.2009 10:06pm)
cale:Duby - Heck yea man, so glad you liked it. Hope to see you soon man. (09.13.2009 10:06pm)
cale:Casey - Been way too long man. Hopefully we will have a run in soon. (09.13.2009 10:07pm)
cale:Mandy - Yes God still completely blows me away. All the traveling I have done in the past couple years has just been insane. I am so thankful. Thanks for the kind words, as always. It is very uplifting. (09.13.2009 10:08pm)
Misty:
Man, I'm so excited to finally see these photos. This is, hands down, the best work I've seen you do. I can see the heart you put into this, and that makes it even better. I can't wait to hear more about this trip, and to see the other pictures.
P.S., sorry for going the wrong way down the lane in the Best Buy parking lot. :) (09.13.2009 10:23pm)
cale:Misty - Wow thank you very much. Obviously all the photos that have (JoeyL Photo) are ones that he took. I have a handful of photos I will be posting to my portfolio, and not my blog. A few I really like. I am stoked for you to see the actual video montage. (09.13.2009 10:31pm)
Misty:
I'm stoked to see the video too! I'm turning into a nerd about video now that I've discovered the video my Canon gives me :). (09.13.2009 10:42pm)
Pirtle:
dude, you really are all that is man. The photos and story were so sick, I can't wait to see the rest. (09.14.2009 12:38am)
Petra:
Cale, who made all the translations? Was it Ricky? What about the women? What are their responsibilities?
What an adventure. I am a bit afraid of doing that trip with my son now, after reading all what happened to you ......but has to be!!!
What an exciting story!
Well done!
Good luck for your future. (09.14.2009 03:07am)
April K:
What an incredible journey Cale. Your stories remind me of friends' Peace Corps tales. Thanks for sharing the experience and beautiful photographs! (09.14.2009 03:12am)
Ryan Eller:
Freaking awesome...I cant wait until you post part 2! (09.14.2009 07:28am)
cale:Misty - Yeah canon is doing some ridiculous things! (09.14.2009 09:55am)
cale:Pirtle - I get part of my man from you! The man whose website is "asstard.com!" Oh my word i am laughing out loud in the office right now. (09.14.2009 09:55am)
cale:Petra - Ricky made 80% of them while Gejeng translated the Mentawai word Ricky wasn't too sure on into Indonesian for Ricky. I am telling you, it was very very difficult on us 3 boys and we are all in very good shape.
There are tons of women. When we trekked to and from Madobag, they would trek ahead of the men. Then when we all hang out, the women hang together in the back, and the men hang together in the front. We asked why they did this and they simply replied. "Because women talk about women things, and guys talk about guy things." It isn't because of a disrespect or like some cultures the women are less equal. It's simply because of guys wanna hang with guys. We have pictures with the females, but they were taken with Joey's camera, and I haven't gotten them yet. The women responsibilities I touch on in the 2nd post! (09.14.2009 10:03am)
cale:April - Yeah, I hope I can somehow top it! No problem, hopefully I will have a lot more to share soon. (09.14.2009 10:05am)
Nina Isabell:
now i know what you were talking about cale, absolutely amazing.
im in love with the pictures, so real you can almost feel them!
thank you so much for sharing this experience xo (09.14.2009 10:19am)
Tyler Clarensau:
Dude, this is ridiculous. Thanks for posting all of this. (09.14.2009 10:56am)
cj:
Whoa dude, this is unreal. What a trip!
Stoked for part two.
cj (09.14.2009 11:40am)
Alex Gandy:
No words can describe my envy. Im happy for you man! (09.14.2009 12:18pm)
Amy:
I think I can speak for many people when I say the love and passion you put into your work is a true example of a gift from God. You are a walking example that any dream, desire or passion can be achieved. Thank you for sharing. I did laugh about the boat and the throw up because I do know you well and I can only imagine you at those moments but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
- Amy Swearingen (Cooper) (09.14.2009 01:39pm)
cale:Nina - Hey thank you so much Nina. It really means a lot. More coming soon. (09.14.2009 04:04pm)
cale:
Tyler - No thank you for checking it out man. Hope we cross paths soon. (09.14.2009 04:05pm)
cale:
CJ - I am still trying to grasp the trip too. It's much appreciated sir. (09.14.2009 04:06pm)
cale:
Alex - Hey man it's been a while. Thanks for checking it out! (09.14.2009 04:06pm)
cale:
Amy hahahaha yeah it was so tough being on that boat. Ughhh i still have bad thoughts about it. Thank you for the inspiring words. I take them whole heartily. Thank you. (09.14.2009 04:07pm)
Mandy:
of course! but if you keep pulling this whole tease thing, I might have to take those nice words back :) (09.14.2009 04:50pm)
Ricky Vhoetra:
Fantastic Bud!!!
You know your story made me bloody missing you all guys, please do it again soon bud. Joey, I had a details how to get Koroway Tribe Bud and let's do it ASAP!! (09.15.2009 01:35am)
cale:Ricky - Lets get on it then bro!!!! (09.15.2009 11:03am)
Breezy Scott:
Hi Cale! It was so good to read about your trip! I miss you old friend. I am SO happy that you're getting to experience all of these things! <3 Breezy (09.15.2009 12:34pm)
cale:Breezy - Girl I know it is you! Glad you read it and everything. I will let you know next time I make it home. (09.15.2009 01:05pm)
Aunt Shanna:
Hey Cale
Totally blows me away! Enjoy every minute. What can I say? I'm so proud of you.
Be safe! When I saw you, I was looking at Robert. You two favor each other greatly.
Love (09.15.2009 05:32pm)
Brent Okuley:
Dude! These are incredible!! What an excellent experience this must have been! (09.17.2009 03:22am)
cale:Brent - When are we going to go on an extravaganza and live off the land? (09.18.2009 03:40pm)
cale:Shanna - It totally blew me away too. I still can't believe it happened. Yeah who would knew we'd turn out this way?? (09.18.2009 03:42pm)
quillan:
dude that is freakin awesome. wow. (09.29.2009 09:35pm)
Cuz Ryan:
Stunning... I'm at a loss for words. And a bit jealous too! Need any help? Mom forwarded me this link. Could you add my address when you send family stuff? I'd love to see more. (10.05.2009 09:48am)
Ainslie:
Just so jealous for the passion and experience Cale . Everything we learn from in life is always with some sort of barrier or struggle. The trip will stay with you forever, and completely change the way you view to world.
I have a daughter who is 19 and my main wish for her in life, is to travel - there is no other way in life that will show you "life" There are quite a few people I know that I would love to stick on that cramped wooden boat with the muslim men, that sh*t changes you! (10.07.2009 03:46pm)
Julz:
I've always wanted to check out your blog/video about the Mentawai, but I didn't have the time nor the luxury of a fast internet connection when I was in Manila. Thank God it's summer break from school, and I'm home in Cebu-- I finally got to check this out. And it just blew me away.
The film was just just completely awesome... Nice work, Cale! Your work just inspires me to study harder in school (since I'm studying digital film making), and I cannot wait to shoot beautiful things like you do. Thanks!
P.S. I have Relient K to thank for coming across your work. Loved the webisodes :)
-Julie (05.13.2010 09:47am)
Well this trip has been in the works for a while, but has been off and on as much as the sun goes up and down. I got word 2 days before I went to visit Oklahoma that the Indonesia trip was 100% on. I had to bring 3 hard-drives home just to finish projects allowing me time to go do this. Also had to cancel several shoots previously planned if the Indo trip didn’t happen. However it is on now and I leave later today. This visit home has been one of the best homecomings I have ever received. Getting to spend time with my family. Holding my baby niece for the first time. Wake boarding, surfing, with Alex, his awesome dad, Tim, Julie, Jessica…. Trying back-flips and front rolls? What were we thinking? Brett’s and my b-day float trip. The best b-day I have had. It was so incredible getting everyone together. You guys mean the world to me, thanks for making it so memorable. Austin and Sarah, so sorry I couldn’t make your wedding. It was good seeing you both, and I am very happy for you guys. Barron I am so bummed I wont be there for your show. I know how hard you have worked to get to this point and I am proud my friend, very proud. Chad, you are about to be a dad and I will be gone when the baby is born. I know she will be beautiful and I can’t wait to see her when I get back. Thanks Jamie for visiting from so far. It is always such a pleasure seeing you. Sorry you suck at taking directions from your IPhone. Everyone who took time to see me while in town, I appreciate it. I could go on and on about you guys. One of the best damn weeks I have had. Thanks. You guys make Oklahoma very hard to leave.
Well, onto the next chapter of my life. Turned 23 and ready for a new challenge. Stoked to meet up with my buddies Joey and Will. Our journey into the jungle starts soon. The excitement is building very rapidly mixed with a healthy dose of anxiety. The thought of packing up and heading somewhere with absolutely no itinerary or plans. Just show up and hope we are accepted and all works in our best interest. I will be without cellular service as well as Internet for the entire trip. That is a difficult thing for me to grasp. Almost 3 weeks without a cellphone, face-book, twitter…..jeez. To those of you clueless of what this trip is and why I am going. I will fill you in with all the detail as soon as I am home!
I would appreciate if you would pray for Joey, Will and myself. I will definitely need it.
Expect me back around September 1st! I will have plenty to post and talk about.
Misty:
I hope you have a wonderful and safe trip, man, and can't wait to hear all about it! (08.07.2009 09:13am)
APY:
CALE!!!!!
pleasure meeting up with you, hope you had a great time , hope we didnt tire you too much =) hit us up whenever you'll be in the area again, and stay longer so we could go to those awesome beaches and have uber great massages much cheaper than $6 hahaha! take care and see you SOON! (dont eat too much seafood and smoothies haha) - apy :) (08.09.2009 09:02am)
mandy:
1. I hope you don't really see dead people, that's kinda creepy.
2. I think you should be back by now which clearly means you need to update all your crazed 13 year old girl followers (mainly, me) on your trip. Please and thank you. (08.31.2009 07:17pm)
I am pretty sure this should be my new nickname. I always say my schedule is busy and kinda hectic, but this past month has seriously tested me on my those words.
Baseline I am editing Relient K’s studio/tour documentary, which has only taken longer than Demon Hunter’s 45 days, and RK is 45 minutes shorts….coincidence. I am VERY excited about it. I am happy with the end product. The story, the footage, and esp the SOUND, which I concentrated on so much more with this piece. I am excited for you guys to see it. In between editing and getting feedback, I spent an amazing trip in New York, a shoot with Bleeding Through, and a 3 day shoot with MTV. I am also in process of finishing up a Tiger Army project. All of this work is spiraling down a funnel and it is seriously at the very end. I leave tomorrow for Oklahoma, and I was finally given word that the Indonesia trip ,that has been on and off, is definitely on now. So going home tomorrow, and leaving for Indonesia on Aug 7th. When I go to Indonesia, I will be without use of my cellphone and email for 3 full weeks. I am very nervous, but my excitement is definitely triumphant. I will be going with JoeyL and Willem to live with a tribe and of course document the experience.
I found out yesterday I leave the country in 9 days, for almost a month, and I have quite a list of things to do. Will I finish everything before I go? Yes, you can count on it. They call me Crunch…..Cap’n Crunch.
Would appreciate if you guys prayed for JoeyL, Willem and I.
This trip is going to be very intense and difficult, but an experience of a lifetime nonetheless.
My b-day is Aug 1st. What a way to start out 23.
ansley lynn:
ah! amazing! have an awesome trip back home, and wow what an experience you are going to get to have in indonesia!! i'm jealous, but incredibly stoked for you! (07.29.2009 10:57am)
Tara Way:
Good luck, have fun, and be safe.
I wish the best for you.
Also, be sure to let me know if you ever get time to throw in a trip to Tennesee with your busy schedule. (07.29.2009 11:11am)
Kyle K.:
Wow, they keep you busy. I'm looking forward to the RK documentary! (07.29.2009 11:18am)
joshua krohn:
hey man, i'm gonna miss your tweets and blog post updates. i'm excited for the rK footage but beyond excited for this new opportunity for you. Godspeed and i hope to hear from you soon. looking forward to the stories and video you bring back. (07.29.2009 02:06pm)
Sarah:
Hey, have an amazing trip. Good luck with getting everything done beforehand and my prayers will be with you guys in Indonesia.... and Happy Birthday! (07.30.2009 08:29am)
cale:Sarah -Thank you very much Sarah. Insanity continues! (08.06.2009 10:07pm)
cale:Joshua - Hey thanks a lot man, you can be sure I will have plenty to say after the trip. Thanks for the kind words bro. Talk soon. (08.06.2009 10:08pm)
cale:Kyle - Keep my busy for sure. I finished the RK documentary YESTERDAY! (08.06.2009 10:08pm)
cale:Tara - Thank you. Tennessee is always on my list, just gotta find time to visit! (08.06.2009 10:09pm)
cale:Ansley - Thanks girl, I will be talking to you soon! Take care (08.06.2009 10:09pm)
Last week I went to Brooklyn, New York to shoot with my buddy Joey L. He asked me to come shoot the interviews for the lighting DVD he is putting together. If you are interested about getting into photography, and want to learn lighting. This is definitely something you need to keep your eye open for. Definitely a lot of content that will teach you important things you need to know. Also as part of the DVD, he thought it would be funny to make 2 music videos about photography. I shot both videos for him, one called “Get Flashed” and one called “Nikon Girl.” Needless to say they are absolutely hilarious. Their like SNL digital shorts. They were recorded professionally by his friend Kent, so the sound is legit also. We filmed all over New York….Brooklyn Bridge, Rooftops, parks, graffiti walls and Coney Island. We saw fights, hit & runs, rats, wrecks, and chola chicks. I don’t think I have ever been honked at so many times in my life. It was a lot of work, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Think the funniest part was seeing people’s reactions in public, when Joey and Will would just bust out some hard rap wearing those gold camera chains. The videos will hopefully release in August. I have seen a couple previews and they are looking fly!
We shot every bit of 3+ days. It was interesting stepping out of my comfort zone, not only from a personality perspective, but a shooting perspective. Everything was spontaneous, so I just show up and make the best of it. At night after shooting we would hang on Joey’s roof in downtown Brooklyn. His buddies Brayden, Kent, and Will were all down from Canada, and I honestly don’t think I have laughed so hard. I feel so blessed to do what I do, in I get to have experiences like that and actually make a living from it.
Filming a scene in Brooklyn for “Get Flashed.” All those kids were just at the park, and we got them to be in the video.
They were skeptical at first, but after I showed them footage, they got really excited. So awesome.
After finishing shoot on Brooklyn Bridge. From left to right. Yours truly, Kent, JoeyL, Will, Brayden.
***On a side note, Joey let me have one of the gold camera’s to take home as a prop. At the airport, of course I got selected for a search(11th time in 2 years). The TSA agent was looking through my bag when he came across the gold camera. Keep in mind I am running SUPER late as it is. He slowly grabs it and holds it up, looks at the other agents and then to me. “What is this sir?” I said, “It is a video prop, I was in New York shooting two video about photography, and it’s like camera bling. It’s a joke.” He just sits there, stares at the camera, then back to me and says…”So it’s kinda like flava flav?” I just laughed and said “yes, exactly like flava flav.” Then he started laughing and let me go. I barely made my flight. I actually put my belt back on in the plane. Good times.***
Thanks to JoeyL for bringing me out. Thanks to Will, Brayden, Kent, and Hayley for all your help. Definitely couldn’t have done it without you guys.
See you guys soon.
Well I hit the road last Tuesday with Relient K. Met up in Pomona, Ca for a where I am touring for a little over a week. I haven’t been on a tour since last year this time with DH. Something about being on the road is so refreshing. New people, new places, something new EVERY DAY. Something about mystery entices me as I am sure it does everyone. Not have a REAL daily schedule is freeing. I am very thankful for getting this opportunity with RK. Some of the coolest guys I have met, band and crew. They are just killing the shows. The crowds have been so packed, and they sing EVERY word. I get the chills. They are playing two new songs off their upcoming record, which is very good on the ears. Highlight so far was Pomona. Jered Scott, and Andy Barron were there, along with my roomie Joseph. Met Tom Wilson, along with Ethan’s family, and some rad hangouts at In-N-Out after the show. Dang good way to start off hitting the road.
The above photo is of Ethan Luck at “The Dome” in Bakersfield, Ca. I waited a good while for the ceiling to be exposed enough to capture. Not an hdr or composite. Below is a photo of Peter from Runner Runner. Very solid dude. He was hanging out under the sign and I just snapped a couple real quick.
Definitely putting my new camera to use. Feeling very positive about the footage I am getting. Cinematic and photographic. Be posting in the next day or so! No news lately as to work. I have 4 potential jobs at stake. All would take place near the same time. God is good. Whatever comes, I will do the dang best I can do, even if I don’t get the job at the top of my list.
Hope everyone is doing well. I have a lot of stuff to post about. Be keeping your eyes busy for the next week. Thanks for checking back. Family and friends I love and miss you. Thanks for your everlasting supply of love and support. Hope to see you guys soon.
Cale Glendening
PS – Ethan shoots for a company called Brixton hats. He hooked me up with a free hat in Pomona. Very appreciated sir. Go check out their hats, they are sick!
4 votesvote as favorite
your comment