They all fit together in my mind as signposts for where we need to go as human beings. We need to respect the beautiful places that we have here on Earth. Not just for beauty’s sake, but for the plants, the trees, and the animals that live there and call it home. We need to respect that there are some places in this world that should be left alone and left wild. We have started, with national parks and nature preserves, but whole areas of this planet should be set aside and just be left alone. We need to do this now before the pressures of ten billion people (coming soon folks!) roll across the wild places destroying everything in its path.

We need to set aside some of the animals as untouchable. Whales should be one of these. My list would include most other animals as well, but let’s start with whales. We should leave them alone and let them swim and sing untouched and protected. There are issues such as indigenous people relying on whale meat as their traditional food, and I say if it is truly done in the old way and by those that truly survive off the whales, then fine. But that is all.

The movie “Avatar” reminded me that we need to develop an ethic on this planet that we are able to take to the other planets. An ethic that says there are some parts of planets and moons that should be left alone and left in their original state. An ethic that says if we ever encounter new life forms or intelligent beings, that they are sacred, just like Earth life forms are and should be left alone. There will be resources that we need in space, on the asteroids, comets, and some moons. But some should be left alone.

As I write this, the Sea Shepherd Ship, the Ady Gil is sinking in the Antarctic Waters. I’m pissed off and I have tweeted and facebooked my feelings today. I just got a reply from Ken Collins saying he will match anyone’s donations up to $100. He is as mad as I am. I’m now heading over to www.SeaShepherd.org to increase my monthly donation.

Tony

Here’s the Methuselah Grove episode:

I woke up a few days ago and found a message from Tipay, a SLAM alumni who works at the Apple Store in San Francisco, with a video attached showing Beautiful Places featured in an Apple TV in store promotional video. I knew something was going to feature me because a few months ago Apple sent me a “model release” to sign saying they could use my likeness. I signed it, of course, and waited to see myself on TV someday. Well, it didn’t get onto TV, oh well, but it is there in every Apple Store on the Apple TV!

I still need to get down to my local store and see it. I usually go there and watch my latest episode just to see how it looks. I once had a guy come up and start telling me all about Havasu Falls while I was watching the episode. Right as he was pausing mid sentence, a shot of me walking down Havasu Canyon came on and I pointed to it and said, “that’s me.” We had a laugh and talked some more about it and many other places.

I love it when I meet people on the trail and tell them about what I do, and then they actually remember when they get home to look up the podcast and get in touch with me. There are so many ways to get in touch with me.
I have a Facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/tonyfarley

I have a Facebook Fan page for Beautiful Places where I post images taken on my trips as well as videos I take for other projects: http://www.facebook.com/BeautifulPlaces

And I Twitter: http://twitter.com/tonyfarley

Everyone is welcome to friend me, follow me, become a fan, become my Farmville neighbor, whatever you like using. I am also working on a new website. More about that when I have more done.

Here is a shot of the video on YouTube. That’s Tipay at the end saying “did you see that?” Thanks Tipay!

You can see the video here on the Climbing For Kids YouTube Channel. There are a couple other videos created by me on the site, the First Training Hike of The Year video and the Mt. Diablo Training Hike. Please check them all out and leave a remark if you like them.

I like tech as much as the next nerd out there but I don’t care to know everything or even try. I never even listened to TWIT when I wasn’t there filming it. The outdoors was my thing. On Saturday and Sunday when I had time to leave home, I wanted to be in the woods. So I decided to create Beautiful Places. A perfect blend of the nerd in me with tech, podcasting, equipment, etc. but also a perfect match for the nature lover in me. I feel lucky that I was able to find what I loved doing, and I owe a lot to Alex Lindsay for being that inspiration. We used to go to the Pixel Corps offices and hear Alex speak every Saturday. Those times were like a strong wind lifting me up. Alex’s generosity with his time as well as his willingness to let me tag along and work on projects that were way over my head allowed me to get real experience with real shooting. I’ve told this story before, but I was actually attending school at the Academy of Art in SF when I decided to create Beautiful Places. I was so sure it was right for me that I quit school and bought an HD camera with my leftover student loan money. Alex just smiled and nodded that Obiwan nod of his with the “you have done well” look on his face.

We talked about an hour about cameras, what he was doing there (HDR shots for a matte painting), my school, the Pixel Corps, then he went off to work and Rick and I went home.

I wish that everyone could find that one thing that really interests them, that will start their day with joy that they are able to do it. Sure, maybe your work doesn’t do that for you, but at least something you do on the weekends. That’s really what podcasting is for me right now, just a weekend now and then traveling to a beautiful place and filming it. I hope to some day be able to take large amounts of time and travel to further places. Right now, I am filled with happiness that I am able to teach kids during the week and create Beautiful Places on the weekends.

What is it that you like to do? Are you able to do it? Is it possible to make it into a career someday? Take a leap and start doing it! I’m not saying to quit your job, keep it and start your hobby on your day off. You may find that the fulfillment and joy it brings makes those days at work that much easier. And start a business that involves what you love doing! The tax benefits alone are worth the effort of starting your business. For me, my travel, equipment, gas, food, etc. are all business expenses! OK, sorry if that last bit sounded like Chris Brogen. I like him though and he has been inspiring some of the latest things I am working on.

Above is my favorite shot of the day. You can see more on my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/tonyfarley/ Taken with my new Canon G10!

I started the first night’s show with an ache in my stomach as I knew the footage would be spectacular and I kinda felt competitive with Burns and his crew. This is what I do, and I knew they would be blowing my work away. I kinda put them down a bit in my own mind by recognizing that they had megabucks and the best equipment, but that’s the cry of every photographer and cinematographer when a better artist shows better work. It’s not about the equipment.

As the show began, I felt good. They had spectacular shots, but the detail and the time spent showing a place was nothing like what I am able to do in Beautiful Places. They are different shows. Whew. Now I was able to enjoy the show for what it was. It took about five minutes.

I love the stories of John Muir, one of my heroes and a spiritual inspiration of mine. I have learned so much that I had not known about Muir. And tonight’s show talked of Mather. Most of all, the show talked about the Park Rangers-my dream job. The day I put on the hat will be a dream come true day for me. I have some years to go in teaching, but if the Park Service will have me, I’ll be joining up when I’m 50+.

I think the Park Service needs a Park Videographer that can show the beauty of the parks. That person should be me. Oh well, I’m doing it anyway.

A friend of mine suggested I do a workshop where I teach others how to shoot nature video or stills. He said people would pay good money for it. My problem with this is that it moves doing what I love even more into the realm of earning money than it already is. I would have to please people because they are paying customers. I already do most of my shooting alone because I don’t think it is fair or fun for the people on a trip with me to sit and study a water drip for an hour. My last video from Zion Narrows, I did just that in a little side canyon called Orderville Canyon. I saw the drip, set down my pack, and filmed it at different angles and waited until the pool around it calmed down and the light was right. I love it when I have all day on a hike to spend hours shooting whatever I want. I love walking away from a place or a view and knowing that I captured it, and having others around usually requires me to do the best I can and move along.

Now, maybe others on the trip would actually enjoy shooting a drip for an hour, but that drip is mine! I don’t want other people stealing my shots. I’m kinda kidding, but not entirely. Truthfully, I film what I film because I want to share it with others, but I think having a bunch of people around would ruin the moment. I’m also out there for my own piece of mind and sometimes to get away from others and be by myself. I really enjoy solitude and spend my entire work life teaching, so teaching on my precious trips feels like never stopping work. Anyone that knows me well knows that I really like to take time off from work and get away, often!

Also, there is the issue of noise. People make so much noise. Even a friend on a trip, who knows he needs to be silent while I am taping, makes noise that shows up huge in the video. A scrape of pants, a movement of a sleeve, a step, it’s all picked up and makes life harder for the sound edit. When I go places with lots of people, I usually end up stripping the entire soundtrack out and replacing it with some clean sound I taped in another location. It is very hard sometimes to find a place to record good sound. A nearby road, planes overhead, people talking, it’s not fun finding good sound.

I am putting together a photo and video exhibit that I would like to show someday. It’s just a little dream right now and I’m working on my photos and printing them so that someday I can have a gallery show somewhere. I think any serious artist needs to work toward that day when they put their work out there to people and stand in front of it. I also have the hope that someday I will have a gallery where folks can buy my videos and images along with photo books, cards, and calendars. I have a long way to go and a ton to learn before that day comes though, but it’s a cool goal.

Tony

I love driving to a place like Zion, getting there before sunset, and driving around a bit to figure out where to go the next morning to watch the sunrise. I drove into Zion and took a wrong turn. Actually, I missed the turn and went up up up and into the looooooooong miles long tunnel that takes you up and out of the East end of the park. I knew I had messed up half way through the tunnel but kept going. Sometimes messing up results in seeing special things. I pulled out of the tunnel and off the road to take a look around and saw the stars! What a site, with a pitch black night and complete silence the view of the night sky was perfect. It was worth the drive. After about a half hour of freezing and looking at the stars, I drove down and took the right turn into Zion Canyon. I wasn’t able to see much of where to go but drove through and back out to the campground. I layed my pack down at camp on a tarp and went to sleep.
I woke up about four in the morning covered with ice. My pack crack cracked as I moved and I popped my head out with ice cracking and sprinkling away as I pushed through. The dew must have settled on my pack and then the temperature dropped below freezing. I just looked up at the stars again and pulled the mummy string tight and went back to sleep.
Next morning, I got up in the dark, packed everything in the car, and drove into Zion Canyon. The predawn light was bright enough where I could plainly see where to go to watch the sunrise. Really, you’re in a large canyon, so you wont see the sun till around 10 am, but the sun shining on the towering canyon walls is spectacular! I ate breakfast next to my car with my camera rolling catching the light. I then spent the day exploring the canyon and filming the Zion Canyon episode:

The next morning was the real reason for the trip: Zion Narrows. I had never been to The Narrows but had heard from too many people that it was the trip of a lifetime. It was. I rented a drysuit and walking stick in town and walked into a wonderland of sandstone canyon walls and greenish-blue waters that became my trail for most of the journey. Walking in water that flows in the opposite direction is slow going. You are pushing through the water with every step. Every turn in the canyon brings different surprises. Sometimes a shaft of light lighting the canyon in bright orange light, and sometimes water or mosses flowing over the sides. Sunlight shining down around a corner results in a red glow where you are and the sandstone erupts in light.
There’s a side canyon called Orderville Canyon that is not to be missed. It’s about three or four miles up The Narrows. You can see it above. The image above is a screenshot from the Zion Narrows episode. There was no one else there in Orderville and I was able to eat lunch and enjoy the peace and quiet that I come to places like this for. I hope you enjoy the episode and remember that it may be free to download, but if you enjoy it, leave a comment. Your comments will ensure possible sponsors that there are many of you out there that like the show. If you would the show to come out more often, well then help us get a sponsor by leaving a comment!

Thanks,

Tony

We’re releasing the Hiking show! Just a taste of the first-ever episode that I created to show ON Networks what a cool idea it would be to show folks the trails, talk about gear or hiking tips, and what folks can expect on the trail when they hike to a Beautiful Place. The first show is the hike up the Mist Trail, one of my all-time favorite hikes. I have shot Hiking shows along with most of the Beautiful Places shows I have shot; they are just waiting to come out. I’ve been very careful to do two separate shows with different shots in each so you can see new things not seen in the Beautiful Places show.

The Hiking show will come out on the new website for the show http://www.Bphiking.tv The trailer will be posted to iTunes and linked to Bphiking.tv where you can watch the first episode. I can’t wait for you all to see it and for the show to come out regularly! Beautiful Places and Beautiful Places: Hiking are going to be fun, beautiful, and educational.

I spent a few days at Dewey Point in Yosemite. It’s on the South Rim of the valley about 4 miles hike from the Glacier Point road. I got there a day earlier than my friends Rick and Mary and spent the day hanging out, reading, sleeping, and enjoying the view. Different groups of hikers came along throughout the day and I was able to talk to every group. One group gave me some extra water, another gave me some wasabi peas, one group included a Park Ranger and checked my Wilderness Permit, and another group just sat and exchanged stories and laughs.

I usually don’t do a lot of talking to folks because I am always on the move. However, the big camera usually starts up some conversations like “that’s one hell of a camera!.” It’s fun to tell people what I do and I hope they are able to remember the podcast name when they get home. I do also have business cards that I hand out when I remember to bring them.

I said it before in another blog post, but people on the trail are always so nice. HIking and backpacking brings you into a world of nature and beauty, but also into a world where people care about each other and actually talk to each other.

I created a Facebook Fanpage where I post more of my trip photos, post short bonus video clips, and message and chat with folks from all over. Please join the Fanpage, I’d love to “friend” you back and see what’s going on with you.

Link to Beautiful Places Fanpage

I’m also a Twitterer! http://twitter.com/tonyfarley If you like this blog, you will surely enjoy my random thoughts at 140 characters per hour!

This is my second podcast.  It’s a spinoff of Beautiful Places In HD.  Our thinking was that Beautiful Places was all about the place, and showing the place with minimal distraction.  Beautiful Places: Hiking shows you how to get to the beautiful places.  There’s much more of me in the hiking show: I introduce the hike and cut to a cool 3D map that shows the trail with the hills and valleys clearly visible.  Then I talk about the difficulty of the trail and special things you will need on the trail.   I show some trail hiking shots that let you get a feel for the terrain and then stop for a break and discuss a piece of gear or a hiking tip.  The Crater Lake show discusses shoe/boot selection and yes, I brought all five pairs of my  trail footwear with me.  The Mount Saint Helens show discusses trekking poles, why you should always use them and how to select your pair.  I then move on with a few more hiking shots and get to the destination where I show some Beautiful Places-like shots.  I then say goodbye until the next hike.  It’s a great show and I am very proud of it.  I think once it comes out, it will be just as popular as Beautiful Places.

The image above is from the media kit for the show.  You can download the whole thing here: Beautiful Places: Hiking Media Kit.  If you know someone in marketing for a hiking/outdoor related industry, pass it along.  This is a great opportunity for a company to be involved in a podcast that is of professional quality and will be the top podcast in it’s class.

Take a look at the trailer

Thanks for reading.

Tony