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Kaptive Photography featured in the boomtastic and badass blog of  www.rocknrollbride.com …which is well…pretty rocknroll. She picks out some awesome stuff. I love Kat’s (<–writer of said blog) take on wedding essence. Its all about the fun, funny, and personal…not so much the cliche…unless of course thats your thing.  So rock on. 

  Most of the staff said the place was haunted. More specifically that there was 3 ghosts. For some reason I always end up asking people about ghosts/monsters wherever I find myself working or traveling. Its like this quiet but persistant desire to touch something unexplainable. A friend of mine claims to have seen Bigfoot in E. WA but Im not sure I believe him…not that I dont believe he believes it…but hes an idiot. It was probably a stump…or at best a large dog. In any case if there  were ghosts there they hung out back in the creepy 2 ton coal stove and let everyone party. This was one of the most charming venues Iv ever had the pleasure of shooting. Straight up old-timey. No classy-length cigarette holders and old men with Manhattans but plenty of fun, dancing, and Italian food. The Bride and Groom were pretty fearless and alot of fun as well…how much smoother things go when everyone is relaaaaaaxed. Thanks much!  

Coal Creek Mine. These trees are second or third growth. Pioneering miners lived here in stilted up shacks reminescent of an internment camp only a hundred years ago, using the river for power and water. They had no idea only a few acres away would exist miles and miles of massive and complex glittering towers and busy people just out of their lifetimes. It was an odd feeling walking on the old asphalt roads that the forest had reclaimed. Things change really fast.

Hot springs in the snow is definitely the way to go. Getting out is tough though. 

There really is no words to describe how wrong this is…but Ill try. The last couple years Iv had an obsession with food. For many years I never really considered what eating “healthy food” meant. Its easy to take for granted that what is in front of you and readily available is just what is supposed to be. But one day something clicked and I realized all food should be healthy…or it isnt food. The Earth can provide us with what we are supposed to eat in abundance…otherwise we wouldnt have made it this far as a species. And Im not talking about the 10,000 or so flash-in-the-pan years since totalitarian agriculture but the hundreds of thousands of years we thrived as upright, uber-intelligent beings consuming what we were built to. My friends are probably tired of hearing my rants but its hard sometimes seeing things made so complicated that are so simple. As lifespans in the western world are at an all time high due to drugs and procedures that increase biological life without increasing the quality of living, so are social interaction, general mental health, and physical wellness at an all time low. 1 in 5 people are said to be “depressed” and 1 in 5 PRE schoolers are obese. How the fuck do pre schoolers get obese? I hate to oversimplify but to me and many people out there some answers are obvious. Food is somethin so basic, vital, and intimate in our lives yet all but overlooked and ignored nowadays. How often do you just eat something without hardly noticing its taste or thinking about where it came from? For most people, including myself, its often daily. But not too long ago the gathering and consumption of food was driving force in our culture and social lives. Much can be attributed to the direction of industry and whats profitable at a certain time. Sugar, a relative newcomer to the common human palette, only became big in the west about 200 years ago. Since then it is pervasive and unfortunately an extremely cheap calorie. Without going into detail it is across the board awful and your body does not like it…yet it is in everything now. But the problems dont stop at sugar. We consume more meat and animal product then any other nation per capita…AND we have the highest healthcare costs…weird. Someone look into that. We used to run for miles and exhaust massive amounts of calories for a lean and nutritious kill…now we can drive through town while we eat a 1/2lb of nearly useless protein from a diseased and pathetic excuse for an animal pumped full of chemicals. Imagine if we really are what we eat. The human body (with a few exceptions from some isolated tribes in harsh environments) does not do well on a diet high in meat and low in plants. Predatory digestive tracts are short and ours is not. Our stomach acids are more suited to the protiens in nuts then those in a steak. Not to say meat is entirely unhealthy…but only healthy meat can be healthy and then only in small amounts.  Im not sure how we missed the link between eating real food and feeling real good…but it seems like too many people just dont see it and its only a matter of education. If people arent aware they can chose between real food and edible substances how can they chose right? Why is it not okay to tell young kids, “coca cola is poisonous” in kindergarten? And not only ”why is it not ok” but WHY IS IT NOT MANDATORY?  When there are so many other toxins  out there it annoys the shit out of me that food can be so vague and dangerous. But at least theres nutrition labels…now if only people understood their implications.

It has to be a good sign when the Earth breathes fire and ash on your wedding reception. Literally. But it is a pain in the ass for the photographer. But cancelled flights and a close-call scare have been trumped by a kickass party. What a gaggle of fun-loving North dwellers. I couldnt have had more fun and to see Anchorage wearing its snowy jacket was nice as well. It makes the summer that much more amazing.