Corey Rich Productions

Tahoe Quarterly - All Stars

Despite the fact I'm seldom there (except during the winter), I proudly call Lake Tahoe home. I can't imagine a more wonderful place to return after many weeks, sometimes months, of endless travel. For this reason, I'm honored that Tahoe Quarterly has named me amongst the local "All-Stars". Be sure to check out the 2011 Ski & Ride issue for a quick bio and a few quirky facts. (No exaggeration, I eat at least one burrito a day.)

Making this even more special is the fact that I'm featured on this page along with Heavenly's very own John Wagnon. He's a true champion of skiing in the Tahoe basin, advocate of adventure across the state of California and one of the finest athletes I know. Everyone in town owes this man a drink! John is not only a great client, but someone I count among my friends. Thanks for everything John!

 

ATTA Update - Jackson Kayak and Aurora Photos partner with Mexico Board of Tourism

Coming to you from south of the border, an update from the ATTA Summit in Chiapas, Mexico. In addition to lots of interest in my presentations and the opportunity to meet some truly amazing people from around the globe, a very exciting announcement was made here this week. Our good friends at Jackson Kayak have teamed up with the Mexico Tourism Board and the Tourism Department of Veracruz to promote the area's adventure travel potential.

“In Veracruz it is possible to practice almost all forms of of adventure tourism including whitewater rafting,” said Clara Remes Sánchez, Director of Adventure Travel, Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Cinematography for the State of Veracruz. “Our state boasts the largest number of rivers in Mexico and an important number of them are ideal for practicing kayaking. It is therefore fitting that Jackson Kayak should choose us to showcase its products. We look forward to having a successful partnership with them and thank the Mexico Tourism Board for endorsing this endeavor.”

I'm honored to add that Aurora Photos, having been part of the development of this partnership from the early stages, will join Jackson Kayak in Mexcio, providing the talent to capture the action in still and motion, which will be used to generate multimedia stories for use by all of the partners. I will be making the trip along with fellow Aurora contributor and former CRP staffer, Trevor Clark. Jackson Kayak has assembled a serious crew of paddlers for the project including four-time World Champ Eric Jackson, former World Champ, Nick Troutman, Women's World Champ Emily Jackson, Junior World Champ Dane Jackson and Central America's finest kayaker, Rafa Ortiz. This team will help train and leave in place the boats and techniques to help adventure travel outfitters in whitewater, touring and kayak fishing enhance and grow their businesses. We have a fun trip and some great potential ahead of us next month, but first, a lot of pre-production!

It's a good thing I've honed my taste for tequila while in Chiapas, because this week, apparently, is just the beginning! Check back towards the end of the year for trip updates. Traveling with Team Jackson, there are certain to be some great stories!

(L) Speaking during my presentation, "The Big Picture". (R) Rafa Ortiz, joined by Lee Hart, Eric Jackson and myself, speaks at the press conference to announce the partnership with the Mexico Board of Tourism. All Photos ©Brett Wilhelm/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC

PDNedu - Photographer Q&A

As a way of educating the next wave of up and coming photographers, PDNedu reached out to pick the brain of some of today's pros. Ten of us were all asked the same question: "What is the most important action you've taken in support of your photography business?". See the spread above for my response, as well as thoughts from Leesha Quigg, Matt & Agnes Hage, Mark Humphrey, Steve Simon, Manjari Sharma, Doug Menuez, Ami Vitale, and fellow Aurora Photos contributors Stefan Chow and Michael Clark. Everyone here provides some very valuable insight! 

"The most important business decision I've ever made was to not become too focused on the business of making money! I know this sounds counterintuitive, but from the beginning, I adopted a simple philosophy. Remain focused on three core values: 1) Have fun every day, 2) work with great people and 3) be creative! I figured that if I did all of that, the money would follow. As it turns out, I was right!"

 

Adventure Travel World Summit - Presentations

Chiapas has long been on my list of places I'd like to visit. So, what better reason to make my first trip there than for an adventure travel conference? I will be in Mexico all next week on behalf of Aurora Photos presenting at the Adventure Travel World Summit, hosted by the Adventure Travel Trade Association. The ATTA is a global organization made up of travel agents, tour guides, tourism boards and the media who have all come together to foster a common goal, to promote adventure travel. Joined by Brett Wilhelm from Rich Clarkson & Associates, I will be on hand to discuss the role visual storytelling plays in the adventure tourism industry. I will present my talks "Storytelling for a New Era" and "The Big Picture" to a group of over 650 delegates from around the world. Before I take the stage, the opening address at the summit will be delivered by Felipe Calderón, the President of Mexico. A pretty impressive start to the week!

This year's summit offered two scholarships to up and coming storytellers who are already making their name in promoting adventure around the world. I'm excited to announce that both scholarships went to fellow Aurora photographers and all around great guys, Trevor Clark and Rachid Dahnoun. I look forward to catching up (and drinking Mexican tequila) with them, along with good friend and fellow speaker Eric Jackson. (I hope I get to talk first, because his is a tough act to follow.) Many thanks go out to Greg Bleakney, as he was instrumental in connecting the right people and making all of this possible. 

The summit sold out quickly after registration opened, though you can check out all the happenings and read about the speakers on the ATTA summit website. Also, check back here in the coming weeks for a full report from Chiapas. ¡Adios!

 

Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival - Official Selection

From it's modest beginnings in 2003, the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival has grown to hold an important place in the mountain festival circuit. Not only a showcase of great action and adventure films, Flagstaff maintains a focus on the appreciation and preservation of wild places and indigenous cultures. Aside from that, Flagstaff is a great place to spend a weekend.

I'm proud to be a part of the cause, as my short film, Journey to Keketouhai has been chosen as an official selection for the 2011 program and have been awarded my first set of laurels. (That has a nice ring to it.) Sadly, I will not be able to attend the festival, but I encourage you to make the trip to Arizona. With film viewings and speaker appearances running from October 12th - 16th, this promises to be a great event. Visit the festival website for all the details and to purchase tickets.

As I've said before, this video would not have been possible without my amazing climbing and travel companions. Many thanks to Tommy Caldwell, Hayden Kennedy, Mark Jenkins, Jeremy Collins, Becca Caldwell, and my wife Marina, as well as to Aaron Wolfe for his edit of the final piece.

 

Pictureline - Digitalfest

 

This Friday and Saturday I'll be in Salt Lake City, Utah for the 11th Annual DiGiTALFEST hosted by Pictureline.  It is my first year participating in this event and I am honored to be presenting on behalf of Nikon.    

Join me on Saturday, October 8th from 7pm-9pm for my talk, "It Starts with Passion." (See show description below). I'll also be teaching a photo clinic Saturday morning in Little Cottonwood Canyon, focused on the techniques for documenting adventure using both still and motion.

Additionally Alex Buono will be presenting on Friday evening, he is the Director of Photography for Saturday Night Live.  I look forward to hearing him talk as I've always been a fan of Saturday Night Live.

Visit the Pictureline's website for more details. See you there!

It Starts with Passion

"The path to making powerful and compelling photographs starts with finding you passion. Like anything in life, the willingness to put the effort and sacrifice into those things which mean the most is essential. Recognizing individual passions and talents is fundamental to leading a fulfilling life. While it might seem counter-intuitve, it's import to step away from photography from time to time in search of your personal expertise. What is it that you truly know and love? In what areas are you an expert? The next step is to apply your photographic skills and passion to share this expertise through images. 

Join us for a very special evening as world-renowned adventure photographer Corey Rich takes us on a visual tour around the globe. Corey will describe the road map that lead to his incredible career as a professional photographer and filmmaker. You'll hear inspiring and amusing anecdotes of his ups and downs, successes and blunders over the years, and get a sense of the level of commitment and passion that goes into Rich’s work as a visual storyteller. This presentation is a true illustration of the concept; every great journey starts with and is fueled by passion."