One of the true rewards of my job as a photographer is crossing paths and working with fantastic people. Over the years I have had the privilege of working with and becoming friends with Dean Karnazes and his family. In 2006, I was commissioned by The North Face to join Dean on The Endurance 50 and document his quest to run a marathon in each of the 50 states in 50 consecutive days. A great part about this project was the opportunity to choose the three blocks I wished to shoot. I opted for the Midwest, Northeast and a Western block (which included Alaska, Hawaii, California and Arizona).
The travel schedule for this project was grueling, as we found ourselves in a different state every day. Simply traveling from one location to the next and documenting the efforts of Dean and the crew was taxing. I couldn’t imagine mustering the energy to run a marathon each day. Yet, Dean never skipped a beat (despite the fact that he only sleeps 4 hours each night). Along the way I learned that, not only is he an incredible athlete, but also a dedicated father and husband, an intelligent and motivated businessman and all-around extraordinary human being. I can only hope that some of those qualities rubbed off on me.
Following the success of his New York Times Best Seller, Ultramarathon Man, Dean has compiled his thoughts and lessons learned during the fall of 2006 into his new book, 50/50. Also featured in the book (as well as on the cover) are images I captured while traveling with Dean on his quest for 50.
To see more images from my time spent with Dean and his crew, please visit my website and click on ESSAYS.
