Throughout my career, I have come across a lot of books which combine my two passions, photography and adventure. Though, this new book by Patagonia is, by far, the best I have ever seen. The hair stood up on the back of my neck as I flipped the pages for the first time with a sense of awe. The edit and set of images in Unexpected, built entirely from the pages of past Patagonia ads and catalogs, is just phenomenal.
This book is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the contributing photographers. As well, it speaks to the talent and vision of two people I have a huge amount of respect for, Jane Sievert and Jennifer Ridgeway. In everyone’s life and career, there is a person or people that we point to as playing a pivotal role in helping us to become who we are. For me, Jane and Jennifer were two of these people. During my sophomore year in college, I edited down six months of travel to 40 images and made my first ever submission to Patagonia. Receiving my images with open arms and glowing compliments, Jennifer and Jane essentially launched my career. Jennifer first noticed the images, while Jane took me under her wing and published my first images. Now, 15 years later, I count her amongst my mentors and closest friends.
Much of the look and personality of the Patagonia catalog throughout the company’s history can be attributed to Jane. I believe she is truly the most unsung hero in the adventure photography world. Thanks to her eye and ability to choose the perfect photo for the occasion, Patagonia has consistently aligned itself with the world’s finest gritty and raw images, representing a life filled with adventure more authentic than any other catalog or publication.
Unexpected is now available from Patagonia, featuring two of my favorite images shown in the original ads below. This book will make a great holiday gift. I know I’ll certainly be buying several copies to give to friends and family. And no, I’m not making any royalties here :).
(Left) Tom Bulow drops his trunks for yet another round of injections at the cantina, Pascales, Mexico.
(Right) Fred Beckey on his way to the crags, South Lake Tahoe, CA.
