TMC Depictions

18/04/2016

Day 7 of 7. This is one that most everybody has already seen. But its one of my all time favorites, and truly just an incredible image. I will never forget this trip or this shot. Hiking in the Sierra mountain range just outside of Mammoth, California. I looked up and was just absolutely floored by what was in front of me. Ever since then it has triggered one of my favorite things to photograph, the night sky. I have seen some incredible night skies, but so far nothing has compared to this. Ladies and Gentlemen, "3 Wishes by the Way" Enjoy!

16/04/2016

Day 6 of 7! Going back to Nature shots here. The last two I am sure you have seen before. But they are some of my favorites. This has been one of my all time favorite campsites. Taken in the North Cascades up in WA. Brutal hike up, almost a mile up in elevation with nothing but switchbacks the entire time. I needed to kill a day before I met Tyler at a different hike, so I spent the night up here. I guess I'll go back....

15/04/2016

Day 5 of 7. Really switching it up today. I know this supposed to be a wildlife photo post, but since it was taken outside, I'm going to call it nature! This was from the second wedding that I have photographed. Before, during, and after the three I have photographed, I have been incredibly nervous. These people have trusted their huge day to me, and it is something that I haven't done a lot of. You only get these moments 1 time, and if you mess it up, you are out of luck. Since they were for friends, I was even more nervous. I wanted to give them a high quality product! Either they are being friends and lying to me, claiming that they enjoyed the pictures, or they actually are and I haven't screwed up too badly... Enjoy!

14/04/2016

Day 4 of 7. I missed a day! Such a crazy last few days. Sorry for the delay. Switching it up just a bit. Rather than a big scene, going a little more wildlife. Taken in the Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand, a fur seal is playing with the food while eating it at the same time. For 20 minutes I watched this seal thrash the octopus around and essentially rip it into smaller pieces and ate those pieces as they fell off. Enjoy!

12/04/2016

Day 3 of 7. Truly one of my favorite places in the world. Lovers Leap on Stuart Island in WA. Few people actually get to this point. On a remote island with no public transportation. So many great sunsets, so many great people.

10/04/2016

Day 2 of 7 for a week of Nature photos. Needless to say I have a few of them built up.

Cape Farewell. Northern coast of the south island in the beautiful New Zealand. Spent the day roaming the clifftops, peering over the edge down to water. Hard to imagine that when I was looking at the ocean, the next body of land I would reach was Africa.

10/04/2016

I have been nominated for the "share a photo a day" thing. So that is what I am going to do. This first one is from Wharariki Beach in New Zealand. Enjoy :)

15/03/2016

Proud to say that I have been accepted into the Explorer program for the Outbound Collective. An awesome website providing tons of information for anybody who is interested in the outdoors and exploring. I would strongly recommend checking it out if you are looking for something to do outside anywhere in the world!

www.theoutbound.com/users/sign_up?i=c5e477cfbae1512f

Discover amazing outdoor adventures, activities, and events. Membership is free.

23/11/2015

The greatest gift the New Zealand bush has to offer.

This is certainly going to be a switch from the normal writing that you are used to. I have not done a whole lot of exploring so there isn’t a whole lot to write about these days. Of course New Zealand is gorgeous, and I am enjoying it. But work is starting to pick up and I still don’t have a car. So you are getting a little insight into the day to day. Jeffy was lucky enough to hear this story awhile ago, and I feel that he will be even more proud now that it is going public. There may be some in the crowd that don’t find the enjoyment, but I feel this might get a chuckle from a few of you. The day of November 15th stated just like any other day. I woke up. While lying in bed I looked outside and saw the sun shining, very little wind, seemed cool enough yet warm enough to get a wonderful run. Laced up the shoes, and stepped out the front door. Walked for the first block to get the legs working and the blood flowing. Hit the road and ran to the track. Just a bit of warm up before the track started. About a km along the waters edge provided enough wake up before the track and the bush consumed me. So far so good, legs weren't tired, the beer wasn't taking a toll. Overall this morning consisted of about a 6km route, out and back along the Queen Charlotte Track. A heavily used track for walkers and bikers separating the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sound. Basically the crown jewel of the Marlborough sounds in terms of tourist attractions. I was feeling good. Legs weren't fighting me, didn't feel like I was going to vomit, no chest pains from my usual heart attacks, it was a good run. Rounded a corner and up a little hill and BAM! The p**p was coming. Utterly no warning. All of a sudden my insides were trying their best to rid my body of this burden. I kept running, knowing there was a portapotty at my turn around point, not too far now. I slowed to a walk, thinking the bouncing and jarring of the run would shake something loose. At times I needed to stop and look at the scenery, when in reality I was focusing every ounce of effort to keep my composure in stressful moments. At those moments I was thanking god that I was not even a few years older and closer to incompetence. I waddled the last few hundred yards to the toilet. I crawled inside like a dog that was being scolded. To my horror, there was no toilet paper. Not even a scrap on the floor in case of desperate times. Instead, there were simply 4 empty cardboard tubes. The blasphemy, the horror, the unbelievably poor timing that I had. Learning the fauna of the NZ bush has its advantages. Rangiora. A gift truly sent from heaven. I waddled back just a few hundred yards up the track to where I had seen some. At the moment I didn't think my situation could get any worse. I could feel something bubbling inside, something that could potentially be a fart, but in this dire moment, I could not take that chance. I limped around the bush to defecate and potentially ruin the day of hikers with the stench that would be radiating from my gift to the world. Then I heard the sound of an engine. Only one person can have a vehicle on certain parts of the track. The Department of Conservation, DOC. My situation had gotten worse. Did I risk being seeing? Do I try and make it back to the toilet with my precious collection in hand? What if I get caught? Will I ever be allowed on the track again? I decided it wasn't worth the risk, I would rather lose a little in my shorts than not be allowed on the track. After I limped back to the toilet, my shorts hit the floor faster than I remember taking them off. Sat down and with the utmost relief, I was free from my dilemma. I couldn't tell if it was all, or just the main course that had left my relieved bowels. I sat for awhile, imagining how bad it could've been. Then I realized the temperature inside the toilet. It was a goddamn sauna in there. I was quite literally dripping sweat. Dripping. When I decided I was finished, I used my ever important Rangiora leaves. I tried to stand up. The toilet seat was stuck to my bum. I had sweat that much. It was the leather recliner all over again, peeling myself off. I stood up and the toilet seat came with me. By the time my legs were full extended, just the very tip of the seat was stuck to my bum, the seat being at a 45 degree angle. As the seat had been peeling itself off of me, it made the classic sound you have grown so fond of. Finally I knocked it down, pulled up my shorts and stepped out in the fresh air that was ever so welcomed by lungs and nostrils alike. Not only did I walk away a hero in my mind, I became a hero to those who were to follow. I tracked down that DOC worker and informed him that the toilet was out of paper. He looked at me, I could see the judgment in his eyes. He was trying to figure out if I was a victim of the lack of paper, or just an observer who didn't need it, but noticed it. I answered his question for him. "I used Rangiora" A broad smile spread across his face and I followed my statement with another "sometimes it pays to be a guide". He didn't shake my hand for fear of what it had just done, but you could tell he wanted to. I departed to run back to my house and I swear I could hear him laughing as I disappeared into the bush around the bend. The rest of the run home was uneventful. I have to give credit to the Rangiora, it cleaned up quite nicely. Of course the first thing I did was hop into the shower to ensure all is well. The day of November 15th started like another other day, but the events of the morning, potentially made me a living legend in the mind of one DOC employee. The Tandemancan

06/11/2015

Koru 11/6/15
How often do you get a fresh start? A chance to wipe the slate clean and start over? It is very difficult, even more difficult now that social media is so amazingly present in everyday life for all ages. You can move somewhere new, but your phone keeps you tied to the former location. Others around you can follow you on facebook from the first day you logged on to the present. Sure you can put your privacy settings up and very select few can see certain things. The reality of it is, it is almost impossible to start over completely! Unless you enter into witness protection program, which, could mean that you have some bigger issues to deal with. New town, new job, new coworkers, new flat mates (look at that, even new vocabulary), new country, oh, and a new hemisphere. Hello New Zealand! The good news is that I think there is only one person in New Zealand that has a chance to see this, and by the sounds of it, he doesn’t even live in civilization. So unless I hand him a printed copy of this, who knows if he will read it. I get a chance at a new beginning here. I truly only knew zero people when I accepted the job and bought a plane ticket. Now I know a whole eight people in the whole country, and I only see three of them regularly. So far none of them are my friends on facebook. So, in theory, a fresh start right?! I challenge you to be different than who you are! Don’t fret, I am still the same old Tandeman, sorry…. But, lets be honest, I am learning a new language. I now have words like flat mate, buoyancy aid, mates, and other various proper English words. Not this American nonsense that I speak. I am desperately out numbered, as I work with two Brits, a Kiwi, and a half Kiwi half Brit, who was born in the UK and has lived in the land of Zealand anew for the past 10ish years of his life. So I am at a crossroads. Do I try and instill the American slang onto the proper English folk, or do I adopt their terms? I’ll give you a hint as to how that is going, I’m drinking tea as I write this. Yes, with my pinky out you slobs. I am proud to have “instilled” a few words to my new mates. Having said that, I have yet to hear them say it, even once. In my classic poor timing. I used the word “dime” to describe a beautiful female. (Give me an earful ladies, but lets be honest, it’s a compliment, and I used the word beautiful rather than hot). Me still being the ignorant American figured I MUST be the only American in the whole country. Not the case. The beautiful female may or may not have overheard me and gave me a look that was less than delighted. The Brit with me looked at me with confusion, and promptly asked why she looked at me like that, and asked what in the world dime meant. Then I had to go ahead and explain how we us the 1-10 scale, a 10 was a dime, because that was our currency, yadda yadda. He acknowledged he understood, but gave no hint that he liked the saying, rather looked at me like I was an idiot. So that was a bust, I’m not sure that is going to catch on. However, that does mean that if you go to a proper English speaking place, you can say dime and get away with it. Unless you are me and find the other American to compliment. Oh well. I’ve said cell phone a couple times, no dice. Strictly mobile, do you have your mobile with you? No I don’t have my car with me. I don’t even own a car yet. Granted the syntax is different, but you smiled at that one. Car dealerships=car yards. Oh right, that makes sense. There isn’t any grass at a car dealership, not sure a yard can be used as the descriptive term. I’m still struggling with when to use cinema vs. film. But it can be agreed upon that we are all going to watch some 007, Star Wars, and Hunger games. There isn’t a total loss of hope to find some common terms. At this point in time I suppose there is a slight question in the back of your mind asking why this picture paired with this story? To be honest, writing a whole lot about nature and conservation and what not, all important! But need to switch it up a bit. This is a native fern that grows in New Zealand, and this is a brand new growth that will go on to grow in a massive leaf with a bunch of little sprouts off the side. This is just the beginning of its new life, and I am at the beginning of a new adventure in my life, if not beginning of my new life if you want to call it that. Regardless, Koru: “New Beginning”. Cheers mates!Tandeman

02/11/2015

The Beginning 10/24

The next time I see the sun, it will be a New Zealand sun. We have all had that feeling when something is coming, but it doesn’t feel real until it is staring you in the face. It was somewhat real when they offered me a job. Little more real when my visa got approved. Even a little more real when I bought my plane ticket. The first massive slap in the face realization happened when they guy behind the counter for Air New Zealand asked if I was moving to NZ and the word “yes” came out of my mouth. While I had told many people that I was moving to NZ (yes maybe I was bragging just a bit here and there), the fact I was standing in an airport with four pieces of luggage containing various things, it hit me like a pile of bricks, it was really happening. I actually was moving. I was leaving behind everything and everyone that I know, familiar, and comfortable. Leaving all of it to start something new in a totally new place. And you know what? I couldn’t have been more excited.

So some people are rather nervous about air travel, making sure to have plenty of time to get there, check in, get through security, and everything else. I was flying out of LAX, a hugely massive airport where various terminals had 150+ gates. Just slightly different than Madison that has a total of 12 gates. I decided to play it safe and give myself about three hours before my plane was boarding. It took a whole 45 minutes to get out of the car, say goodbye to Mandi, check my bags, get through security, and walk to my gate. I think I gave myself plenty of time. That even included walking around for about 10 minutes trying to find the check in counter for Air New Zealand…. Oops. Lugging around a wheeled, bag, bag over my shoulder, backpack on both my front and back, I worked up a bit of a sweat. I’m sure the folks around me appreciated the fact that I packed the deodorant in my carry-on. Both my massive bags weighed exactly 23kg, which is 50 pounds (sorry I’m trying to turn the brain to metric).

Arriving at the gate, I had some time to chill, put the feet up and stretch out a bit. As more and more people starting arriving, all the various accents around me got me more and more excited for the trip. There was a group of Australians, a few Kiwi, a few Americans, and a smattering of various cultures. I can’t help but imagine that I had a foolish grin on my face for a bit of time, knowing that people saw it as well.

The flight down was actually relatively short. I sat next to a wonderful older woman who was a sweetheart. She had lived in Texas for the last 20 years and was heading back to NZ to visit with family. It was the perfect combo of conversation and movie watching. We talked just before, during, and just after the meals, occasionally throughout the flight, and when one of us would have a question about NZ. Ok, you are right, I was probably the annoying one asking all the questions, but she seemed to enjoy the company. Between the meals, conversation, movies, and a bit of sleep, the flight seemed relatively short, I actually didn’t even get up. I was wearing compression sleeves on the legs and the knee to help with blood flow, but I never felt the urge that I needed to stand up.

Arriving in NZ was a bit of a hassle. Generally when you have checked baggage with a layover, your bags are checked through. When I landed in Auckland, I had to retrieve my checked bags, lug them around the airport, clear customs, where they had to check my boots, mt biking shoes, tent, and all other backpacking gear that I brought. I had to wait quite awhile, started to get nervous about my connecting flight even. Got everything sorted out, bags checked, to the gate, no sweat. Arrived in Wellington and needed some food pretty badly. Embarrassed to say, but Subway was in fact my first meal in NZ. I know, I hate myself for it, but there was internet, it was right there, and my bags could stay put. I was able to connect with the new boss, and make sure all was well in Picton. From the airport got a taxi through Wellington and to the ferry terminal. Another three hour ferry ride, finally made it to Picton. Of course the crew wanted dinner and beer. I’m not sure beer ever tasted so good! Had a wonderful evening Aaron, Nat, and Kieron, they seem like great people!

The next morning, I was in a terrible mood since I woke up at about 5:30. 5:30. Bu****it. I just travelled for over 24 hours straight, and I woke up at 5:30. I took a peak outside, and promptly put my clothes on and stepped outside. The sunrise was spectacular. I could not have asked for a better welcome to NZ.

This is the first installment of the NZ adventures. I hope that they will be plentiful and exciting. At the very least, you will be bombarded with pictures from me.

I just want to thank family and friends for making this opportunity possible. It should be an incredible time and I hope to share it with some of you. I will not be getting an international texting app. I will be using facebook and email to stay in touch. While I do not want to let go of the US ties, I do want to ensure that I am making the most of my time here by meeting new people, seeing new places, and experiencing as much as I can. I will actually be trying to let go of the phone as much as possible. Please understand and please feel free to reach out. I promise I will respond, I just can’t guarantee how swift the response will be ☺

Cheers

Tandeman

11/05/2015

New TMC Tales!!

http://www.tmcdepictions.com/TMC-Tales/i-FS94xgj

Check it out! In addition to the new TMC Tales this week I have a revamped appearance, and have added a few more things to the webpage. Enjoy!

“Reaching Shadow” San Juan Island. For any of those who know me, you know how special this place is to you. I have already written about SJI once before and I hope I was able to convey the emotional state that I reach when I am approaching the island. This picture was actually not taken on SJI, this…

28/04/2015

I have revamped the website the past couple days!! I think it is starting to look pretty good, but there is always room for improvement. If you take a look, if you wouldn't mind letting me know what you think, it would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.tmcdepictions.com

26/04/2015

Since I was on the road last week and I didn't manage to post a new story, you folks are lucky enough to get TWO this week, here is the second! As always, the are also on the website, http://www.tmcdepictions.com/TMC-Tales/

Enjoy!

“The Green Ballet”

While my collection of Northern Light photos are not the highest quality ones (I had owned my camera for about 48 hours before I attempted these), they are some of my favorite. They bring about both great excitement and disappointment. The exciting part is of course the fact that I was photographing the northern lights, but the disappointing fact is that I was such a novice photographer when I had this opportunity.

I had of course seen pictures growing up, but never really had the inkling that I would be standing underneath a sea of green, watching a sky dance above me. When my folks first brought up the idea of heading north to Churchill, Manitoba to watch these, I wasn’t 100% sold on the idea. They sweetened the deal to allow me to bring one of my good friends along. I figured a free trip with a buddy is always a solid plan.

Churchill, Manitoba Canada. Halfway up the west coast of Hudson Bay, it is just below the Arctic Circle. It does not have a single road leading in or out of the town. It has a population of about 900 or less. This tiny little town right on the water attracts an incredible amount of tourism. Two main attractions draw people from around the world. The first and most notable is the fact that it is the polar bear capital of the world. The second is that the northern lights are viewable an incredibly high percentage of days throughout the year. Between these two attractions, hundreds, if not thousands of people from around the world.

When I went up, we stayed at a place called the Churchill Northern Studies Research Center. It is a phenomenal place that allows scientists to complete their studies. The center provides a place to live, food, and all of their lab space. In addition to providing a great service to all of these researchers, they also provide a great opportunity for the common folk like you and me to witness the polar bears and the northern lights.

For those who haven’t seen the sky dancing above their upturned faces, it is something that needs to happen. There is truly nothing like it in the world. You can see all the beautiful sunsets, all the beautiful stars, the gorgeous minute details in a wildflower in bloom, but nothing will compare to the beauty that is held in the green ballet happening 100 miles above.

I truly don’t know what to write from here. There are too many emotions to accurately depict what I was feeling during those nights. Any time there is a chance to witness the lights, I strongly encourage everybody to do it.

26/04/2015

A new TMC Tale!

“Exploding Drop”

Depending on where in the world you are from, this picture might have some more importance or meaning. Those who are reading from Africa, rain can be a glorious thing, bringing life to a desert and alleviating the stress of droughts. If you are reading this in Seattle, well, you see rain almost everyday during the winter. The rains in Africa provide beauty on the grandest of scales. Rivers run, green grows, and life returns after the long season of drought.

If you are living in Seattle, it might take a little more effort and appreciation to notice the beauty in the rain. This is a perfect example of how beautiful the little things can be. We overlook these little details all the time, even when it is hitting us in the face.

Part of the reason that I noticed rain drops, is simply because of my photography. I can’t say that I normally get down on my stomach while its raining and crawled towards a puddle. I have only down it a couple times since that day…. But while I was doing it, I rather enjoyed it. I was watching and observing something that most people don’t take the time to enjoy.

Now don’t get wrong. Not a huge fan of the rain in general. For instance, backpacking when it doesn’t stop raining for 3 days and everything is wet, toes are cold, and you are starting to get wrinkled, like you have been in the pool for too long. Plus if you are backpacking and it is raining, that means there are clouds, and then there are no stars to enjoy.

And then there is the classic scene or a couple kissing in the rain. So rain is a great thing! Yea, because we all love the rain that much that we are going to sit in the rain with somebody else. Nope, not going to happen. Lets go inside, where it is dry, and then have that kiss.

Anyway, rain has so many different aspects, it can be collected for drinking water, it can be a romantic scene, it can bring it life, it can take life. It has provided power, transportation, and countless more applications that have benefited humanity.

We have also abused our water. While we have harnessed its power to benefit us, we haven’t always taken into account what our usage has done to the environment. Or something like a dam, the tool that we use to harness that power. It has disrupted ecosystems to the point that they might not return to their natural state before human intervention. Use a little sense when using our precious water. Don’t take that 20 minute shower, turn off the water while you are scrubbing your hands with soap. Your car does not need to be washed once a week, and for the love of god you don’t need a perfectly green lawn. You might be able to cut back in ways you didn’t think possible, such as the courtesy flush, maybe one flush is all you need.

Water is a very precious resource, and it has incredibly capabilities. And if you look closely at it, a single drop of water can be incredibly cool. Watching water use is a great step towards protecting the beautiful nature around us. Do your part.

28/03/2015

Some of my first attempts at photographing some sports. This was an overnight tournament hosted by 7 Soccer Series put on by Aaron Kimpton. Games were played from 11pm-6am, winners got t-shirts and cash prizes. There was also the spirit award given to a team in both leagues! Lots of fun and some good practice for more photography down the road!

26/03/2015

Who doesn’t like hanging out with a pretty lady, a beautiful day, and a camera? I certainly had a great afternoon, not sure if Steph enjoyed it quite as much as I did since I was constantly staring at her through a lens, and she basically only saw my camera and the beard poking out from underneath it. I know this picture suggests she was loving it. Having said that, it was a gorgeous day at a beautiful spot near Madison, WI called Indian Lake.

I am going to go down two different paths with this one, the first is a quick shout-out to Indian Lake. Just outside of Madison and Middleton, just a bit Northwest of Madison is this gem.

I am sure I was there when I was just a little tyke, my folks probably had me there before I could walk, if I know them at all. But I first started to appreciate it in highschool when we would go there and have bonfires. Sometimes there were just and few and sometimes there were close to 15, all hanging out, some watching the stars, some roasting marshmallows for s’mores, and some just hanging around the fire laughing and talking.

More recently I have enjoyed it for the amazing trails to escape on. I have taken to trail running as opposed to running on streets and sidewalks, and the Indian Lake provides a phenomenal place to run among nature at its finest. Parts are challenging and parts are easy, all of it is beautiful. I have had a few running buddies out there, and each has a great story to go along with it, including one that took a tumble down the final hill…. Luckily still in good spirits and laughing the whole way back to the car.

Photography has taken off for me at Indian Lake as well. A couple years ago, I bought a telephoto lens, mainly thinking of whales during the summer, but of course as soon as I bought it, I had to go play it with it. Indian lake I figured was my best shot at getting some wildlife, so I headed out there to see what my new lens could do. One of my favorite pictures resulted of taking a walk around the lake.

So now to this picture. I will preface it a little bit. Making money as a photographer can be tough. Making a living off photography can be even tougher. I have been online and researched multiple ways to try and make some money to support my new and expensive hobby. One theme that came up more than once is selling stock photography. Basically there are tons of companies that need pictures for various purposes. The vast majority are for advertising, some are for book covers, and some are for music purposes. I started with only looking at the briefs that were looking for photos that I already had. While some are for epic landscapes, the vast majority are for other things, such as a book cover wanting a female in the woods. Others are for simple things like keys in a door. I figured why not take pictures for these as well? At the very least I get practice in a different aspect of photography and you pictures of keys can only be so good…. I could stand a chance to earn a few bucks off it.

I came across a few briefs all at once that all involved a female doing some sort of activity. One was in the woods, one was outside drinking wine, and a few others that we ran out of time for. All said there was about $10,000 on the line that if they chose all my pictures, I would get about 8 of that, the site took the other for their “finders fee” or whatever bu****it they call it. But hey, $8,000 wouldn’t be bad at all! I called Steph as she didn’t live too far, and had some free time, she agreed to come up and indulged the camera with hopes of some earnings.

Not sure if I mentioned this to Steph or not, but this was my first attempt at an actual photoshoot type setting. The vast majority of what I have done is all landscape. I generally am not trying to place people, or tell them to smile, or look this way or that way. There was going to be a big learning curve for both myself and Steph on this one. During the shoot I actually think I forgot about why I was actually doing it. I had such a great time with a great friend in a great place. The day was gorgeous, sun was out, and the leaves were starting to turn colors. Not to mention I did in fact get some great shots. I am rather pleased with how everything turned out. That is a lie, not everything. But that is the great part of digital!

After Indian Lake we went back to the house, did the whole wine photo shoot which was fun and challenging trying to work with the light, background, Steph, and the wine bottle and glasses. But again, great practice. And Steph was patient… but the wine might’ve helped calm her down a bit. With the sun starting to go down, the lighting was great, Steph looked amazing in the black dress she brought for it, glass of wine in hand, can’t ask for a much better evening.

All said and done, none of my pictures were selected, but I had a great day and got some fun shots. Never know, this may just launch a modeling career! (If that is the case, don’t forget me Steph!) I learned some about different aspects of photography, and practice will certainly help down the road. I sincerely appreciate everybody who has offered encouraging words, bought prints, and put up with my shoving a camera in their face for a whole day so I can practice and learn. I know I will be asking more of everybody and counting on you for different aspects. Please know that everything is greatly appreciated!!

-Tandeman
TMC Depictions