40th + Farnam from Iwen Exposures on Vimeo.

Urban Omaha- The Ultimate Adventure Race from Iwen Exposures on Vimeo.

The river spawns an amazing lifestyle for the people who are lucky enough to know this place. My interest was sparked and my long love affair with the river began that year.

The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area boasts over 100 miles of river rich with delicious whitewater, as well as peaceful stretches that meander for miles through diverse terrain. After being there only a month, I knew I needed to find a way to be on this river every day. I got a job working for a photography company that took pictures of commercial rafting trips. I was a lowly film runner. It was the lowest paying job the company had to offer, but after one day on the clock, I probably would have done this job for free.

You may find this hard to believe, but 15 years ago photographers used film. My job was to get the film from the photographer and get it back to the lab so that the processors could develop the film, get the pictures printed, and have them delivered to various rafting companies all over the area before the rafters had gotten back from their trip. Every morning at 8am, I would hop on to an ATV and drive about 10 miles over picturesque high country ranch land, through a couple of Aspen groves, and then finally finish up on a narrow, twisting trail through thick forest. From there, I would run about 7 miles on a single track trail over boulders and around rattle snakes until I eventually got to the top of Brown’s Canyon. Then, I would strategically traverse down a steep, rocky trail until I got to the river.

The photographer hung out on a massive boulder the size of a suburban home and shot images of rafters as they made their descent through a big class III rapid called Zoom Flume. Sitting there on that rock waiting for the photographer to shoot a few rolls of film was overpowering for my senses. The roar of the rapids, the aromatic scent of sage, the visual explosion of rafts that were there one second and gone the next. And then the photographer would yell and snap me back to reality and I would start running. On average, I would make 5 trips a day back and forth to the river. Sometimes it would rain. Sometimes it would snow. Sometimes it would be sweltering hot, but it was always a challenge and I loved every minute it.

By this time, I had already had a few years of formal photographic training, but I learned so much about photography that summer. It can take you to amazing places. It can surprise you. I went back to work for the same company the next summer. Some days I would run film, other days I would shoot. They were giving me more responsibility as a photographer, but, to be honest, I loved running that damn film.

Eventually, I made the natural evolutionary step to become a full on commercial river guide. After watching boat after boat navigate my beloved river for two summers, I felt it was my time to be on the back of the boat. I went through guide school with 11 other young adventurers and 2 of us got hired on to work. I camped all summer with my fellow raft guides. Everyday, I got to watch the sunrise, the sunset, and go rafting. I also took pictures. Lots of pictures. And took a little time off here are there to go backpacking or explore the nearby mountain ranges. It was an incredible lifestyle that taught me life-long lessons and helped shape my character. I loved it so much that I did it the next summer. And the next…and the next…and the next…I worked on the Arkansas for a few years and then one year we had extremely low water, so I decided to move up to Bozeman, Montana.

Montana brought more rivers and more opportunities. This time of year always takes me back to memories of the River. The warm weather of spring melts the snow and swells the rivers and the rafting season begins. Spring has always been a time of great transition for me. I always welcome the feeling of new found motivation and opportunity that arrives when the snow melts. Unfortunately, I am not packing up to spend the summer in a tent, but I am focusing that energy on my business and my life. My photography business is experiencing very positive growth and we are pushing new boundaries and opening new doors. It is a time of inspiring transition and I’m greatly looking forward to what is to come.

Here are some images from my first few of summers in Salida . They were all shot on Fuji film with a Canon AE1 Program and EOS A2 camera.








And here is a shot of me guiding Zoom Flume my rookie year. At higher water levels, if you can gut the biggest hole in the rapid and release your feet, the force of the hydraulics will launch the guide into the sky.

©Colorado Whitewater Photography

My wife, Joey, and I put everything into this place. We worked on it everyday. And night. And day. And night. 50 hours restoring the 100 year old tin ceiling that we found hiding underneath the drop-down ceilings. Another 30+ hours restoring the original tile floor- it’s amazing how long it takes to get up 50+ years of glue and grit. 30 hours here. 60 hours there. We put our heart and soul into this place. We learned so much. I had to take on the role of architect, designer, general contractor, goodwill ambassador- and I have become a better businessman, a better artist, a better husband.

We refinished aluminum Goodform chairs from 1947 that look so delightful around the conference table that came out of the original Union Pacific building. Joey spent days (literally) scraping paint off of the tile in the bathrooms. We got creative. We were annoyed. We had a blast.

I have dreamed about this place for the last 18 years. If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by and check it out. We’d love to see you. I guarantee we have the coolest trash can you have ever seen in your life.

And here is the evolution of the building over the last 6 months.

iwen exposures STUDIO evolution from Iwen Exposures on Vimeo.