MERRELL
In September 2017 I filmed and photographed Merrell ambassador Nicole Brown on her second attempt of the Three Peak Challenge. The objective was to summit the three tallest mountains in Southern California (Mount Baldy, San Gorgonio Mountain and San Jacinto Peak) in 24 hours, and not only did Nicole complete the 40-mile challenge with time to spare, but her inspirational story was part of Merrell's Create Your Trail campaign.
Nicole and I became close after that, and our passion for the outdoors and public lands inspired our second project with Merrell, where we spent six weeks traveling through California, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona to visit a dozen lesser-known national monuments, many of which were under review by the government. We hiked, car camped and backpacked through all kinds of incredible wilderness, but we also spent time connecting with locals to learn about their connection to these landscapes. We produced photo essays and a short video about our experience, which we shared on social media ahead of the 2018 midterm elections to encourage others to vote with the outdoors in mind.
