A few years ago something had changed in me.  For most of my life I’d been seeing the world through a lens and I was always looking for that great shot.  But I realized I’d stopped taking photos.  In fact I’ve barely been interested in even taking shots of family, friends or even of my travels… for me this was almost a shocking realization.  Photography was my creativity.  Was I no longer creative?

When my daughter Jemma was born in 2011 the camera starting finding it’s way back into my hands but I was still pretty disinterested in photography as a hobby.  Then I found Instagram.  Now you would think that an iPhone app would not be the catalyst for me getting back into a hobby that I have enjoyed since primary school (elementary school in the US).  At the age of eleven I ran the school dark room, mixing chemicals and agitating film by hand.  Instagram and iPhones seem like a different life from those days.  Such is the change that we have seen in our lives already, and I’m only 40! 😉

Instagram Inspiration

So I had this iPhone thingy and then I saw all the cool kids posting great pics with filters and it got my interest.  I may have been a little late to the party but I’ve definitely made up for it over recent years.  I was inspired to buy a new camera and the excitement of getting a great shot came back again.  It’s like meeting an old friend after not seeing them for a couple of years…  What’s been really crazy is the amount of people I would now consider a friend (either in real life or virtually) based on our Instagram interactions. Being so into travel photography I’ve been able to tap into an incredible community on Instagram and learn and be inspired by so many other talented people.   So here’s a few Instagram pics of mine… If you’d like you can connect with me on Instagram I’m at ryanintheus.

TAP

Many of us who enjoy sports are drawn to teams we think reflect us.  That team for me is the Fremantle Dockers.  Affectionally known as Freo, the Fremantle Dockers represent the grit of the hardworking people that live in the Port of Fremantle area.  That same grit can be found in my father who grew up in East Fremantle.  Consequently he instilled in me the value of hard work and not to be afraid of being the underdog… in fact we kind of like it.

I’m a long way from Fremantle these days, living in Seattle, USA and now also a huge fan of the Seattle Seahawks.  The link for me between the Australian Football League (AFL) and the NFL here in the US is Darren Bennett.  One of my earliest memories is of my dad and I watching our local Aussie Rules football team, the East Fremantle Sharks and watching a young Darren Bennett take control of the game with awesome kicking for goal.  That guy went on to play for the San Diego Chargers and was a two time Pro Bowler (1995, 2000), and was honored be being selected in the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame.  Not bad for a boy from Freo.

When I watched that game the idea of having a Fremantle team in the AFL hadn’t even crossed my mind.  Nor had the idea that I would one day live on the other side of the world. It has been the grit, determination and a healthy dose of adventure that I’m where I am today, and it’s those qualities that see Freo off to the best start to a season in club history, 8-0.  But what a long roads it’s been for this perennial underdog.  Those of us who jumped on to support the team from day one of the Fremantle Dockers know what I mean.  As do the fans of the Seahawks.  Both teams have struggled badly at times.  But not any longer.

Two years ago when the Seahawks won their first SuperBowl the Dockers reached, but sadly lost their first Grand Final in front of 100,000 people.

It’s in the the trials and tribulations of supporting a team that hasn’t been a successful club that one finds the value when that team turns from being the underdog to being the best.  And what a feeling it is for us fans.  All the disappointment, frustration turns into ecstasy, jubilation and our loyalty is repaid in spades.   But what I love most about the Dockers is not that they are wining now, but that while the talent of the team has wained at times the commitment has not.  That’s the grit.  You can see it in this video that spans the life of the Dockers, from day one.

At 8-0 maybe this is the year for Freo, I certainly hope so, but regardless of whether they win big prize this year I’m in for life. #foreverfreo

If you want to learn more about Australian Rules Football (AFL) and see some highlight videos click here.  

Yesler | B2B Marketing

I’m excited to share that yesterday I started a new professional chapter in my life when I started working for Yesler, a 300 person strong B2B Marketing agency created by the folks at Projectline, based here in Seattle.  In short Yesler helps technology companies deliver predictable revenues, sustainable growth, and measurable results.

My role as Sr. Director of Digital & Social Media is an exciting opportunity to combine the digital marketing elements that I’m most passionate about into one role.  I will be leading the agency’s teams focused on Social Media, Content Marketing and Media Buying which are ingredients of Yesler’s product offerings which include Research & Strategy, Content Marketing, Marketing Automation, Sales Enablement, Customer Engagement and Marketing Analytics.

After holding some senior roles at a few agencies now I took some time making this next step in my career.  One of my friends and mentors Mr Eric Weaver, (now the Chief Social Officer at IPG Mediabrands and a former colleague of mine at the social media agency Spring Creek Group) once said to me that one should consider following abundance when selecting which agency to work with.  His words definitely played a part in my decision because abundance means that the agency is onto something, that they are winning clients and keeping them, and when you look at Yesler’s clients – Amazon, Google, Mindtree, Salesforce, Citrix , SAP etc it really speaks well to the fact that this agency has some serious talent who are focused on delivering what others can’t.

Beyond abundance I was also taken by their culture.  Located in the Seattle’s iconic Smith Tower, Yesler has some fantastic people doing great things in the world.  As a nonprofit founder I was drawn to their extensive volunteer program, their philanthropic contributions and overall desire to improve the community they live in.

Lastly, as many of you know another passion of mine is music.  Yesler produces a monthly in-agency, house-concert-like series of live music performances called the Mill Street Sessions.  They’re stripped down songs by Northwest artists which are video recorded to help promote the bands.  Right up my alley…

So here I am, excited part of a new team and looking forward to accepting new learning and new people into my life.  If you’re interested in anything Yesler does please don’t hesitate to contact me through this site.  Here we go…

View of Seattle from the top of the Smith Tower

I’ve been thinking about change and the role it plays in our life after having a chat with a good friend recently and these words keep rolling around my head…  “There will be many chapters in your life.  Don’t get lost in the one you’re in now.”

I think sometimes we get lost in the reality of our life today, and we forget that change is actually the only constant, not our current situation (although sometimes it can feel that way).   I thought to share this as I think many of us despair at how things are now, this can be a reminder that we have the ability to write new chapters for ourselves and that new chapters are indeed coming our way.

Being an Aussie in the US I had to share this pic and the below Q&A to give you guys a glimpse of some of the more amusing perceptions of Australia that us Aussie’s experience.  These were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a great sense of humor!  Believe it or not I have actually been asked a few of these questions.
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Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK).

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
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Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? ( USA )

A:Depends how much you’ve been drinking.
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Q:I want to walk from Perth to Sydney – can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )

A: Sure, it’s only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
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Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia ? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane , Cairns , Townsville and Hervey Bay ? ( UK )

A: What did your last slave die of?
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Q:Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? ( USA )

A: A-Fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe .
Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not
… Oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
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Q:Which direction is North in Australia ? ( USA )

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we’ll send the rest of the directions.
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Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? ( UK )
A:Why? Just use your fingers like we do…
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Q:Can you send me the Vienna Boys’ Choir schedule? ( USA )

A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is
Oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
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Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia ? ( UK )
A: You are a British politician, right?
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Q:Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers.
Milk is illegal.
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Q:Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from..
All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
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Q:I have a question about a famous animal in Australia , but I forget its name. It’s a kind of bear and lives in trees. ( USA )

A: It’s called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them.
You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
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Q:I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia ? (USA )

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
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Q:Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( France )

A: Only at Christmas.
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Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )

A: Yes, but you’ll have to learn it first

The very successful story curator UPWORTHY recently asked it’s quite large audience this very important question.

“…we asked you what you felt were the most important topics: the big issues of our day that deserve more focus and attention than they generally receive in the media.”

They then narrowed down the responses to three.  Just three.  It made me wonder which one of the three you guys think is the most important.  So let’s narrow it down from three to one.  Please tweet or post in the comments below which one resonates most with you and I’ll post which one attracts the most responses.

#1 Climate Change and Clean Energy

#2 Income Inequality and Poverty

#3 Human Rights

You cane read the full post on UPWORTHY here.

Best trip of my life…

In May of 2006 I took 5 weeks off work, packed my backpack and headed out on a journey that would change my life.

I flew to Nepal, spent a couple of days in Kathmandu, joined an exhibition of seven led by a Nepalese Sherpa, flew into Tibet’s capital Lhasa (the Forbidden City), spent a few days there touring monasteries, then proceeded to 4WD across Tibet headed from town to town to the eastern side of the Himalayas, where we contracted five Yak herders and thirteen Yaks to carry our gear on a two week trek to the Kangshung Face (Eastern Face) of Mt Everest, camping and trekking in the rocks and snow, returning to 4WD to the North Face of Everest where we camped at 18,000 feet, then completed the crossing of the Himalayas by returning to Katmandu via 4WD.

Sounds pretty simple, bit of hiking and camping, however mentally it was anything but!  While plodding along over what seemed like endless rocky terrain I actually confirmed my spirituality and defined how I wanted to approach my life. I returned to Australia via a week rock climbing in Thailand and quit my corporate job, sold most of my possessions, bought a van I could live in, and drove around Australia, settling in Byron Bay, Australia’s version of Hawaii where I lived for a year and a half before moving to Seattle. To say the Tibet trip was a journey to a destination would be an understatement, it was more a journey of self discovery that forever changed my life and was the catalyst for change both internally and physically for me.

Travel has the ability to educate you in ways you don’t expect, I urge you if you haven’t embarked on international travel, consider it, you won’t regret it!

Here are just a few of the over 1000 pics I shot on this trip.

Ok so something a little different today….  Given the NFL season just started and football is what a lot of people are talking about I thought I’d share with you the sport I love more than any other sport; Aussie Rules Football (AFL – Australian Football League).  Don’t get me wrong I really enjoy the NFL and I’m a loyal Seahawks fan but the team I am most loyal too is my beloved Fremantle Dockers.   This sport is for gladiators of all sizes. Here are some of the differences between AFL and NFL…

• It is more free flowing with players spread out all over the field.
• The ball is mostly moved around the field by kicking.
• There are 18 players on the field for each team at once – no separate offense/defense (4 reserves who can be rotated on off as much as needed).
• The shape of the playing area is oval, not rectangle.
• Players can tackle and bump each other – and there are not pads or helmets…

Or if you’d like it in more simple terms…

To me, footy as we call it, is all about the emotions, the skill and toughness, here’s a clip that shows the biggest moments over the last 10 years…

A beautiful picture. But for me so much more. It’s a beautiful memory of my childhood and makes me homesick. I have driven past this maybe thousands of times. As a kid it was rundown, the jetty didn’t exist, the building a broken shell. I always wanted to swim out and explore what was inside. I imagined all sorts of things inside. As an adult I’ve run past it and cycled past it, but’s it’s contents still remain a mystery to me. I love that it has a new lease on life and that generations of kids will drive past it like I did, and wonder…

A magical place for me.

Jemma and I in BuzzFeed.

Yesterday, to my surprise a picture of myself and my daughter Jemma appeared in an article on BuzzFeed.com.  I’m not always going to react well to seeing pictures of my daughter thrown around the internet by people who don’t know us at all – but of course if I put it out there this can happen!   However on this occasion I was more than good with it.

Being a dad to a girl is a wonderful privilege, you feel it but you’re not always able to describe it.  This article used pictures to illustrate thirty unique aspects of this special relationship and I’m thrilled that Jemma and I are included.

Somehow it seems like proof that I’m a good dad… the most important goal in my life.

Please check the article out and let me know how it made you feel: 29 Reasons There’s No Bond Quite Like A Father-Daughter Relationship

And I thought I’d throw this video up that was taken last night.  It’s Jemma and I talking our special language, a few moments captured in time between father and daughter.  By the end we’re losing it…