One of my favorite events to photograph each year is the Dixon Hughes Goodman Leadership Conference!
This year the program was held at the AC Hotel in Charlotte. It’s a really cool venue in the heart of the city, boasting a beautiful conference room, delicious food, and the highest rooftop bar in town!
The first day of the destination event was an absolute BLAST!!!
As a destination photographer, I often get asked how I travel with all my equipment!
In this behind-the-scenes video, I share a few tips I’ve learned that help ensure my equipment gets to my destination safely and efficiently. I also share details about the equipment I travel with, what I pack it in, and how I carry it.
Whether you’re weaving your way through TSA, hustling to get to your gate, or dealing with diminishing overhead space on your flight, lots can go wrong. Don’t end up at your shoot with stolen or damaged gear!
If you have any questions, comments, or travel stories to share, please post them below! I always respond. ENJOY!!!
GEAR FOR THIS VIDEO:
ThinkTank Airport TakeOff – https://amzn.to/2T3FrqN
ThinkTank My 2nd Brain 13 – https://amzn.to/2IC72um
Sandisk Extreme 64GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2SWX4o8
GoPro Session 5 – https://amzn.to/2RP7Jnv
Samsung S7 – https://amzn.to/2AMr3rU
Joby Gorillapod for Smartphones – https://amzn.to/2CkcLie
Rode VideoMic ME – https://amzn.to/2W80Mgw
MUSIC:
The Big Conference
Licensed under YouTube Audio Library
DISCLAIMER:
This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!
Earlier this week, nearly 200 international buyers and end-users descended upon Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Export Exchange. Over the 3 day conference, attendees were able to meet and build relationships with more than 300 domestic suppliers, while also benefiting from educational sessions and networking opportunities.
The event was co-sponsored by the US Grains Council, the Renewable Fuels Association, and Growth Energy. Notable keynote speakers included:
– Roger Watchorn of Cargill Agriculture Supply Chain North America (CASCNA)
– Dr. Robert Johansson, Chief Economist at the Department of Agriculture (USDA)
– Florentino Lopez, executive director of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program
– Mark Slupek from the Office of Trade Programs (OTP) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
– Dr. Kurt Rosentrater, executive director of the Distillers Grains Technology Council
– Dr. Daniel Whitley from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
– Daniel R. Pearson, principal of Pearson International Trade Services, LLC
It was an honor to be invited back as the official photographer of this amazing conference for the second time in a row!
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending and photographing the Horizons Unlimited traveler’s meeting at Iron Horse Lodge near Robbinsville, North Carolina. This is an event that I look forward to with great anticipation every year!
I packed my trusty Honda CB500X with my camping kit, camera kit, and a few day’s supplies. On the ride up, I made a detour to Givi USA in Charlotte to have replacement engine guards installed when my originals developed a defective hairline crack. I stayed with my friend Jenn and her awesome family for the night. Jenn is a fellow TASOK student from our days growing up in Zaire. On the second leg of the trip, I took the scenic route down the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Iron Horse Lodge.
Horizons Unlimited was founded in the 80s by Susan and Grant Johnson during their RTW, or “Round The World” adventure. It’s a wonderful resource for overland travelers, especially those tackling grand trips on their motorcycles. But more importantly, it’s a fantastic gathering of kind, creative, and like-minded individuals who are full of life and passionate about this great planet we live on and the amazing people we share it with! Horizons Unlimited has gatherings all over the world. This particular one in North Carolina, hosted by Mike Kilpatrick, was celebrating it’s 15th Anniversary this year!
In addition to photographing the event, I also led a couple photography presentations. I always enjoy sharing my love for photography with others! Check out more details about the event at: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/events/north-carolina-2018. And check out the events page to see if there’s a meetup near you. Hopefully I’ll see you at one soon!!!
As always, it was a wonderful weekend. And I look forward to coming back next year. 🙂
Last week I had the pleasure of photographing the 58th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting for the US Grains Council in Denver. To celebrate a successful and productive meeting, we had a wonderful and entertaining gala at the Denver Zoo!!!
Last week I had the opportunity to join an all-star team of amazing photographers to document all the action and adventures of a really neat corporate incentive trip on the island of Maui. While there, we took the opportunity to spend a few extra days driving the famed Road to Hana, hiking in Haleakala National Park, relaxing with Hawaiian green sea turtles on Ho-okipa Beach, and photographing the amazing sunset from the dormant volcano’s picturesque summit.
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of photographing an EXCITING assignment in New Orleans! For security reasons, I can’t share those photos. But I did manage to get a few fantastic aerial views of the city during some down time.
The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the oldest cathedral in what would become the United States. The first church on the site was built in 1718; the third, built in 1789, was raised to cathedral rank in 1793. The cathedral was expanded and largely rebuilt in 1850, with little of the 1789 structure remaining.
The second is a view of the Mississippi River and downtown New Orleans over Woldenberg Park. Woldenberg Park was created in the late 1980s/early 1990s on land that had been occupied by old wharves and warehouses along the Mississippi Riverfront, in the upper French Quarter. It is named after philanthropist Malcolm Woldenberg (1896–1982) who helped fund the building of it.
Total Customized Revenue Management was formed to help hotels and resorts reach their full potential by using a customized approach to maximize revenue oportunities. With over 75 years of combined experience, TCRM understands hoteliers’ needs, and the demands of the day-to-day operation.
I had the privilege of photographing TCRM’s Annual Conference this year! All the top executives and key members of the operation gathered at the beautiful Francis Marion Hotel in historic downtown Charleston for three days of intense strategy meetings, keynote presentations, and round-table discussions. Aside from capturing the various activities, I had the honor of creating new head-shots and executive portraits of several leaders in the organization.
I truly had a great time working with TCRM. What a great group of talented individuals!!!
Photographing the inaugural Ethanol Summit of the Americas at The Westin Oaks in Houston, TX, was a real honor for me. I owe a HUGE Thank You to the US Grains Council for this assignment!
Industry and government officials from more than 15 countries in the Western Hemisphere met a few weeks ago at the Ethanol Summit of the Americas to discuss current and future opportunities for ethanol in the region.
The event was sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. These organizations and others in the U.S. agriculture and renewable fuels industries work together to promote the global use of ethanol and U.S. ethanol exports.
This Summit brought together recognized scientists and ethanol experts to engage with policymakers and provide information on the economic and environmental benefits of ethanol-blended fuel. The Summit also served as a launching point for expanded regional engagement markets in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
“Increasing cooperation between ethanol industries supports economic growth for all countries involved,” said Tom Sleight, USGC president and chief executive officer. “Collaborative efforts like the meetings this week enable a greater understanding of the policy climate surrounding ethanol and help pave the way for expanded ethanol use throughout the region.”
The Summit highlighted the use of ethanol in transportation fuels to help meet a number of economic and environmental challenges, including improving air quality, extending the current fuel supply and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The U.S. ethanol industry’s efforts, including conferences like the Ethanol Summit of the Americas, are helping successfully establish the United States as a reliable and affordable source of fuel.
Here are a few of my favorite images from this fantastic 2-day conference!!!