THE BOOTS & THE BEGINNING
"They quickly became a symbol of Cullan's passion for hiking, a lust for adventure, and the ability to conquer any mountain, both literal and figurative." This is a passage from my "bio" section on my website, describing the Rockport boots you'll either see me wearing or featuring in one of my outdoor, travel photographs. They were purchased for me as a gift, and I received them Christmas of 2014. I would mostly wear them on days when there was little or on snow and in the fall. These boots were simply another piece of my wardrobe. They were an extension of my style. That was the case until the Summer of 2016.
I was filming the wedding video for Stephen Kemp and Kimi Peterson on July 9th. After filming from around noon to 7 PM, I was asked to stay and party with the family for the night. This wasn't an absolute shock considering I'd known the Kemps and Kimi for years, but I was no less excited. We drank and laughed and told stories around the fire until early in the next morning. Once it hit around 2 or 3 AM, there were only two of us left awake; Brian Peterson, Kimi's brother, and me.
Brian, or "Petey" as they called him, lived in Colorado and was an avid hiker, snowboarder, and overall thrill-seeker. He told endless tales of "14ers", which meant nothing to me at the time, and of his grand adventures in the mountains. For those of us who don't know, a 14er is simply a mountain that is 14,000 or more feet above sea level. He had hiked nine of these 14ers in his quest to summit ten of them.
“He told endless tales of ‘14ers’, which meant nothing to me at the time, and of his grand adventures in the mountains.”
"I'd love to have someone film one of my hiking trips, man," Petey said with his beer in hand.
Now, I wasn't sure how directly this comment was aimed at me, but I picked it up and sprinted with it, "I've always loved Colorado and want to hike out there. I'll film your hiking trip!" I replied, exceptionally giddy for a 21 year old man.
"Alright. That's it then, we're doing it. If you find a way to get out there, I'll plan the trip and supply the camping and hiking equipment. Do you have cold weather gear?"
"Yeah, I should be set."
“‘The only other thing you’ll need is some tread. Do you have good boots?’”
"Cool. The only other thing you'll need is some tread. Do you have good boots?"
And this was the moment that everything clicked. I instantly thought of my Rockport boots that were hardly worn at all, and I knew this trip was going to happen. Little did I know, this expedition would spark a burning passion in me for adventure and travel.
"Yeah, I definitely do."
"Alright, man. It looks like this is for real. Let's exchange numbers and keep in contact over the next few weeks. We'll work out some dates, and I'll map out a trip. Make sure to bring both cold and warm weather gear, boots, and obviously your camera equipment. I have some ideas in mind for where we could go, but check out 14ers.com and websites like that in the meantime to get an idea of what we're in for."
"Sounds good, man. Let's make this happen!"
Just like that, we were committed. Because I filmed a wedding, stayed to have a good time, had a real conversation with someone, and threw away all my fears and doubts, I was able to go on an amazing trip to Colorado to do something I absolutely love. After that, I learned that when you say something you want to do out-loud, and you're truly dedicated to whatever goal you set, its easy to make it come true.
From July 24-29 I spent my time filming and photographing Petey's trip in Colorado. His friend Josh Prygon and my cousin Marissa tagged along for the grand adventure. During this time, the boots became a signature aspect of my photos to portray scale, perspective, and the path they had taken me. They've been to the highest peak in the Continental US, and they've continued to be a feature in my photos since.
The rest, as they say, is history... Or information to appear in a later blog.
- Cullan
