Fog draped over the Astoria-Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon.

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods;
There is a rapture on the lonely shore;
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more…

–Lord Byron

It’s about time I fill in everyone on my journey west. Until now there has been a lot of speculation, plenty of rumor, and constant nagging. Frankly, If I had to do it all over again, I would have kept my mouth shut and just vanished one day. Live and learn.

A few months back I made the decision to sell everything I own, move west, and spend a lot of time focusing on photography and focusing on myself. I called it Project 730:  take one remarkable photograph every day for two years…or 730 days. In doing so I will visit some of the most beautiful places on Earth. I will spend this time working and improving my photography. Hopefully I will learn a little bit about myself in the process.

My plan is to photograph the Canadian Rockies, polar bears crossing the waters of Hudson Bay, the caribou migrating over the slopes of Alaska, and hard working men fishing in the Bearing Sea. I will photograph try to capture seascapes off the coast of Oregon, canyons in Utah, and the beautiful landscapes of Montana. If I am near a striking person, place, or thing, I will find it and photograph it.

Make no mistake…this journey is no vacation. While it is the experience of a lifetime, it is still a job…arguably more arduous than any job I have ever had in my life. I am also fortunate I will have a day job near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to help pay bills and fund my trips. Before work and after work I will spend my time photographing Montana and on the weekends I will visit places like Banff and Jasper National Park in Canada, Glacier National Park in Montana, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Devil’s Tower, the Badlands of South Dakota, the Palouse of eastern Washington, and a lot of interesting things in between.

By moving west I will be making a tremendous sacrifice, too. I will shutter the small business I started and owned for nearly eight years. I will sell my dream house and everything inside. And I will leave behind my family and friends exploring the west largely on my own.

I will live in a place roughly the size of the master bedroom I am leaving behind. I will not have many of the amenities I grown accustomed to and I will survive on a spartan budget. I will unplug from the 24-hour news cycle, and my only real connection to the outside world will be what information I gather from people I meet on the road and and Internet connection…when I have one.

Some might consider Project 730 crazy.

Maybe it is.

But at my stage in my life this may be my last chance to do something a little crazy. In turn I hope I will advance my photographic skills become a better person in the process.

Every day for 730 days I hope to find a remarkable image. Every day for 730 days I aim to improve my craft and advance my knowledge. Every day I want to learn something new about myself. And I will chronicle my voyage right here with the photographs, video, and the words that come to me along the way.

I leave late next week. So sit back and enjoy this journey with me. I can’t guarantee how it will end, but it should be an interesting ride!