NEWS - DAY ONE Victoria BC to Portland OR.

7am - Trout's alarm goes off.
7:02am - Coffee goes on.
7:03am - Wonders why he's in the kitchen.
7:04am - Smells coffee brewing and begins his day.

8:34 am - Much to his surprise, The Troutmobile is packed and ready to roll only 4 minutes behind schedule.


At this time I'd like to mention that this would not have been possible without the help of the incredible support staff here at Kreddible Trout Industries (my wonderful fiancee Michelle)

and we're ready to roll!

... after KTPI's support staff mentions that he's pointing East, the car is pointed west and Trout is actually headed south, things become more clear and it's off to the ferry.

After some sad but excited goodbyes, my support staff leaves me to deal with US Customs on my own and goes in search of the rest of her sleep. Customs was as uninteresting as you could hope. No latex gloves. No threat of latex gloves. And, about 45 minutes late... the ferry leaves.

Next stop: Ferry food. I was hoping for something good-ish. I wasn't expecting this:


...it was chewy.

The ferry ride was pretty nice and I got to see a side of Victoria that I'd never seen before. We both blushed but were ok with it. The picture of which is pretty boring, so I won't share it.

This one is not much better, but it's the opposite of the view I have from Victoria so... I like it. Mount Doug is on the left there. Taken from Port Angeles.

And then I hit the road. Finding roadside burgers and out-to-pasture photo booths as is my wont.

This trip holds many firsts for me. My first solo road trip. The first time I've been this far south. I think, of all the firsts on this trip, one is very important to me: my first Jack in the Box meal. They do things differently down here but I wasn't quite ready to use the Jack in the Box self-serve machine. I'm old fashioned, I like to be totally disregarded as a customer by an actual person. Not a machine.


The meal was... it was fast food. I was hungry and ordered the large meal... they fries were a decent size and they gave me a large plastic barrel to put my pop in. Had I had filled it, I would have needed help getting it to the table.

next stop: Portland.

I must return to Portland. I was there for only about 18 hours all told, but I think I may have fallen in love. It's a very interesting city. And I met some interesting people. An online photo-friend from way back in the teen years of JPGmag named Matt Adamik put me up on his inflatable mattress in his living room and was a great host. We swapped stories of other online peers talked a little shop. Then we went out to meet up with some friends of his and had a good time at a tremendously boring bar. If it wasn't for the awesome company... well, I'd still have found a way to amuse myself, but I would have looked a bit more nuts than usual. the folks in the picture below are Photographer and Flophouse Owner Matt Adamik, Pin-up model extraordinaire Dottie Diamond, Pin-up Photographer extraordinaire Emily Rinard, Photographer & Sporter of the Fonzie Jacket Jason Allen.


We spent the entire night twittering on our smartphones! It was, like, SO much fun!

Then the DJ decided to clear the place out so we said our goodbyes, exchanged business cards and all went home. If I come back, I'd love to be able to work with these folks. They seem to be some of the rare exceptions to the rule that photographers have to be pretentious tits who compare 'gear' like it was a measure of talent or sexual virility. They were cucumber cool and not at all full of themselves. More reason to like Portland.

Now, at the end of day two, in Newport, I must get some sleep. We'll catch up to here tomorrow night.

TROUT OUT!

TROUT UNLEASHED!

NEWS - THE INCONTROVERTIBLE COUNTDOWN!

Ok... no really this time. This is the most finalist of countdowns that you could get. Serious. In 12 hours I'll be in a line up for the ferry to Seattle. I don't know where the Customs aspect of it all is, if it's on the other side or if they get that business out of the way before you get on the boat so... 12 hours from now I'll either be in customs trying really hard not to make any jokes or waiting in a line of cars thinking really hard about all the jokes I won't be telling customs officials. (Oscar Wilde wouldn't last one week in this day and age without being arrested.)
At 8am The Troutmobile will be loaded to the gills with art and clothes and the occasional clown nose and rubber chicken and I'll be ingesting my seventh coffee of the morning. (I've already had people expressing interest in a few pieces... things'r lookin good already!)
Look out USA! Kreddible Trout is coming to play! (wow... that was even too cheesy for me. Maybe I'll get a job in Hollywood writing one liners for Bruce Willis...)

NEWS - SAVE YOUR ALLOWANCE!

Here is an example of a new experiment that I plan to be doing a lot more of. People tell me that my words are an important extension of my work so I've been trying to come up with ways of incorporating them. The words, not the people. As many of you know sometimes I tend to go on so this method may not work for all pieces but I'm liking it so far.

Any of you art savvy consumers down the coast who have been dying to purchase an Original Kreddible Trout Photographic Artwork (from the Kreddible Trout Aesthetic Solutions Division) as I breeze on through your town, please save up your allowances. On the trip I plan to be selling pieces at bargain basement prices to make room for the new stock so Artwork will be flying out the trunk of the Troutmobile at unprecedented rates! (I should probably look into getting that trunk fixed before I go...)
Here are examples of other stuff that is coming your way... these ones are one of a kind... each of them... individually are one of a kind... as a group they're... nevermind...
have a look!
this piece
and this piece
this piece too
let's not forget this piece

I'm hoping to have music playing loudly as I approach. Kinda like the ice cream truck used to (anyone remember those?) but with me it'll sound more like very loud Ozzy Osbourne through bad car speakers.

NEWS - OVER THE MOUNTAIN

This struck me last week and then got filed in the 'no time to think about that now' pile and forgotten about. Sometimes my head & life get so busy that I forget about the things that drive me. The important things.

On January 1st my fiancee and I moved back to the city. We found a beautiful little apartment with big windows. These big windows look out (over the shell station) towards the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. It's quite a nice view (ignoring the shell station) and that poor, disregarded thought last week was 'I'm going to be in them mountains soon!' and I love that feeling. It's presents under a christmas tree, that feeling. The anticipation is like the day after a good first date.

In three days I'll be well over those mountains.

I'd be mad at myself for forgetting about that thought, but I don't have the time. I'll put that in the 'forget about it entirely' file.

NEWS - THE 'FINAL' FINAL COUNTDOWN

As last weeks countdown was a little premature to be truly considered 'final' I've decided that now, with less than a week before liftoff would be a little more appropriate. KT of the future is waking up in Portland right about a week from now and starting to think about coffee having begun his journey a week and a day ago... wow, this is more complicated than Quantum Leap.
Anyway.
Some news. Yesterday I had my first conversation with our contact at the aforementioned gallery (I think I mentioned it somewhere below...) and the Closing Night Gala is pretty much confirmed. The Gala is set to happen on the last night of Artwalk at the Sushi Performance and Visual Art Gallery in San Diego and will involve both visual and performance from yours truly. As I have tinkered with the idea of doing some pass-the-hat fundraising events on the way down to San Diego with me doing a bit of one-man-show-performance-type-stuff I thought I'd add a bit of that to the closing night. Details still need to be worked out, but it should be an interesting night. It'll be a wine and cheese and chocolate and rootbeer event, so... wear a tie and a clown nose.
Other news. I'm about to do my last 12 hour day of working two jobs and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy about that. Now I can devote all my time to making sure everything is secured here on the homefront, in the Troutmobile, in San Diego and that my accommodations down the coast are confirmed.

Now's the time when I'm going to be triple checking everything I need before I go. If anyone has and suggestions or advice as to things I may be forgetting on my trip or information I may need to look into before I go, please lemme know. (Trout, don't forget to wear pants.)

off to work! peace out y'all!

Kreddible Trout Idol!!!

That's right home fans, now's your chance to have your voice heard! We here at Kreddible Trout Industries understand that a lot of you like to believe that you have some sort of say somewhere. That democracy is important to you. Well, now you get to flex your opinions and tell me what shots are your favorites and deserve to be spotlighted on the website! As in the real world, your opinions may be considered and either patronized until you give up on them or used to further our personal goals here at KTPindustries.
Confused? Here, lemme help you.
To facilitate showcasing 'the best' of KTP, Col. J and I have been going through my photos and picking out our favorite favorites and realized that we're both a little nuts so we should maybe ask the perfectly sane general public (or the segment of the general public that comes by here) what they think. Have a favorite shot on the website? Comment below & it'll go up in the special folder. Know of a shot of mine at JPGmag or redbubble that isn't in the collection? Comment below. Are you one of the handfull of people who know of a photo I have stuffed in a box somewhere that you're actually mad at me for not having put up yet? Comment below.

Now's your chance to be heard! Now's your chance to show the world you care! Now's your chance to be done reading this post!

NEWS - THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

I guess two weeks makes it an unnecessarily long final countdown... but I couldn't resist sticking that song in your heads. You'll thank me for it once you stop being annoyed by it and start giggling about it. Should be riiiight aboooooouuuut...... now.

ok... so now back to the NEWS part of things. As mentioned above, in exactly two weeks from now the KREDDIBLE TROUT (part of the) WORLD TOUR 2010 officially begins. Planning is going swimmingly on both my and Col. J's end.

to fill in some gaps:

1) Col. John has been working on procuring a shopfront for me to work out of when I'm down there. This will act as both a workshop/studio and the promotional epicenter for Kreddible Trout Industries, Southern California Division. The intent is to evoke curiosity from passersby who would be forced to ask themselves, 'what's that lunatic with the weird hat doing with all those photos and old closet doors? Is he impersonating Elvis all alone in there now? Someone should do something!'
This shopfront is still in the works but we're hoping with Col J's pull and some massive generosity from some folks in California, something will happen soon on that front.

2) REALLY BIG NEWS just texted this evening... Col. J and his magical mystery networking skills have booked Kreddible Trout in a certain still-too-soon-to-mention-officially-but-apparently-pretty-swank performance/visual arts gallery for one night! The term 'cocktail party' has been mentioned and (as I don't know that i've ever really been to one... I like corn chips and root beer) being the focus of one is sure to be a surreal experience. One of my favorite kinds!
"Hey Fancypants! Get your crudités off'a there! That's art, y'know! Oh, no wait, that is a table... my bad. Carry on!"

3) Is there a three? There must be. Oh yes! The TOUR part of the tour is shaping up nicely with several meetings in the works. One being in Portland where I'm trying to hook up with some old e-friends form the JPGmag early days (lo... those many years ago! four years seems like an eternity in the internet) and some members of the now defunct 15x100 group. These are some photo-peers who I really respect and really look forward to meeting up with. I hope it turns out.

Speaking of turning out... I have to do that to the lights now and get some shut-eye.

Please keep coming by and checking things out here. The afforementioned Gallery will be announced very soon. With links and everything! I love my links! Yes I do.

NEWS - TOUR DATES

Ok, so... as I'm trying to connect e-friends I've made on the information super-highway and meet up with them on the real life highway (Victoria to Portland via the 5 and Route 101 the rest of the way) to see if they really exist, I need to let them know when and where I'll be. As well, I'll be selling art out of my trunk to help support the trip so I hope to see streams of welcome wagons flashing fist-fulls of cash all along the way. (...if the real world is half as entertaining as the one in my head, I'll have a great time.)
So here's the itinerary which is not-as-subject-to-change as you'd expect with me because some very generous friends of Col. John (& supporters of the Tour du Trout) are to be putting me up for nights in various places. There may be some variation especially after the first San Fran night, but as of now it's as follows:

March 19th - Leave Victoria via ferry to Seattle. End the day in Portland.
March 20th - Portland to Rockaway Beach (so I can sit there and listen to Rockaway Beach by the Ramones) & then on down Route 101 to somewhere around North Bend OR.
March 21 - North Bend-ish to Arcata CA. Staying 2 nights.
March 22 - Some form of Art Show/Performance Deal in Arcata. Spend the night.
March 23 - Arcata CA - San Fransisco. (potential for 2 nights there. If so, it'll be changed here)
March 24 - San Fransisco CA - Camarillo CA. (if no 2 nights in San Fran, maybe 2 nights here. I mean... it's LA!)
March 25 (or whatever) - Camarillo/LA area - San Diego. Arrive at Col. J's. Take a nap.

I've begun contacting my e-friends and e-peers but if you see this and want to be part of the fiasco or have some advice about where I can sell my 'tawdry wares' and/or do some performances (monologue/performance stuff) please feel free to email me at trout@kreddibletrout.com

Still working on the satin tour jackets. We'll let you know as soon as the 70s call us back.

NEWS - Have Art. Will Travel.

Have Art. Will Travel

Thus begins another chapter in the odd little saga of Kreddible Trout. Yes folks in a month's time yours truly will be stuffing a bunch of art in the trunk of The Troutmobile, setting the compass to wobble southward and heading off next to the sunset. A little like the gunslinger alluded to in the title of this piece but with art and a camera instead of a deck of cards and a pistol.

Departing from: Victoria BC.

Destination: San Diego CA.

Specifically the Mission Federal Artwalk in San Diego California

At the encouragement of the art connoisseur and marginal maniac Colonel John (no real rank, it's an Elvis reference) who commissioned and contrived on this piece, I am embarking on something that we hope will end in my buying him a pink Cadillac to justify the title I just gave him.

The story goes:

Col. J. - Hey Trout, thanks for the yummy-yummy art! I really love it!

Trout – No problemmo crazy man! It was a lot of fun.

Col. J. - Bye for now.

Trout – Bye for now.

--- a day passes ---

Col. J. - Hey Trout. I have an idea.

Trout – Uh-oh.

Col. J. - Yeah, I know. So, your stuff is the King's knickers y'know?

Trout – um... I'm not sure...

Col. J. - It's great. It's cooler than Fonzie on ice and I know art savvy people will buy it up like hotcakes.

Trout – Hotcakes eh...?

Col. J. - Hotcakes. Stay with me Troutie.

Trout – Right. So what's the idea?

Col. J. - There's this huge, two day art spectacle here where I live in sunny San Diego called Artwalk where 130 000 hungry art consumers go every year looking to sink their teeth into yummy-yummy art! Kinda like yours! They buy stuff there. I've bought stuff there. You need to be there and sell your art because I think it's good enough to be there. What do you say?

Trout – Where do we begin?

...and the plan was hatched. Ideas flowed like rambling metaphors though a bad writer's keyboard and the plan (thus far) is this:

Get in the Troutmobile on March 19th & travel down the coast over 7 days to take in the experience and gather supplies, meeting friends along the way. The 'supplies' are the things I use to build my 'uniquely mounted' pieces ( like old trap doors, frames, tennis racket presses and old utensil drawers... you name it, I use it) . I'll be interacting with shop owners and get some stories to incorporate into the trophy piece of this extravaganza which Col. J. is calling a 'living history art piece' (which I love the sound of). When I get there I stay with The J's and, over the next 4 weeks, create the pieces for the Artwalk Festival in his garage. (alternately we may find a shopfront in San Diego for me to use as a studio before the show, we're still looking into it) For the show I'll have a mix of pieces, some 'uniquely mounted', some large limited edition prints, and hopefully the centerpiece will be the living history deal. I will be documenting the journey as I go right here on the old blog for those following at home.

The plan is to sell a crap-load of art and create a one-of-a-kind experience. In an ideal world, we sell a world of art and Kreddible Trout Photography gets rocketed into super-stardom (that kinda thing happens all the time in SoCal.) and I get a full page layout in Cigar Aficionado and become photographer to the stars and Col. J. gets a pink Cadillac. In a more optimistically realist world, we make back our investment, have an awesome time and I get some awesome publicity. In a horrible world I wander into a rumble between ninjas, pirates, The Crips and The Bloods and get shredded into coleslaw on which they all feast.

So, that's the big news. We here at Kreddible Trout Photographic Industries are very excited about this new scheme. It seems just crazy enough to fit us perfectly. ('crazy enough' meaning the 'we' we speak of all the time is me, alone in my tiny office with my toy collection) I hope to be doing some impromptu fundraising events on the way involving selling photos and maybe doing a performance or two (we may see if this William Foley character will come along to do some acting). If any of y'all down the coast have any ideas or want to lend a hand to an impoverished traveling artist... please email me.

Please everyone check back here often as this will be Kreddible Trout International Headquarters for the next little while. Tell your friends, family and even enemies as I'm hoping for as large a network as I can manage to get as many people to the show as possible. If you blog, link to me. Let's get this puppy rolling!

Southern California... here I come. (hahahaha! This is crazy!)

NEWS - Published!

In early December 2009 Employee of the month William Foley brought international renown to the offices of Kreddible Trout Photographic Industries by coming in 3rd place in Digital Camera Magazine's 2009 Photographer of the Year Competition in the Destination Everywhere category with his shot 'the s.s. perception'. Normally we're pretty button-down around the office, but we allowed him to wear dungarees for a week. He also insisted on wearing a tiara with jube-jubes stuck to it. We resisted at first but he persisted. Soon the new year came, excitement waned, the jube-jubes were eaten and his ego had finally fluttered down & joined the rest of us in the cubicles. So, as fate would have it, this week his prize of 100 Great Britain Pounds came in the mail followed the very next day by a copy of the issue of Digital Camera Magazine that he was published in.

We thought the tiara was bad... we're worried that he's going to come in naked on 'biz-cas-fri'.

the magazine:
the winner:
the details:

...we're probably going to have to lay this guy off. He doesn't even share his jube-jubes.

(biz-cas-fri)

t-shirts on the website

New addition to The Mothership Kreddible Trout Connection in the way of t-shirts.

We here at Kreddible Trout Industries Activewear Division know that dynamic, art savvy consumers like yourselves sometimes need to cover your torso. Strange, I know, but it's true. For example, you can't go to a business meeting with a bare torso, so we have designed a full line of torso-shirts (or t-shirts if you'd prefer) for just such a market need.

They come in all shapes and sizes and are 100% Omega 3 free!

a little something while you wait

Hi friends. Come on in. Have a sit-down, won't you?

Well, here we are again. Another blog. I've begun several over the years for various reasons but they never really went very far. As a matter of fact kreddibletrout.com MachII was a blog. It was weird looking and had unpleasant social skills so, as these things go, we drifted apart.

This time it will be different.
This time, I mean it.
This time, I am committed! (Or perhaps I should be committed as you'll probably soon learn)

The difference between this and the other blogs that lay in my wake is that this is dedicated solely to my photographic endeavors. As things with Kreddible Trout Photography have begun moving in more serious directions (as serious as I can go with a clown nose) I feel the need to organize news and updates in one place.
This is that place and blog... you are the one.

I may go off on tangents, I may zig when you expect me to shimmy, but I'll do my best to keep updates and news as succinct as possible. I'll post news with a title that begins with 'NEWS' (how's that for clever?) and I'll leave the rambling for separate posts and intros... kinda like this one.

Now, at this late hour here at Kreddible Trout Industries with the fire almost out, the hot chocolate all gone and the cat securely taped to the ceiling... we bid you goodnight.
Say goodnight Troutie.
'Goodnight Troutie.'