A great benefit of my job is to be working during sunrise and sunset. It’s a best-time to snap a photograph thing. Yes, I have been paid to watch the sun rise and set. The photo above is from mid summer 2017 while LOCATION SCOUTING large fields of corn for a commercial.
Turns out – 2017 ended up being much about chasing the sun.
In February and March I was my own client. WRITING, scouting, and making more connections for my project Fauna’s Thread. I am parallel-writing (a word I made up) a BOOK and SCREENPLAY (a process I do NOT recommend). The status of the project is in DEVELOPMENT but it’s awesome to see the cranes each year. The photo below is from a blind on the river—at sunset.
July was busy with more scouting the sun. A good one was for FX company Ring of Fire. ROF needed low-light landscapes for a Lyrica commercial. All action was shot months prior – elsewhere. I was the Scout / Production Manager. The crew was small and the shoot was positive. New professional relationships established. Great pros in John and Jerry.
Chasing the sun became literal with a career highlight in August; experiencing and working during the ECLIPSE. It was truly a remarkable and humbling event. I worked on a project for Volvo as a LOCATION SCOUT to start, then as a Production Assistant for the shoot. We shot 360 VR LIVE as Volvo sponsored CNN’s Eclipse coverage.
We were in Beatrice, Nebraska – one of four live set-ups under the path of totality. See it all via Facebook. Our clip is at about 52:00 (or – 44:00). Pan around – especially during totality; the only time you’ll ever see (what looks like) sunset all around you. A cool bonus was meeting writer Andy Weir (below w/me). Fancy eclipse glasses included.
The road trip of the year was a ride and relish through upper central/northwest/western NEBRASKA. Despite the fact that everywhere I go I am #alwayslocationscouting – this trip was a pleasure cruise with my better-half Sue.
Hiding right under my big nose were floats trips on lazy rivers, lodging in a cowboy camp and an Asian vibe motel, crash courses in paleontology + geology + more unreported history of Native Americans getting the shaft. This trip was educational and inspirational.
In December I was in the polar opposite of wide-open landscapes; Los Angeles.
I was there reconnecting with colleagues and unofficially pimping the movie Downsizing, a movie I worked on with Director and friend Alexander Payne.
It was wonderful to see the movie at Paramount Pictures theater with many Nebraskans and others with connections to AP. 
2018 will bring new work and wanderings. Have projects on your plate? Reach out. Visit NebraskaLocation too.
Cheers, to your work and wanderings.
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Oregon more than a few times for work and play. Years ago on my first visit for work, I was (ironically) sequestered to the inside of a factory with no windows. I knew then, as I drove from the airport to location and back again, that I needed to return. 
On another work trip for a photo shoot, I was gifted the task of finding locations for hikers, kayakers, scientists, and bird-watchers. I pinched me too. We started in the Columbia River Gorge (above) and “worked” within scenic overlooks, forest trails, and a few of the many waterfalls (below).
We traveled along the Columbia River back to Portland.
Portland is a must-stop or if you need to get your city vibe on. Yes, the hip factor thrives here. Do the food trucks, neighborhoods, and the truly local joints.
If you decide to visit Oregon, seeing everything in one trip can be a challenge. On my most recent visit (for fun) we could have taken a week to do the coast only. From Astoria to the California border is about 380 miles – but you’ll easily add mileage along the way to see, eat, shop, and fill your camera with photos. I do know you’ll add extra time to heal your sore neck – from gawking.
I could easily fill your screen with more photos and continue to gush about the Oregon scenery but there aren’t enough adjectives – and this is not a travel blog. I would simply put forth that this State is easily one of the top five in America. 
Travel is subjective, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all human beings have different tastes. My travel tips for Oregon (and anywhere) are: experience the little things, meet the local people, try something new, see something not recommended by the travel bureau, and create your own scenic overlook. 
Whether work or play, plan on visiting more than once…
Jamie Vesay 