Escape Velocity™️ - The KBPhoto Journal

In 7th grade I bought my first camera, a Rollei 35, and have never stopped shooting photos and carrying a camera with me wherever I go. Along the way there have been a few people who have had profound influences on my photography - and my life. Here they are…

My earliest and most influential photographic mentor is my father, Bob Bune. He’s also my role model for how to live a balanced, adventurous and curiosity-driven life. Bob has been a photographer for much of his life and I think this rubbed off on me without my knowing when I was very young. His photography is beautiful and our home darkroom allowed me to explore my own creativity whenever I wanted to do so. Bob also taught high school photography and I was fortunate to be a student of his (got an A!). He did some professional work in the summers for a barge service in Alaska, a job that took him all over the state and provided remarkable opportunities to photograph the people and wild country along the way. To this day, I look at his photos of native people in the small villages along the great rivers of Alaska and I’m deeply impressed with what he captured. His photos from his canoe adventures in the far north of Canada (undertaken when he was in his 70s) are also remarkable. Muskox, wolf, fox, bird life and wild country all show up in his imagery. At the time of this post, Bob is 92-years-old and going strong. His curiosity has never wavered and it rubs off on me still!

Mark Dale has been an adventure partner and mentor for decades. We met in the winter of 1982/83 as part of a group headed to climb Denali in the spring of 1983. Since then I’ve been on several more Alaskan climbs with him and a multitude of other remarkable adventures including hiking, backcountry skiing, lift skiing, rock climbing, alpine climbing, bike touring, kayaking and others. Mark is one of the most competent adventurers I know and I’ve been inspired over the years by his drive for the summit and his high technical standard across multiple disciplines.

Like his technical expertise on adventures, his photographic skills and artistry have always been impressive. Seeing his imagery after a climbing or skiing outing is always a treat and in the days of slide shows I was not just entertained by his perspective on the places we visited together, but downright blown away. He always captures the feel of the trip and the wildness of the world. Mark is one of those few people I wanted to emulate, whatever tool was in hand - camera, ice axe, ski pole, kayak paddle. To this day, I look at certain photos I’ve shot and see Mark’s influence and I’m grateful for the example and the friendship.

Carl Skoog had a powerful influence on my adventure photography. Sadly, Carl died while ski mountaineering in South America in 2005. He was a pioneer in Pacific Northwest ski mountaineering along with his brother Lowell. They skied and climbed in a style that has inspired countless people, myself included. Carl carried a glass factory with him on those trips and brought home outstanding images of the adventures. These images appeared on the covers of magazines, in product catalogs and posters in leading retail shops and I gazed at them for what I’m sure adds up days of time. The images have that special quality that only a master photographer can capture.

I feel fortunate to have worked with Carl at Outdoor Research in Seattle, done ski trips with him in the Cascades and even explored the wild country of the Canadian St. Elias Range with him in 1996. The world lost a unique human being when he left us, but the lessons I learned from being with Carl on adventures and studying his photos help me advance my own photography and, with luck, share some of the joys of the adventurous life like he did so very well.

Oh, my goodness, what can I possibly write about Mr. John Beatty that will convey the deep respect I have for this guy? I met John on a photo shoot for Helly Hansen in, I think, 2000. I was consulting for HH as the mountain sports marketer at the time and he was the photographer. Something happened when I shook his hand in the Las Vegas airport ahead of the shoot and my life has been better for it. John is a well-known nature, adventure and travel photographer, storyteller and speaker. He’s photographed the natural world and humans interacting with it and has a most infectious enthusiasm for life. His adventures, photography aside, would fill a book multiple times over. Add in the beauty and arresting nature of his imagery and you have a coffee-table book for the ages. In fact, I have multiple JB books on my shelf and pull them out often for inspiration.

In the 20+ years I’ve known John I’ve been on some fantastic outings with the man, often under the pretense of gathering photos for a company. Mont Blanc, Mount Kilimanjaro, the hills of Spain, the national parks of Utah - each and every one a gem of a trip. In 2019, John and our great friend Andy Towne created an incredible week of adventuring for me and my partner Kate. We explored Wales by sailboat, run-about and on foot. Between the outings were excellent meals and beer. And throughout all these adventures I’ve been taking notes as I watch a true master photographer at work (and play!).

Another aspect of John’s formidable skill set are his public presentations. His multi-media shows are inspirational journeys across the globe with insights into the natural world shared in the most open, respectful and enthusiastic way one can imagine. He is the embodiment of my belief that photography can only achieve its highest calling when shared with others, and John has shared more than he knows!

In the summer 1980 I was traveling around Europe with friends when I came across the art of the great Samivel. I bought a few post cards, which adorned the walls of my homes for years. These paintings and illustrations have had a lasting influence on my photography and to this day I have visions of certain Samivel paintings as I’m framing up a shot. In 2016, Kate and I hiked the famous Tour du Mont Blanc and our first night was spent in the town of Les Contamines-Montjoie in France. There, to my utter amazement, is a churchyard that has become a tribute to Samivel, who spent a great deal of time in the town. I was astounded and I think Kate was a bit taken aback at my emotional response to coming, unexpectedly, face-to-face with this shrine. When I returned home I bought a copy of one of his books, The Summits of Samivel, and now I have his inspirational work at my fingertips as I sip a beer by the fireplace, plotting future adventures with camera in hand. Perhaps someday I will capture an image that contains some measure of the power and emotion that much of his work conveys in an instant.