josh kufahl - photography . video

The last 6 months.

2012-03-01T12:45:00.000-06:00

Well there hasn't been any real posts for pretty much a year and if you look back I have said more then once that I'll be posting more. Well, this time I will try harder.

A short recap of the last however long its been. Last year was a great year for my career. I got the opportunity to work on some really great projects. Two spot that I shot at the later part of last year. Great talent and crew.

I'll slowly catch up posting to where I am now.

Arrived in Panama

2012-01-08T09:35:00.001-06:00

Well after the day of travel and getting into Panama city at 2:30 am we are here and a bit tired. Our hostel for today is a bit shady but all we needed was a bed. We will go explore the oldest Pacific city in the Americas today and hope to make the night bus to the mountains. More and better posts to come.

Indian Curry, Moscow Mules, Pretty Lights and Football Jesus

2011-05-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

Memorial Weekend Sunday night is currently being spent making Indian curry, Moscow mules, while listening to Pretty Lights and starring at football Jesus. As this being one of my first attempts at making curry the ginger, coconut, curry and veggies mingled nicely. With summer taking hold I am a firm believer in the Moscow Mule. A 1950's drink of Vodka, ginger beer and lime, it is a crisp, clean, refreshing summer cocktail. As for Pretty Lights, an electronic based artist with free downloads on the website, has a great low key vibe perfect for some background music. Jesus, he plays football.

Italy Photos

2011-03-29T12:28:00.000-05:00

Here is a rough edit of some stills from Italy.

Statue in the Vatican

St. Peter's Basilica

Arch of Constantine

Side street in Roma, perfect evening light

Busted moped and the wash in Siena

Another Church Siena

Shallow DoF on Chain

Venice

Venice carnival

Night boat in Venice

Venice carnival

Venice

Back from the Trips

2011-03-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Well I have been back for a few weeks now and had some time to work on files. So you get to see a few.

El Paredon Surf House one of the

greatest places to relax in Guatemala

Flores, where these dugouts are

used to bring kids to school

Tikal's seven temples

El Paredon sunset

Tikal Temple III

Antigua child

El Paredon fishing is a family event

Amanda and I swinging with the sunset

Flores tuk tuk

More photos, time lapses, and video to come.

The Beach and more

2011-02-27T13:40:00.000-06:00

Please excuse the grammar my checker hasn't read it.

On our way back from Flores I need to go to the bathroom on the bus. So I ran to the back during a stop. As I looked around I realized that I couldn't find the lock for the door. After little caring I decided just to go, at that same time the bag patter entered the bus. He patted down many bags before he opened the bathroom door to see me whizzing away. I turn, a little confused to see a man with a gun staring back. Quickly, I grab the door shutting it hard. Back to work. Door swings open, this time to a large local woman. I close again this time hanging on to the handle with one hand. Finish up and back to try and sleep. We arrive in Antigua and await our charoit to the beach.

We are picked up by a local driver in an old van. Our hosts at the house were also in the van with Diego (the Dog) The dog begins through the corridor of volcanos to a place lesser known. While most tourist in Guatemala head to Montireccio for their beach experience, we choose El Paredon. On the journey we bounce around in the back of van like popcorn in a microwave. Clearly, we are off the normal roads, judging by the cattle that has stopped our van. Shortly after we get moving we bounce through farm field and tin houses. We arrive at the house around 4 and we are greeted by 3 more dogs and a few humans. After chatting a bit we grab a Gallo and head to the lonely hammocks overlooking the surf and sun. After a beautiful sunset we are summoned to dinner poolside. Three tables are setup for family style dinner. A shrimp salad was served first with a spicy mayo and greens. Yummy. Next was lasagne and finished with a rice pudding. We lounge around for a little while and decided to check in for the night. We climb the ladder to our chamber, where a double bed awaits with bug net hanging above. The sound of the ocean rushes in from our open air window, lulling us to bed.

Diego

Woke up Sat morning and saw a glimpse of the sunrising, and then went back to sleep. We then came down from our bunglow and grabbed coffee and breakfast. Sitting under our bunglow watching the surf was amazing. I order the tipico dish, which was black beans with basil, queso, tortillas, eggs, and tomatos. Amanda had pancakes with honey, yogurt, fresh watermelon and papaya. We then went for a walk down the beach and watched the waves. From there we decided surf was in store for today. The waves were a few feet overhead with the outside crashing hard. I grabbed board and rashy. Amanda decided to play in the sand while I attemped to kill myself. After alot of paddling and not much progress with the foamy I snag a few rides. Next, it's time for Amanda's debut. She paddles out through some heavy whitewater and gets to a good spot and start to scream turn around. After some trying the board turns around and with a little push and paddling the board slides down the wave all the way to the shore. I can see the ear to ear grim from the middle of the Pacific. The rest of the day is spent playing in the waves. We clean up before sunset and grab a beer. Sunset and Gallo, this is becoming a normal thing. Family style supper finished with a chocalate, caramel, and vanilla dessert. We decided the night isn't over till we battle over a few games of Mastermind. Bedtime, we tuck the netting around the mattress and flip the switch. A noise comes from above. Amanda asks "what is that?" I respond "nothing" damn well knowing it was a bat. Surf sounds in our sleep.

Day is spent on hammocks till we aredriven back to Antigua. We decided that we are going to celebrate Valetine's day Eve at Bistror Cinq. This french restarant is rated one of the highest in Antigua. Amanda finds the place due to her expert memory and we grab some wine to start the night over. In short time we order a filet migon for me and seared tuna for Amanda. Both rock our world's. We finish this meal up with a creme brulee. Back to the hostel and out the door to the airport in the morning.

Early morning Tikal

2011-02-22T00:53:00.001-06:00

We woke up at 5:30,after killing some big bugs before bed, with the sound of crickets filling the woods. By 6 we were entering the jungle, and as we approached the plaza, the light sprinkled through the trees. The fog was thick and air was moist. We sat down to take in the new world, and the howler monkeys started up howling. If you haven't heard a howler monkey, it sounds strangely like something out of Jurassic Park, a raptor or some kind of dinosaur. The howlers were singing from all sides; the sounds echoing between temples creating an eerie, mind bending experience. Next came the birds that joined the chorus. A quick exploration of the North Acropolis followed by many other temples, and then we were off, just the two of us, to discover some new trails. We stumbled upon the Plaza of the Seven temples. Here a family of spider monkeys greeted us as they swung through the trees. We witnessed one spidermonkey brawl, and watched the tiniest, tinniest spidermonkey cling to its mother. As the spidermonkeys bounded from one tree to the next, some extremely loud, possibly extremely angry birds squawked through the trees. Despite the birds, the area had a very fun, jovial vibe. It seems the happiness of this area carried through the millienums.

Plaza of the Lost World

After Tikal we cruised to Flores where we grabbed a bite to eat and beverages from Villa del Chef, a nice little place with a small patio overlooking the lake. A huge burrito, nachos for 3, and 6 Cuba Libres for $22... I can handle that. A little tipsy on rum, we walked to the boardwalk which goes all the way around the island until we found a seat for sunset. We sat and watched the town come out to join us. I always love when people line the beaches or mountains to watch the sunset. This happened twice already, with the volcano being one, sitting on the top of Temple IV in Tikal the other. Night bus time then the surf camp.

Bandito country and Tikal

2011-02-11T10:01:00.000-06:00

Our night bus adventure through bandito country began with our shuttle to Guatemala City... nothing like weaving through hundreds of vehicles at 80 miles an hour with no seatbelts! Luckily we made it safely to the bus station. After Josh helped the other shuttle passengers get their lugguge down, we headed inside and got our tickets. As soon as we sat down, a bus driver came up to us. "Flores?" he asked. "Si" He explained to us, from what we could understand, that we couldn't bring our bags on board and had to check them. We took out what we wanted on board and then checked our bags. But we soon found that that wasn't such a great idea: there were TWO buses to Flores, and the bus driver who hadn't looked at our tickets, had just checked our bags on the wrong bus, the one that was leaving a half hour earlier. After a difficult conversation made up of Spanglish and hand signaling, we were allowed to pick out our bags. Josh jumped into the bowels of the bus, recovered our bags, and, phew... crisis averted.

We arrived at Flores right before sunrise. I was a little disoreinted when I got off the bus. Probably from the sleeping pills. I didn't believe it when we were told we were already in Flores. We watched the sun rise from over the lake and jungle, a truly beautiful sight. The fog gave dimension to the multiple layers of forest and mountain. From the shore we could see mothers and fathers paddling their children to school. Others were fishing for the day's food. We soon found ourselves taking in the beauty of the lake and sunrise from a little cafe called Cool Beans. We each had a Mocha, which was about par for what I have had in Central America. I then had an omelet with cheese and ham, hashbrowns, and toast. A little local hot sauce and I was off. Amanda had a bowl of fresh fruits, yogurt, and graola(Which was also good). With the food and view it was paradise indeed.

After a fight with a rooster for our food (a cock fight, if you will) and chatting with a German fellow, we decided to figure out the trek to Tikal. After a short walk and conversation we found ourselves a shuttle to Tikal and back, plus the trip back to Antigua.

We then boarded our shuttle to Tikal. On the way we got a history lesson on the site and of the Mayan people who called it home. Our guide Chino gave us an overwhelming amount of information on Mayan history; it was too much to take it all in, but we couldn't help but be striken by how passionate he was about the history of his Mayan ancestors.

We got our room at Jungle Lodge room c-6. A small room with a bed and shelving for clothes, nothing great for the price but the scenery and wildlife makes up for it... and finally, hot showers!

Around three o'clock we headed down to the ticket booth to get our tickets for the park. We had to wait until 3:30 because tickets bought after 3:30 were good for the next morning as well. As soon as we had our tickets inhand, we traveled down the dirt path, heading deeper and deeper into the rainforest. We trekked immediately towards the Grand Plaza and Temples I and II. The first glimpse of Temple 1 seemed surreal. Once upon a time, it was just a picture, and finally it was right in front of us.

We walked around the Grand Plaza, taking plenty of photos and video. Luckily, there weren't many other tourists (or guards...no guards), so we practically had the place to ourselves. After climbing around the North Acropolis, we ascended Temple II which gave us a stunning view of the entire plaza.

Our next stop was to the Grandaddy of all the temples: Temple IV. We hiked past Temple III.

More to come....

Landed in Guatemala

2011-02-08T11:45:00.000-06:00

We are on the ground and in Antigua. I must say this is one, if not the most beautiful place I have ever been. The old cobblestone streets weave through the city with cars, tuk tuks, and horses rolling noisily on top. Old Spanish cathedrals and colorful buildings are found every which direction. We arrived at Villa Esthela, a lucky find in the world in hostels. A 360 degree view of three Antiguan volcanoes awaited us on Villa Esthela's rooftop bar, along with some hammocks. After a short walk we saw the parks that were packed full of Sunday's best.

Amanda went for a nap while I decided to explore the city deeper, and with my camera. The sun was getting lower and created beautiful shadows. The vibe of the city felt very kind. People would smile or say hello as they passed. Some of the people were in traditional outfit, not sure if a Sunday thing or everyday. After my walk I headed back to the room.

We watched the Superbowl through our wifi, with the help of Michael's Slingbox account. After the first half we went to Monoloco (the crazy monkey) They had the game on and it was filled with football fans. We soon found out that there was more Steelers fans than Packer fans, but they would shut up soon. Bedtime after the big win.

We awoke to the sounds of birds chirping at 6:30. We went to the rooftop to see what was happening in the city and saw the sun splashing the mountains with colorful oranges. Volcano Pacaya was smoking early this morning.

We had to find a new hostel today so we cruised to the other side of town and grabbed Hostel 5.
Had a meal at Cafe La Esudilla $12 for fatijas and nachos with Pepsis. The resturant was located outside in a garden. The food was so good and we sat next to a beautiful water fountain.

We hopped into our shuttle for the Volcano and the journey began. Our driver was like most drivers I have seen in Central America, driving somewhat crazy. He passed cars with the engine screaming, around corners that fell 100's of feet. But he was always friendly with the other drivers, making a few short honks to signal hello.

We arrived at our volcano adventure and were immediately greeting by dozens of children carrying walking sticks. Before we had even exited the shuttle, they came up to the windows ready to make a sale. "You want stick? Stick for walking? Stick? 5 Quetzales." We and our fellow tourists politely declined, but they were insistent. As we began our hike, some of the local adults followed us as well with horses. "You want horse? Horse, no tire." We all said no at first, but they knew better and kept following us. It was only a matter of time before someone tired and gave in. A fellow "champione" (as our guide called us) decided to pay the money for the "horse taxi".

We continued our steep hike up the volcanic rocks and soot, stopping every so often for rest or a tidbit of knowledge from our guide. We finally reached the top of the hill next to the volcano. We had an incredible view of Guatemala city below as well as the volcano Pacaya and a couple of other volcanoes. Everyone took photos in attempt to capture and bring home the amazing scenery.

We then cautiously made our way down the hill to the base of Pacaya. Our guide pointed out how hot the rocks were there. Another "guide", the one leading the tourist on the horse, set up sticks and leaves on the rocks, and they almost immediately started a fire! After that we walked over the loose volcanic rock to what looked like a hole in the ground where there was some hot lava below. Our guide provided sticks, and those
who wanted could roast marshmallows over the lava. Amanda volunteered but passed on eating them. Our last stop was to a small, HOT volcanic cavern. It felt a bit like stepping into a warm oven. After that we sat out on the side of the volcano and watched the sun disappear behind the clouds and into the night. Our guide called out, "Championes!" and we made the hike back through the dark. (Luckily Josh brought flashlights. We lit the way for ourselves as well as other tourists who had found themselves without a torch.)

Amanda after she roasted some marshmellows

We were dropped off at the central park, which meant a short hike to our hostel. Luckily our hostel had a private bathroom because we both desperately needed showers. Amanda's feet were black with volcanic soot; it had gone straight through her shoes and socks. After the showers, we relaxed with a couple of Gallo cervesas. We considered going out for a bite to eat, but someone had locked up the hostel and because we were both tired after our volcanic hike, we decided to hit the hay.

We will now be grabbing a night bus through BANDITO country. If you never hear from us again we are being used in human trafficking. Onward we go. Ciao.

Travel soon

2011-01-21T10:08:00.001-06:00

In two short weeks I'll be in Guatemala seeing Tikal the great amazing Maya civilization. We are also going to Antigua the old capital of Guatemala. After Guatemala, I'll be heading to Italy to visit all the beautiful cities, eat amazing food and drink great espresso. I'll be posting from the streets, so stay tuned for photos and video.

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Garlic Beard

2010-12-01T18:11:00.000-06:00

Garlic Beard was inspired by a nickname I received while cooking and having a beard. It is developing into one the greatest animations ever, well maybe not but it is sure fun. Here is a little teaser we made while working on the character. It is only experimental hence the two different color hats.

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If anyone out there is interested in helping with voice, story or something else let me know.

It's been awhile.

2010-11-23T10:38:00.001-06:00

I have been neglecting this poor guy for some time now, so here is a video of a backpacking trip from a few months ago.
Lake Superior Trail from Josh Kufahl on Vimeo.

Here is a video from the California Classic.(A group of lake surfers camping and surfing for a week)

a pumpkin seed named charlie from Josh Kufahl on Vimeo.

New blog goal is to post once a week even if its horrible. If you haven't heard of the Pretty Lights, its awesome music and free to download at www.prettylightsmusic.com

Birds

2010-04-07T19:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a little fun I had with the D5000 and a 500mm lens with 2x teleconverter

Huhot

2010-03-21T12:48:00.003-05:00

I just caught the Huhot commercial on TV and remembered I gaffed and shot stills for it. Here is the commercial. DP was Tony Mata.

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Snowfall D5000 test

2010-03-04T19:38:00.000-06:00

I got to test my D5000 in the snow a few weeks ago. This is what I got.

Feb. Snowfall from Josh Kufahl on Vimeo.

Forte Casting Call

2010-02-22T22:39:00.001-06:00

I was able to photograph a casting call with the new modeling agency in town, Forte. Janie Strutt is the owner of Forte and a fun woman to work with. Here are a few shots from this weekend.

This girl was all smiles

Back from Costa Rica

2010-02-08T15:39:00.003-06:00

I recently got back from Costa Rica and have been trying to enjoy the cold Wisconsin instead. It not quite the same. If you didn't get to read about the adventures check out jnmcr.blogspot.com Also, I have a rough cut of the video I shot in Costa Rica up for viewing.
Costa Rica (Rough Cut) from Josh Kufahl on Vimeo.

Costa Rica (Rough Cut) from Josh Kufahl on Vimeo.

Porkies Winter Backpacking Trip

2009-12-08T23:01:00.004-06:00

Well it's that time of year again. The second weekend of December has been a time to sleep outside in the cold. For the last three years this has prepped me for the holiday season. With temps looking like they could be down in the minus 20's this one could be fun. The Porkies have given us a lot to battle through in past years. Here is a shot from a few years ago.

Snowshoeing on Lake of the Clouds

Behind the scenes (photo by Jon Karlen)

Not sure if the camera or extra clothes comes in its place this year.

Getty

2009-11-03T13:43:00.000-06:00

I have had the pleasure to work with a few guys from Getty in the last year. Here is a shot from earlier in the year.

Surfing Shots

2009-10-29T10:24:00.001-05:00

Since we are deep into this surf season and a big swell looks to be pumping tomorrow, I thought I would show some recent surf shots..

This is Robot Elf on a beautiful clean day

J Bay holds up for the pioneer who found it. Justin (the mechanic)

Bigger set at J

Late in the evening at J

The Mechanic comes out of the barrel

Outdoor Shots

2009-10-13T19:23:00.005-05:00

Broadcasting from the Hinterland Lounge, I present some photos from camping/backpacking trips this summer.

Pictured Rock a cliff must have dropped into the lake and the tree followed.

Porky's beautiful sunset with swimmers.

We meet a fun little chipmunk at the Porky's he even let me light him with a strobe.

Glas Coffee

2009-09-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

Was up to Sturgeon Bay and did some food shots for Glas Coffee House. Glas has great coffee, teas, and food. Check them out at http://glascoffee.com/

Turkey Wrap and Mocha

My favorite Barista and cup

Pasta and Wine

Kim and Michael's Wedding

2009-09-24T11:39:00.003-05:00

Just shot a wedding for a friend this weekend. The wedding was held at the Landmark in Egg Harbor. Beautiful day and great people. Congrats Guys!!

Trolley

Cave point kiss

Beautiful bride

First post

2009-08-26T13:01:00.003-05:00

This is my first blog post. I'll be posting stills and video of recent work. Stay tuned.

Here is a shot from a backpack trip with my brother.