1. Gravois Park

2018 has been an interesting year- one that, as I write this, I can’t yet define as awesome or a real drag. You could say that, in 2018, I closed a lot of chapters in an effort to open a really good one; one that would create both material and livelihood changes for myself and my family. For context, feel free to flip back to 2016’s Best Of post (a year that I lost my job and my purpose) or 2017’s Best Of (a year of transition and preparation). This year has been the year of “I used to be”, as in, I used to be a curator, I used to be a photographer, and I used to be some things that still remain to be seen.

NOTE: The images with numbers are those that I consider “my best of 2018”

Lemp Brewery Cave Entrance (me on the left; Chris Naffziger on the right)

Last year’s article ended with something of a teaser for a project that I had been shooting for much of 2017. Though I couldn’t reveal it then, Chris Naffziger’s multiple articles for St. Louis Magazine on the Lemp Brewery Complex, including my documentary work, has been well publicized now. This was a truly exciting project, wherein Chris and I spent more than 40 hours exploring the 30 or so buildings and underground passageways of the former Lemp Brewery. Though we have photographed so much already, there is still more to do, so work on this may resume later this year or in early 2019.

Below are two images from the cave section of the complex shot on our last visit there (and what most people always ask to see):

2. Lemp Brewery Cave (aka Cherokee cave)

3. Lemp Brewery Cave (“theater room”, note the painted walls)

In January, I saw myself as completing a lot of projects. At The Dark Room, I ended three years of curation, and handed the reigns over to the very capable Gina Grafos. At the Lemp, Chris and I finally photographed inside the Lemp Cave, which I thought a probable end cap to that work. I returned to Earthbound Beer, another partnership between Chris and I, to photograph the completed state of the Brewery for a republication of Chris’ original article in a British journal on brewing. That project took on and off again work over a two year period. During 2016’s disruption, I had resumed a job at the Saint Louis Art Museum, which also ended in January. Finally, I transferred some of my ownership and responsibilities in Photo Flood Saint Louis, an organization that I formed in 2012 and ran solely until this year, over to a small team (a bit difficult to do, but was necessary for my sanity).

By the end of January, I could say, “I am not a curator. I am not the Sole Administrator or Sole Author of Photo Flood Saint Louis. I am not an employee of the Saint Louis Art Museum (I’ve worked over 6 years cumulatively for the Museum, and this will likely be my last employment there).”

4. Washington Avenue for PFSTL

5. Earthbound Beer

6. Chouteau’s Island for PFSTL

All of these endings were for a purpose, however. The business that my wife and I had been planning since 2016 was finally ready to be executed- it’s merits tested.

That business is called Kamp, an “explorer boutique for wanderer goods”, and was disclosed to you readers in my Best Of post from 2017. The construction process in February was not without stress, and is well documented here and here. We opened in March with 17 lines, which we later expanded to 27.

KAMP Grand Opening, photographed by Theo Welling

Show Me St. Louis’ coverage of KAMP’s opening.

7. Baden Resident for PFSTL

8. Forest Park

9. Klondike Park

10. Skinker-DeBaliviere for PFSTL

Believe me when I say that running your own business is no easy task. Whatever time you think it will require, it will require more, probably way more. Normally, in these posts I include information on all of the events that I have organized or participated in, but with KAMP, I’ve easily conducted (in some cases, just organized) many more events than there would be room to include here. Instead, I’ll provide a summary with maybe some picture highlights. Be sure to check out this post for some of my favorite promotional designs that I created for KAMP this year.

Our Grand Opening Flyer

Our classroom before a presentation.

MARCH EVENTS:

• KAMP VIP Party (Grand Opening Preview)
• KAMP Grand Opening
• KAMP EDU: Introduction to Photography Course (4 classes taught by me)
• Robbie Hart, Assistant Curator and High-Altitude Ethnobotanist for Missouri Botanical Gardens Lecture
• KAMP Yoga for Adults
• Private Photography Class for Kranzberg Arts Foundation (taught by me)

Mo Bot Assistant Curator, Robbie Hart demonstrating a tool used for plant collection

APRIL EVENTS:

• Chouteau Greenway Design Competition Preview
• KAMP Yoga for Adults
• KAMP HIKE 1: Don Robinson State Park
• KAMP EDU: Intermediate Photography Course (4 classes taught by me)
• KAMP EDU: Nature and Landscape Photography Course (4 classes taught by me)
• Isaac Richardson, Preparing for a Great Hike Lecture
• Introduction of KAMP to Cherokee Street Business Association
• KAMPfire Stories (kids stories and craft)
• Beer and South St. Louis, w/ Chris Naffziger: a Talk, Tour and Taste Event
• KAMP Yoga for Kids

Chris Naffziger giving his Beer and South STL Tour

A group checking out the Chouteau Greenway Design Competition Finalists

MAY EVENTS:

• KAMPfire Stories (2 sessions)
• Cinco de Mayo Micro Sale
• Camp First Aid, w/ Paramedic Michael Krueger
• Night Photography Workshop, w/ Dan Zarlenga
• Better Together St. Louis Lecture
• KAMP HIKE 2: Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park
• Grand Trunk Goods Memorial Day Sale
• KAMP EDU: Introduction to Photography Course (4 classes taught by me)
• KAMP EDU: Self-Defense w/ Ali Moseia

One of our KAMPfire Stories sessions.

JUNE EVENTS

• IndiHop Beer Festival, hosted Cathedral Brewing
• Gateway to the Great Outdoors Presentation and Partnership Launch Event
• Life Outside Festival at Creve Coeur Lake Park, Tentsile Tree Tent Demonstration
• KAMPfire Stories (2 sessions)
• KAMP Yoga for Adults
• KAMP Yoga for Kids
• Meru Film Screening
• Private Photography Class for Saint Louis Hop Shop
• Minimize Spending, Maximize Travel, w/ Jennifer Meyers
• KAMP HIKE 3: Castlewood State Park
• KAMP EDU: Self-Defense w/ Ali Moseia (4 sessions)

Classroom set up for IndiHop

Me demoing a Tree Tent at Life Outside Festival

JULY EVENTS

• KAMPfire Stories (3 sessions)
• KAMP Yoga for Adults
• St. Louis Magazine A-List VIP Party
• Photoshoot with Gateway to the Great Outdoors and BioLite
• KAMP HIKE 4: Fort Belle Fontaine County Park
• KAMPfire Cooking with BioLite and Mixologist Anthony Stewart
• KAMP Yoga for Kids
• Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver
• SoFar Sounds St. Louis In-Store Concert
• KAMP EDU: Self-Defense w/ Ali Moseia (4 sessions)
• Jon Alexander Filmaker Shoot (our location was a scene in his upcoming film)

Filmaker Jon Alexander and film crew.

11. BioLite x GGO Photoshoot

12. Mandi at Summit Lake while in Denver for Outdoor Retailer

Sadie Hart performing at KAMP for SoFar Sounds, photo by Emily Johnson/Craig Warnhoff

AUGUST EVENTS

• Grand Trunk Goods Double Hammock Raffle
• KAMP EDU: Photography Course (4 classes taught by me)
• Photo Flood Saint Louis 6th Annual Members Party (hosted)
• KAMP HIKE 5: Mastodon State Historic Site
• KAMP Yoga for Kids
• Beer and South St. Louis V2, w/ Chris Naffziger: a Talk, Tour and Taste Event
• Private Product Photo Instruction w/ local furniture maker
• KAMPfire Cooking with BioLite and Chef Samantha Pretto
• KAMP EDU: Self-Defense w/ Ali Moseia (2 sessions)
• KAMP EDU: Hip-Hop Dance w/ Marcus Benson (5 sessions)

Video screen grab of my son Harper drawing the Hammock Raffle winner

Classroom set up for the PFSTL Annual Members’ Party

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

• Grand Trunk Goods and Tentsile Labor Day Sale
• KAMP HIKE 6: Weldon Spring Conservation Area
• KAMP EDU: Nature and Landscape Photography Course (4 classes taught by me)
• KAMP EDU: Self-Defense w/ Ali Moseia (4 sessions)
• KAMP EDU: Hip-Hop Dance w/ Marcus Benson (4 sessions)
• Cherokee Street Festival Committee Meeting (hosted)
• KAMP Yoga for Kids
• Photo Flood Saint Louis 1st Ever Art Garage Sale (hosted)

PFSTL Members just after setup for Art Yard Sale

OCTOBER EVENTS

• KAMP EDU: Self-Defense w/ Ali Moseia (5 sessions)
• KAMP EDU: Hip-Hop Dance w/ Marcus Benson (4 sessions)
• Alderwoman Cara Spencer Re-Election Campaign Fundraiser (hosted)
• KAMP EDU: Photography Course (4 classes taught by me)
• The Great KAMPout All-Day Event at Castlewood State Park
• KAMP HIKE 7: Lone Elk Park
• Cherokee Live! Event Committee Meeting (hosted)
• Collections by Joya Pop-Up Shop (hosted)
• Noppadol Paothong Lecture on Wildlife Photography and Book-Signing
• Gateway to the Great Outdoors Equip Event with Thompson Coburn Law Firm (hosted)

Collections by Joya advertised in our storefront window

GGO x Thompson Coburn Equip Event

Ald. Cara Spencer Fundraiser

Tweet from the St. Louis Mayor

NOVEMBER EVENTS

• KAMP HIKE 8: Lone Elk County Park
• KAMP EDU: Self-Defense w/ Ali Moseia (7 sessions)
• KAMP EDU: Hip-Hop Dance w/ Marcus Benson (5 sessions)
• Outside360 In-Store Meet and Greet Event
• Kathy Schrenk Author Presentation and Book-Signing
• Cherokee Live! Event Committee Meeting (hosted)
• Photo Flood Saint Louis Late Night Holiday Print Sale and Cocktail Hour (hosted)
• Gravois Park Residents and Business/Property Owner Community Engagement Workshop 1 and 2 w/ Ald. Cara Spencer and Brown School of Social Work (hosted)
• Lady Hikers Happy Hour