Elemental Hawaii

A huge thank you to all the friends and family who gathered at Gallery Keoki to celebrate the release of my new body of work, “Elemental Hawaii.”  It was an incredible night of with my Ohana.        You are a beautiful part of this journey… MAHALO

The artistic path to this moment has been an incredibly creative, serendipitous exploration.  It has drawn me with passion all over the globe… only to bring me back home to where it all began.

This is a new beginning… Sparked by new perspective:

In so many ways Hawai’i challenges stereotypes of mountain living,
and my art is defined by a paradigm of Mountain…
Live every moment, boldly explore life, taste, and translate emotion…
 
 
Aloha    Keoki
Elemental

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Annual Celebrity Hound Hobnob Event

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We are very excited for this year’s fundraiser for the Squaw Valley Avalanche Rescue Dog and Education Fund. Join us at the gallery on Saturday, February 22nd at 6:00pm to meet these amazing dogs! We will raffle a “paw”tographed patrol dog image as well as other prizes.

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CAN DO: The Legacy of Jimmy Huga film screening at Gallery Keoki

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We are very excited to start off the Olympic’s celebration (and the fresh snow in Squaw Valley) with a special screening event of the film CAN DO: The Legacy of Jimmy Huga, one of the first of two Americans to win a metal in Skiing at the Olympics. The film pays tribute to Jimmie’s pioneering vision to help people live better with MS. We will be sharing the evening with local Olympians Tamara McKinney, Daron Rahlves and life long Squaw buddy Wayne Poulsen.

Please brave the storm and join us for this exciting event! Saturday, February 8th, 6:00-7:30pm. Celebration reception immediately following at Uncorked- the village at Squaw Valley. Please RSVP. Space limited.

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Colony- New Image Release Event

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Saturday night was a very exciting event for Keoki and the Gallery Keoki team. In his new image, “Colony,” Keoki stepped into a whole new realm of creation. At first glance this beautiful image of a colony of chin strap … Continue reading

Keoki Flagg unveils a new masterpiece, Colony, Saturday, January 25, 2014 at a special reception at Gallery Keoki in the Village in Squaw Valley.

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GKColonyIn this time of mass proliferation of digital imagery, the value of original creative content is paramount. The way we interact with our space, push our limits, and take risks through natural immersion should define this era.

Antarctic Spring Break Slideshow Event

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It was a fantastic evening here at Gallery Keoki last night as Keoki shared an inspiring and fun slideshow of his most recent trip to Antarctica with Ice Axe Expeditions. This was his fourth time to the snowy continent and … Continue reading

Tahoe Summit 2013 Save the Lake

 

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Former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore was this year’s Key note Speaker at the Tahoe Summit

 

Sand Harbor took on a bright new look last week as Senator Majority Leader,  Harry Reid  and The Tahoe fund hosted this year’s Tahoe Summit on it’s shores.  An all-star cast including, Governors Jerry Brown and Brian Sandoval, representatives, Dianne Feinstein and Mark Amodei  all came out to celebrate Tahoe’s past decade of environmental success.  Planet Earth’s champion and renown environmentalist, Al Gore,  delivered a fiery key note speech describing in detail many of the planet’s environmental challenges while at the same time sending an unmistakably positive message about our ability to change our future path.   He shared scientific data that proves our efforts are paying off and that the past patterns of diminishing visibility have been reversed.   Like many in the crowd, I was quite surprised about how much has been accomplished in Tahoe since his last visit with President Clinton over a decade ago… It was a proud moment for so many people and organizations who recognize the preciousness of Tahoe’s crystal waters and the vulnerability of the basin.  One by one each speaker spoke with passion and conviction  pledging their continued political support and demanding all in the audience to hear the call to action.  If we have any hope to sustain the precious ecological balance of Tahoe’s Blue world,  we all have to do our part.

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Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator for California

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Governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval, BSenator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Harry Reid, and Governor Jerry Brown

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Govenor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval

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Governor of California, Jerry Brown

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Al Gore reflecting on how much progress has been made since his last visit with President Bill Clinton

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Shooting the Pros Cycling Around Tahoe

 

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The phone rings and two days later I find myself on the back of  a motorcycle shooting  three world class cyclist who lead the Radio Shack-Trek Pro Race Team.

Luxembourg’s Andy Schlecht, The 2010 Tour de France winner came to the area with his brother Frank and Jens Voigt, their legendary German veteran teammate.  Their mission was to explore Tahoe, train and support two great local causes.  Reno -Tahoe Cycling sponsored the first ever “Ride with the Pros” event last Thursday and Friday and raised funds well needed funds for the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway and the Tour De Nez-vada.   For fan and cycle activist alike, it was a big success.

I have watched the tour de France coverage for the past decade and have always marveled at the incredible POV imagery that daredevil camera men consistently deliver.  I have always imagined that they used special rigging to facilitated their up close perspective necessary to capture these flying cyclist…I was wrong.   These photo teams barrel across the countryside on motorcycles, trying to stay one very close step ahead of the actual racers and their projected path while always being ready for the unexpected road bump that makes the sport so deliciously dynamic and unpredictable.   The drivers navigate a whole host of moving and stationary obstacles at high speeds while the camera men rides blind to the world around them, lost in the focus of their cycling subjects and the pursuit of the perfect shot.

I have experienced this tunnel vision many, many times before.  Just never on an trafficked winding street  from the back of a motorcycle.   After years of hanging out of helicopters, boats, cars with harnesses and dangling ropes or while flying along  on skis I was surprised how new and fun this perspective felt.   For two days, my dear friend and cinematographer, Tom Day and I traded off camera angles, shooting POV off the back of the bike as well as fixed angle on stationary ground strategically gained by leap frogging ahead.    More than once plans shifted,  routes changed , and the timing evolved, we went with the flow.   For both days, we were energized by a large group of  local cyclist fans and friends who came out in force share the road with these great legends.

Neither of us made the shift to riding backwards.   No question that it would have afforded a much more flexible angle on our moving targets…For me, hanging on was the bigger concern.   Instead, when it came time for the one key shot that I had scouted around Emerald Bay,  I settled for a 6 foot pole cam mount to elevate the camera and mounted an ultra wide 14 mm  lens to make sure that I didn’t miss…

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Shooting from the back of the motorcylce with my nikon D800 and a 14mm rectalinear lens mounted to a 6 ft pole

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Team Radio Schack riding up Blackwood Canyon

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Tom Day shooting with Red Camera

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Jumping ahead and scrambling for an elevated fixed camera angle

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Pole Cam angle over Emerald Bay

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Tom Day with Hank Devre

The Amazing ARC



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The Adventure Risk Challenge (ARC) changes lives.  It is an incredible leadership and literacy program that makes a difference!  Every summer, 10 young adults are exposed for 40 days to a range of natural environments & wilderness experiences designed to inspire the confidence needed to envision & accomplish critical life goals.

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1044076_10151526605788589_1430433241_nThis is the second year, that I have had the opportunity to participate in this Cal Berkley sponsored program and I am hooked.  Experiencing first hand the transformation of these sparked youths as they face their fears and become empowered is awesome.  From my first visit to the home base at  Sage Hen north of Truckee, I was struck by the power and beauty of the land.  It was there that I met Jose’.   With a heart of gold and an openness that touched me deep, he inspired me.

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Ten days later, after a five day backpack trip into the High Sierra, including a 24hr solo introspective journey, they descended into Squaw and paid us a visit at the gallery.  It had only been a short time since I had seen them last, but the transformation I  heard in their voices and saw in their body language was unmistakable.  They were happy and tired from their immersion in our backyard.  They were covered in a beautiful soft layer of dust and had big smiles with eyes sparkling bright.   As I showed them around the gallery, sharing stories about faraway lands they engaged me with a slew of probing questions that made the entire Gallery team smile.    An air of Inspiration, openness and hope filled our creative space and reminded us all how lucky we are live a life of daily passion… Living in the moment, being adventurous, taking chances to be all you can be is everyone’s true calling.

Last night, we met up again, this time at the gracious Cedar House in Truckee for ARC’s 10th  annual Voices of Youth.  The room was filled by our beautiful mountain tribe.  One by one each of the ten students got up, exposed themselves and shared their personal stories of challenge and hope.  Each and everyone spoke their truths and touched us all deeply.  When they were done it was my turn. I looked out at these amazing kids and was filled with love and hope.  I shared my perspective, my  own path of Adventure, Risk and Challenge and the unexpected journey that lead me to the PUSH to the south pole.  How Grant and Shawns Korgan’s Love trumped the most incredible physical feat I had ever seen and how the experience had transformed me…Learning first hand how unrelenting focus and positivity can make anything possible.

 

Thank You ARC.

 

From my humble perspective, your team of dedicated souls makes all the difference.

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Kenny and McKenzies Amazing Squaw Wedding

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This past weekend was incredible.  My friends McKenzie and Kenny got married in Squaw, the celebration was incredibly beautiful, fun and true.

For four days we came together and celebrated with great family from close and afar.   We feasted on wonderful food and live music.   The fun and joy resonated off the walls of our beautiful valley as we played into the starry night again and again.

The light was magnificent and shined in the eyes and hearts of all who came to share.

To McKenzie and Kenny…I wish you the very best in life together.  May you live, love and continue to inspire everyone who is lucky enough to cross your serendipitous path.

Blessed Be.

K

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New Image Release- “Tahoe Moment”

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We were pleased to share our unveiling of Keoki’s new Tahoe image with our families, friends and visitors last Saturday, July 6th. The new image, “Tahoe Moment,” captures one of the ever changing and always inspiring moments we experience along … Continue reading