Q&A with videographer of BYUH's SIFE team, Akin Clothing, and Project SoleQ: Where are you from? How long have you been in Hawaii?A: I’m was born in Utah, moved to Nevada for a few years, and then back to Utah where I finished high school. I have lived in Hawaii for almost 11 years.Q: Tell me about your family. You’re expecting another kid soon, right?A: I have been married for almost 8 years to my LOVELY wife, who is also named Erin. We met shortly after I moved to Hawaii. She was a student at BYUH and I was just cruising. We have one crazy little knuckle head named Ross, who is 18 months old, and will soon be big brother to knuckle head No. 2, who is due Dec. 3. We love our little Ross-man and can’t wait to meet our new addition to the Nelson clan.Q: How long have you been doing photography/videography?A: Almost 4 years ago, during my senior year at BYUH, my wife bought me a GoPro for my birthday, and, after spending several hours editing a short surf video, I felt strongly that I had found something that was going to be much more than a hobby for me.Q: Where has photography and videography taken you in the world?A: Shortly after graduation, the SIFE team approached me on campus (now known as Enactus) to put together a 24-minute video to complement their presentation for an upcoming national competition. I have to say that this was the most difficult project that I have ever taken on, but I felt strongly I needed to go above and beyond what was asked of me and after many sleepless nights we delivered our presentation. For the first time, BYUH advanced to the final round of competition and placed 3rd in the nation. I feel strongly that the decision to do more than I had been asked was one of the most influential decisions I have ever made. Since that time, I have been able to travel with Akin Clothing to deliver school uniforms to underprivileged children in Tuvalu, Samoa, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. More recently I was able to go to the Philippines with Project Sole to give away over 11,000 pairs of shoes to the people of Tacloban. These opportunities have changed me as a person and have given me a clearer understanding of God’s love for his children and our responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters.Q: What camera do you use for most of your work?A: I started with the Canon 7D and moved on to the Canon 5D Mark III, which is my weapon of choice. The latest GoPro has also become a major player in the type of work I do.Q: You have done some work for Akin and started something of your own. Tell me about those.A: I recently launched my website www.uprightvision.com, which features work I have done, as well as my personal passion projects, which usually take place in the ocean. Shorter clips and updates can also be found on Instagram @uprightvision, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.Q: Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?A: I’m not sure really, which makes life exciting! In the past, I have tried to figure out and plan my future, but I always end up being surprised. I’ve learned that if I can constantly try my best in everything I do, and keep myself open to possibilities, things always work out and I end up exceeding what I had ever thought possible.Q: What do you hope people get out of your work?A: Two things, really: I would say my first goal is to leave people feeling uplifted. Genuine happiness can be found all around us, so I hope, first, that people get that from my work. Second, my goal is to show people a fresh perspective of our surroundings. This earth is far too beautiful to be ignored. It’s easy to get tunnel vision and forget what is in your periphery. The big picture is inspiring, and so much satisfaction can be gained from simply observing.Q: Any last words or advice?A: I would have to say that the best bit of advice I could give is to always challenge yourself. Never take the easy path. Success taste so much sweeter when it’s been preceded by soul-stretching, mind-bending, emotionally-draining HARD work.
Writer: Reid Crickmore ~ Multimedia Journalist
