New Journey to Begin...

I'm about to embark on a new journey in the realm of my photography.  I'm excited, yet nervous at the same time.  Luckily, I have a great wife who has been very supportive of me.  Even more so now as this new journey begins next week.  It has to do with an image that REI recently purchased off of me for a 10 year license for a new store they are opening in Easton Ohio and a new window of opportunity that has been extended to me.    For those that may not have seen this already, the exert below is from my Facebook post earlier in the month about the initial agreement.

Back in February I was contacted by the marketing director at REI headquarters (Recreational Equipment Inc.) out in Kent Washington.  REI is much like Cabela's and Gander Mountain, specializing in outdoor gear.  They are largely located out west and in the south.  Their first store in the northeast part of the country will be in Columbus, Ohio.  I was contacted because they were searching for an outdoor landscape photo from Ohio to be used in their new store as a mural that they will be opening in May.  They were searching for something to print out 34ft x 13ft in size!  Not knowing specifically what image they were looking for I replied back with a link to my website that contained all my landscape photos from around here.  After some e-mails back and forth about the logistics of it they choose the one below.  I was ecstatic!

This photo will be displayed in their Columbus store opening next month (by the cash wrap as they call it) and will include the name of the photo with the credit given to me.   In addition, I was invited to their Community Reception Night before the Grand Opening next month, in which my wife and I will be attending!  I am EXTREMELY excited and humbled about this opportunity.  

If anything, I feel really humbled and honored for this up-coming opportunity and am hopeful that this will lead to even bigger things within the company.  Don't want to spoil too much so you'll just have to keep checking back....  :)

Below is the image they choose to use for the Easton store location.

Actual Mural from the REI store located in Easton Ohio