Slow Baja - Photographer Miguel Ángel de la Cueva A Passion For Wild Baja

Episode Date: March 18, 2021

Miguel Ángel de la Cueva is a profoundly thoughtful photographer who focuses on Mexico’s natural beauty, wildlife, and remote ranch-dwelling people. National Geographic, Geo magazine, Mexico Desconocido, and environmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Wildcoast, and Niparajá-WWF have published his images. He has photographed two books: Oasis de Piedra, which won a Silver Medal Award at BookExpo America NY 2006 in the Nature Category, and La Giganta y Guadalupe, which advanced the creation of a Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur, México. He is an Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. “It is in the desert that we can find meaning in the simplest things of life. It is in the desert that we can rediscover our sense of awe. And, it is in the deserts of Baja California Sur that geography and hope become one.” -Miguel Ángel de la Cueva Enjoy the conversation with photographer Miguel Ángel de la Cueva Visit Miguel Ángel de la Cueva's Instagram Visit Miguel Ángel de la Cueva's Facebook Buy his book Oasis in Stone from Sunbelt Publications

Hey, this is Michael Emery. Thanks for tuning into the Slow Baja. This podcast is powered by Tequila Fortaleza, handmade in small batches, and hands down, my favorite tequila. Hey, do you have a four-wheel drive? Did you always want to see Baja racing up close and personal? You need to join Slow Baja in the Nora Mexican-1000,

April 23rd through 30th, the Safari class is your way to get your street legal four-wheel drive vehicle up close and into the action. You've got to check out the safari class at nora.com. That's www. N-O-R-R-A.com. Miguel, let me just hear you say your name so then I can say it properly. Miguel Angel Martinez de la Cueva. Martinez de la Cueva is my father's last name. Gravioto, which is my mother's last name, and I just make it, I shorten it to Miguel Angel de la Cueva, which is, everybody knows me by that, by that name, Miguel Angel de la Cueva. All right, well, let's get a drink in hand and say hello and cheers.

Salute. Salute. Salud. Teodoro. Ah, bien, bien. Miguel, Angel de la Cueva. Perfecto. Hey, I'm delighted to be here in La Paz at Harker.

We're at Harker Bar and Surf Shop. And it's a little noisy, but we're going to have a nice conversation with my Instagram friend. My Instagram friend, Miguel, who's a brilliant photographer. And if you're not following him yet, you should be by the time this podcast is over. So, Miguel, we were talking a little bit on the drive over here. and your great old Land Rover. You're originally from Kornavaka, and you came to La Paz in what year?

I arrived in La Paz in 1994. Actually, I live since 1994 in La Paz. I was here earlier. I have a relative, which just to spend half a year, and I used to come here when I was a child. But since 1994, I've been living continuously here, and I'm not planning to leave.

Soon. And the reason we're talking is you're a photographer and a damn fine photographer. I've seen mainly your landscape photographs, but you also photograph people. Yes. Did photography bring you here? Was that why you came or was there some other reason? Well, actually before I arrived here, I was studying visual arts. But honestly I had no idea what I was going to do with it.

But at that time, my girlfriend and I were just planning to move somewhere. And I told her a lot about La Paz in the 80s where I used to be here with my family. And she just fell in love with the idea. And then one day, one day, before I even noticed, I was in La Paz. Well, that's how powerful it was. That's how it was. How it works. With a girlfriend, you're going to follow her anywhere.

Exactly. I just remember once I told her about La Paz, and the next thing I remember, I was in La Paz already with her. So I didn't did photography by then, because when I arrived in 1994, it was very different from what you're looking at right now. La Paz, 1994, was very small, very small place, only two coffee shops. socially it was a very small

social circle was very small without no idea what would what will be doing what things will be doing here as a job

and actually my girlfriend was a fashion designer and then actually she got job way faster than I did so she started designing clothing and I just helped for a while. For the next two years, I was working with my girlfriend,

which became my wife in designing clothes. And I didn't see any window by then into photography until I applied for a grant for, it's called the National Council for the Arts. And I applied for a grant to document all the ceremonies that were left behind the Jesuit missions, the pagan and non-pagan celebrations. And I was very lucky that I got the grant.

grant so that grant allowed me to travel for one year in a very modest way of course because those grants are very modest but it gave me at least a buck up to do some traveling into like to go within toward the place and and then when I was traveling and doing this although I was documenting more and more anthropological approach, I was overwhelmed by the landscape. The more I start going deep into this mountain ranges, I just fell in love with these ranges

and with all the things that you normally don't see from the road. Because the road is beautiful. It's one of my favorites road to drive, the Peninsular Highway, but it's overwhelming, but there's so much beauty behind those mountains, you know, this, so I just, I just fell in love and I just keep trying when that grant ended, I was very hooked into the landscape,

and one day I pull over, and I got on top of this little mountain, and I was very lucky to see this, sunrise you know the on Sierra Giganta range in Loretto you've been there you know it's I've seen it's amazing yeah but it was 6.30 a.m. and it was just blood red just sinking into the sea of Cortez and I was so overwhelmed by that vision that it just changed changed I mean it's just something hooked and since then I just wanted to return and see what was behind those volcanic walls and it's been 20 years

you know of of exploring and you know it's funny because I live in a peninsula that is surrounded by water and you know overwhelming beautiful coastline you know but 80% of my time I spend it in the deserts and in the mountain ranges. You've got your back turned to the beautiful water that everybody comes to see. And you're up in the mountains and you're in the desert and you're seeing the cactus. Yeah, I remember this quote from a friend, Bruce Berger, who is a friend, and he's an author of one of the books, which I promise I will deliver before you leave. and he has this beautiful quote

saying that the desert sunsets you just have to look in the opposite direction and that's about desert some of the most beautiful things happen on the other direction and I'm a desert lover I just love the aridity and of course I love the coastline

I try to be as close as much as I can came from the water and go to the beach once a day. But my heart, it's in the mountain ranges. Let's hang on for a second there. Back up, and let's talk about your childhood, your teenage days, you're a young adult in college studying visual arts. Where did photography fit into your life? Who did you?

I mean, in Mexico has a great tradition of photographers. Bravo and Grasielle Itribide. Yes. You know, Tino Modadi, who's not Mexican, but, you know, came to Mexico and made fantastic photographs. Edward Weston, you know, you had a moment in history where some of the greatest photography was happening in Mexico. So for you, Juan Rufo, you know, when it, for you, where did photography fit? Who are your heroes? You know, what, when did you get?

your first camera, just walk me through that. It's interesting because my father was a painter. And although I never lived with him, I spent some time with him. He teach me how to paint. He taught me how to see somehow and you know, this structure behind the image and as a painter. And I, let's say my first approach into visual arts was through him, through my father, you know, as a painter.

And I spent some of my childhood drawing not as much as into something, honestly, I loved, but I did draw a lot. but I if there if there was one thing I I do remember and I do know is that I my best childhood memories that were spent over with my mother outside

you know when we were camping I was always lost and by the time I got back everybody was crying because they thought I was lost I was you know I was there always there always there were on their knees they're like oh my god and those are my happiest childhood memories and I think although I lost this sense of you know nature in during my teen

teenager years because I was into motorcycles and other stuff not really into nature I just let's say it remained hidden you know also my experience with my father in my attraction to visual arts because I always felt very attracted to visual although I didn't recognize it as that but it's very interesting that you mention it because when I was sitting on top of that mountain looking at that volcanic wall just bright you know getting lit by this the sun and just something moved so so strong that I think these things reconnected again. Because I was connected again with this nature,

the sense of wonder of nature, like being overwhelmed and lost, which I loved when I was a child, and also somehow maybe this need to be part of it. You know, sometimes you just don't see things as clearly. You just know you somehow belong, There's something there for you, although you don't really have a name for it. What I do know is that these two most important, one of the most important memories of my life,

which was spending this time I have, like when my father, as a painter, which I, you know, and along with my mother in the woods, free-connected. And after years, you know, 10 years or more that they were lost hidden, being teenager and being, trying, living home and trying to find a place, you know, search for life. And since then, I have done nothing to return to this place where I was looked at sitting on top of that mountain. You know, this. And it has transformed in many ways because. First, I think it rescued me. It gave me a direction, which I didn't have.

For the first time in my life, I knew what I wanted. Clearly, it's like, not with a name, but I knew I needed to be there. You felt it. I felt it. You felt it. Exactly. And then you had to follow it and try and figure out how to keep doing it. I just didn't stop.

It became a passion, like an obsession. and it was through the years that I was so passionate about this place and about these things that people were not really looking at. Everybody was sober, well, with the sea, with the coastline, you know, and all these places were just, you know, not being looked at. And you start realizing that the desert is... For many people, it's, you know, wasteland, and, you know, they throw their big couches out there. And it's a cultural thing because it's, for some people, it's like, there's nothing, or some people just fear emptiness, you know?

And, you know, I understand them because I felt it. And it's scary. Because you have not, in the desert, you have nothing to distract you. And then you have to face yourself. That's profound. There's no place to go. When you're in the city, you're in another place,

you have tons of things to distract. I think the desert is so, that's why it's so intense. It's, you know, like I've read that all these cultures, you know, most of the most important cultures are being settled in the desert. Religion.

The most important religions have been settled in the desert. and I just felt that I belonged in how you relate the abandonness of, you know, and many things to it and being part of something, you know. And I think it was very natural from being a passive observer to an active, you know. Participant. Participants. Because how much time can you spend? How much time can you spend in these places without getting concerned?

You know, it's like there's a time where you can just be overwhelmed and contemplation. But then you start, the more profound you get to the place, the more you realize there were things that need to be done. So let's talk about that a little bit. So I became aware of your work through the podcast that I did with Zach Plopper at West Wild Coast. So they do land conservation. Yes. And they were using some of your photographs in their work to show why these things needed to be preserved and to raise money. So at what point did your photography take that turn where you say, okay, I need to do something with these pictures?

and preserve what I'm looking at. I think, like, many things in life, it's a twist. Things just, I knocked on a lot of doors, but nobody was really interested in seeing the desert and mountains. Everybody was interested. Tourism bored and everyone was just, now if it doesn't have a coastline, we don't care. Yeah.

So I got this opportunity to publish through Sambled publications in La Jolla, a book which was co-partnered with them, and they got interested in it, and it got published. And although nobody really was caring a lot about the topic they did, and that was in 2005. The book was called Oasis of Stone. And they entered a contest, it's called Forward Book of the Year, Expo Book America, I'm sorry. It's a national, it's a national event. And they always submitted all their publications and stuff. And for some reason, this book was selected.

This book was selected and won a silver award. So the book took the nature medal, the silver medal in the nature category. And that was very overwhelming because we never expected the book to make it there, you know? There were very incredible books. And so we made it. And they called me, they told me, guess what?

This book just made it. a silver award in Expo Book America in New York City. So the book became very popular and they were very happy. So it was by then that when this thing happened, then when I was here in La Pazas, all of a sudden they just look at it. When nobody really paid attention, it's like, oh, somebody said it was important, so we need to look at it. Yeah, somebody else validates you. It's validates you. Exactly.

Yeah. So honestly, I will, I wouldn't, I don't have no, exactly. They just, I think it was a wonderful combination of narrative and images. And it was, you'll know, you'll get to see it. And then I got some attention. And Ezekiel Scurra, which is, which was the provost for the San Diego Natural History Museum. Museum by then. He told me I want to present this book. I do want to present it and I love it and he's a desert lover and he's a bright ecologist and he told me we need to present this book

and we he presented in the San Diego Natural History Museum. And then that's how by the museum, that's when it got to all the environmental organizations. Organizations and people related to because as a kill which I am very grateful as many you know we all have very special people in our lives because he's an incredible bright ecologist now he's a he's director for UC Mexico in UC and he was very supportive because he he's a desert lover and he has worked many years on on coastal deserts and he knows their value and so he really pushed it. He says, no, we need to really help this guy at least with his work.

And then all of the people that were working, they started approaching, like environmental organizations, that most of them were working with water, but some of them were starting to work with coastline. And it was also a transition even for environmental projects, because before environmental projects were focused on water. And now the vision is very integrated. Integrated, exactly. It's switching to that because that's how it is.

That's why it should be. So I think it was a coincidence that in that time, there was all this through Ezekiel also. They were really pushing the value of ecotrestrial, biodiversity along with coastal diversity. So that's when I had a room for a guy who was working with desert. because nobody before was paying attention is like, okay, yeah, well, deserts. But we have beautiful coastline.

And it's hard to fight that. It's not as charismatic. Right. Whales and in orcas and all this marine wildlife. It's a quieter place and a quieter story. Exactly. And you have to get people to actually change gears or change channels. And it's easier to connect with marine.

No, it's, it's. So how can you put attention into this dry land, you know, where beauty is not really can be seen right away, you know, you just need to be there and witness the miracle of life. But those things take harder, so that's why they're not as charismatic. People don't want to risk themselves to see something like that. It's much more subtle. Well, now they do more. And all of the photographer friends that I've had, like Jack Taekinga, you know, this wonderful landscape photographers that I have the opportunity to work with and travel with,

desert photographers, they know that, you know, when they were working to protect the Escalante, you know, in all these beautiful desert monuments, they always struggled, you know, how to put attention into something people consider a waste. You know, we can't wait to drive our old land. who's are down to Baja, and when we go, we go at Baja bound insurance. Their website's fast and easy to use, Baja Baja Bound insurance, serving Mexico

travelers since 1994. So we're back here at Parker, and I'm talking to the photographer, Miguel Angel de la Cueva? Yes, okay, and you can find him on Instagram at, Say it, Miguel Angel de la Cueva. And he has beautiful photography, beautiful, stunningly beautiful photography.

I spent 25 years as a photographer, photographer, I photograph people. I do not have the patience to do the work, to do the work, to wait for the light, to be in the spot, to make the photos that you make. And that's why I'm sitting here with you right now to pay homage to you. Yeah, no. So take it away. Like, again, how, so when I look at Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, a beautiful, stunning scene that, somebody has spent a painstaking amount of time to be in the right place when there's the right light. How often do you find that moment versus like, ah, great place, going to have to come back next month, going to have to come back again, going to have to come back when the light's right.

This is just not, it's just not right. How often do you actually feel it in your bones like you got it? This is, this is beautiful. Oh, that's a very good question. It's very often that friends, people I know, just give me a call and tell me, come on, let's go and take a photograph. Like, what's your plan? Let's just go for a walk and then we'll be back in an hour. And I said, let's just go for a walk.

You know? And because most of my friends sometimes they expect, you know, that we're just going to be pointing, shooting while we're walking. Normally doesn't Although you need to be prepared Always for whatever comes Shows up It normally It's about connecting

It's like with people You can just not connect right away It's very rare You know for that to happen You need to invest time You know for that to happen And I think

Of course my most memorable Moments I've had here and it's, although sometimes, most of them, they surprise me, it's part of a longer process. I think it's just, it's like luck. It's just not luck. Just have to be prepared. Yeah, so I was just going to say some Brazilian friends of my grandfather that were very kind to me 30 years ago.

The wise old grandfather said to me, you must be prepared for luck. it arrives. Yes. And that's what you're talking about. Yes, because sometimes I remember... You put the work in to be lucky. In life, that's how it is. We always have great opportunities.

Sometimes we're just not ready for it. We don't see it. We're not prepared for it. And I think sometimes you need to learn from that because I've had... I've blown tons of things like that, you know, in many ways. And the same thing is with... with photography, I think when you realize that you just said something very interesting minutes ago about just not pushing too much, letting things happen.

And if something is not happening, it's not happening. It's okay. Let it come to you. But I think that happens through the years. You learn how to be less apprehensive, you know, with things. And with photography is the same. Because it can be very frustrating. And more when you're working with subjects, you cannot control.

I mean, I'm not a wildlife photographer, but I know friends who are, they are. I'm always surprised because working with unpredictable subjects. You said a wildlife photographer. Yeah. But I've worked with people, and I've worked with landscapes. Even landscapes, although they're not moving, well, clouds move and the sun moves. and the moon moves, but they are unpredictable. You know, and the more you can do is just sit

and wait for things to happen. If they don't happen, you return. And then if your return doesn't happen, it's okay. You know, it's, you just have to, I think, I enjoy, I'm enjoying more and more the process and not really preoccupied about if I'm I'm really getting the shot. Because I mean, I've had situations.

Not the destination. I've had an example. And you have to be open to unexpected, the unexpected. Once I was looking for this place in the central, Baja California Peninsula, you know, around Biscayno. And there's some rite peaks called Santa Clara. There are five violet peaks which are 600 meters tall in flat desert. It's amazing geological monument.

But actually, I was looking for some blooming that were telling me what's happening. And I was for two days, and I never found it, and I was very frustrated. And I was not even looking at the mountains because I was looking for the blooming. I was like this, you know? Wow, the bloom and the blonde. And then I just decided to camp because it was late. For those who aren't sitting here with me, Miguel is just making the gesture of having the blinders on like a horse. So he's focused on the bloom, which isn't blooming enough, and he's missing out.

Yeah, I was... Take your blinders on. This is not what I told me what's happening. So, okay. And I spent already a day and the sun. I was very, very thirsty. And I said, okay, I was just frustrated. And I just decided to camp in this place.

And it was a very windy and cold night. The next day, I woke up because I was freezing. It was five. And then when I got off my tent, I noticed I could not see because it was all covered by fog. Nothing. Nothing. And then I said, oh my God, I covered my fog. and I just sat there and then I waited for sunrise and I see these peaks

is starting to show through the fog. That's actually the cover of the book. And what I saw that morning, because the fog started, you know, to lift, while it was warming up, but it was cold up, so it got trapped on the peaks. so it starts to rotate because it's trapped. So I had this clouds rotating very slowly in the peaks. And I was, it was an amazing vision. I had goosebumps.

I never seen anything like that. And I said, you should take photographs. I was not even thinking about it. So, okay, I ran, I got the camera, I got the pictures, I got everything. But that day changed a lot of. of things because it was one of the best experiences I've had and it was unexpected. I didn't even plan on being there, photographed these peaks and I had the most amazing visual and how do you say sensorial experience I've had in my life, you know, cold, the vision, the movement.

and I noticed that you need to be open for those things to happen, although you don't know what's going to happen. And I think one of the greatest things about nature and photographing nature is that it's unexpected. But as we just said, you had to be ready for when the luck arrived. And of course I ran and I had the skills to make it happen. But that was only the technical thing that made it happen. But it was there.

So talk to me about in this era, when everybody's looking down at their hand with their phone and everybody's so busy doing nothing because they're looking at their hand and they're on social media, how do you make the time, how do you make the time, how do you block out the time to get out and look and look for those moments? moments. I guess I'm asking you how do you organize your working life? I mean are you

able to just get out and go? Do you have to wait for an assignment? How do you how do you do it? Well things have changed a lot in the last years, you know, assignments, editorial assignments, you know, it's almost like it's almost gone. I still get some and I'm very lucky for that but things are changing. culturally speaking, it's very challenging because things are very focused on overwhelming events and spectacular stuff. Everyone says spectacular things fast and spectacular. And it's very hard to compete with that, you know.

And why am I telling you because this, because it's very challenging for, as a photographer to have people, to attract people's attention. When I was a teenager, I could open a magazine like we did, you know, National Geographic. I know those travel magazines were just, wow. You're riveted. You were dreaming about being in the place. And sometimes TV, you could see it. Now it takes two seconds.

You open a phone, you open Instagram, and you have millions. of images, wonderful, beautiful images. How can you focus? It's very challenging. I mean, for even for all, well, not all generations, but at least for my generation

and behind. It's like popcorn. You just eat it, you don't think about it, you just consume, consume, consume, consume, the value of story telling. Swipe, swipe, swipe, swipe. Now it's returning because we're locked. People are very avid. They want stories, but

is happening. But for the last years, it's very challenging to put attention into what it should be, you know, like the places, the people, you need to make things very, you need to think not only the way you do things, but how people look at things. Before, you could focus more on your work and make the story happen. And an editor will help you to guide. But now you need to have way wider vision. I've been with colleagues in big events, and I've had photographers, like, very conservative photographers, that tell me, I'm not taking a selfie or myself.

I'm not taking a selfie. And the editor is telling, well, you should, because that's what connects people with the photographer, but no. you know I'm there to take the photograph you know and I'm there to make the story I'm not there to make photographs of myself And I've seen this this culture shock and now Now the the selfie of the photographer Has hundred more views

Then the photography the photograph that the photographer took Nobody cares nobody cares about this the story, you really have to make it very spectacular for people to look into the story. Why the photographer was doing, what was the purpose of that assignment? No, it's very fast. And it's like slow bah, no, no, no. How can you keep things slow again? Tranquilo.

So, saying being brief, more brief, being brief, being brief, I think the best example is what I do with my kids. I'm always being an enemy of my kids being on the phone and being on TV. I don't have a television. And of course, I cannot alienize

them because their friends have the phones and they play the video games and it's their moment. But what I do is when they're here. I take them four days, no Wi-Fi. You know, even if they're mad at me, for 24 hours, they won't speak to me, they won't talk to me because I'm private, you know, taking them away from their devices.

But the second day and the second day, they're playing. They're being nice to each other. You know, they're playing, they're running, and they're on the beach, they're swimming, you know. They connect within two days. Third day, it's all.

So when you see that, you know it's worth. It's worth trying, you know, trying harder to make people look back at nature for what all the things that gives us, you know. It's within us, you know, so it's, it's starting from one, you know, it's, it's very hard not to get trapped by the current, very strong current. My neck hurts, oh, it's my phone, you know. Exactly. I mean, as obvious as that, and I do try not to look at it too much.

It's too much information, you know. I think what really helped me to focus in my work, It was that I was very far from all my colleagues, far from what everybody was doing. I didn't feel pressured. If they were succeeding or not, they were doing cool things or not, I think what really worked is that I really focused

of what I wanted to do without really being aware what was going on. And that's what is very challenging today. How can you just isolate yourself with so much information around? Yeah, well, as the food is arriving and distracting me, and I've definitely ordered too much, I'm going to ask you one last question. Maybe we'll just turn off the mics and have a little food.

But Miguel, you're from Mexico, Quinovaca, you know, nearly Mexico City, very close to Mexico City. How would you explain Baja to my listeners, to fellow people from the mainland in Mexico? your fellow countrymen, how do you explain Baja? How do you explain the place? How do you explain the people? I've always loved the words by Fernando Jordan, you know, when they call it the other Mexico, El Otro Mexico, which is true.

This is very different from many other places in Mexico, very different of it. Although many people migrated from Sinaloa, Sonora, from the other side of the Gulf of California. The roots, their story, even... It's very different from the rest. You know, this sense of islands, being in an island, changes. I think it...

Let me see. Find the right word. I think it's the best place to be where you can find... the absence, not the absence, the essence, I'm sorry, of people, the essence of place, the essence of nature, it's still alive. You know, you go into the mountains and you meet these ranchers, and their essence is so pure still. Although they're getting more people there, the cleanness in their eyes, and their smile, it's so primary.

You know, we forget about even things like that, you know. Saying hello is very important for them. Now we can just walk in any other place and we don't even wave to each other. So the same thing with nature. Sitting in front of a place like this, like where we're sitting right now with the way. water in front of us makes you see things like for the first time. So I think the Baja California Peninsula is a wonderful place to recuperate what's the most important, you know, our primary essence.

To reconnect with ourselves as humans, as persons, to reconnect ourselves with our ground, with our, you know, where we come from before we see this, you know. And I think it's a great place to be a better human being. Because it gives you all this, you know, it's hard not to. I think, yeah. Miguel, Angel de la Cueva, before you go on, that was so profound. We're going to leave it right there. So tell us how people can be in touch with you or follow your photographer.

Where can people find you on the internet? Well, you can follow me through my Instagram account, Miguel Angel de la Cueva. Also, we didn't talk about this, but I've been working in the last 10 years in this conservation project on the Sierra Gigante Guadalupe ranges. Please visit Sierra La Gigante Guadalupe. I will send through Sloughbauga other links so you can visit. and know more about this wonderful project to create a new 1 million hectare Biasphere Reserve in the Baja California ranges. We've been working on that for 10 years, and hopefully you join and help us and come along

in this adventure. Well, this will be the first of, I'm sure, several podcasts with Miguel Angel de la Cueva. We've got tacos in front of us, so we're going to sign off for now, and I'm delighted that you made some time for Slow Baja, and I look forward to spending more time with you. It's an honor. And I feel very honored for you guys to be here. I really enjoy and love what you do,

and I think I wish it would be more people like you doing what you do because you're very passionate about what you do, and I think that would have a great impact. I'm very honored to be with you guys having dinner here. All right, well, thank you very much. Slow Baja's wardrobe is provided by Taylor Stitch. I was lucky enough to wear test some items on my 3,000-mile Baja XL trip. The vertical jacket, the California shirt, which is a beautiful flannel shirt, I call it the

Baja California shirt, and some white oak, beautiful, salvaged denim jeans. Put all that stuff on to make me look good in Baja, and I never took it off. I was wearing that stuff for 10 days straight. That vertical jacket is a handsome, handsome jacket. In the truck, under the truck, at dinner. Taylor Stitch, clothes that are made. to wear in, not out. Folks, you made it this far. I got to ask you, please help us out. Rate it, review it if you're on iTunes,

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