The Decision to Buy the Bus
Some decisions feel like they shape your entire future in an instant. Buying the bus was one of those. It wasn’t just a vehicle—it was an open door to a new kind of life, one where adventure, creativity, and uncertainty became part of the daily routine. And just days before receiving the unexpected email that would lead to my first National Geographic cover, my girlfriend and I made that leap.
We had just returned from Burning Man, where we had shared an RV with six friends. That experience made one thing clear—we wanted our own space for future adventures. We were already considering a tow-behind trailer when a friend showed us a Craigslist ad for a 1988 Thomas school bus.
Pedaling away on a stationary bike at the climbing gym, I fell into a deep dive on bus conversions—one search led to another, and before I knew it, I was hooked. By the time I finished my workout, I had set one simple rule for the purchase: "If I can floor it from a dead stop and it drives up to 65 mph, then slam on the brakes and it stops normally, we’ll buy it." The bus had a Chevy 350 under the hood—an engine I knew nothing about at the time—but I figured I could learn the old-school ways of wrenching.
At first, the goal was simple: build a functional Burning Man rig. But as the project unfolded, the bus became so much more. It transformed into a home, a workspace, and a vehicle for adventure—reshaping not just my travels, but my photography and my career.
The Build: From Craigslist Find to a Rolling Home
Turning the bus into a livable space took years. Fresh out of college, balancing rent, parts, and the build wasn’t easy. Jessica and I made sacrifices, cutting back on weekend plans and carefully budgeting every dollar to make it work. But despite the challenges, the journey was filled with defining moments:
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Mt. Shasta’s Maiden Voyage: Our first trip with the original engine set the tone for many adventures to come.
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Bamboo Floors from Costco: We walked into Costco one day to find bamboo hardwood flooring on sale. They had just five square feet more than we needed—fate, as far as we were concerned.
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Breaking Down on my way into Yosemite: On a trip with my buddy Austin, we faced a major breakdown entering Yosemite. This experience eventually led us to replace the motor and transmission to ensure the bus was reliable for future adventures.
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Repurposing a Totaled Truck: To overhaul the bus, we purchased a totaled truck from an insurance auction. We rebuilt its engine and and serviced the transmission, recycling as much as we could. The process wasn’t just practical—it reflected our commitment to sustainability. Taking something destined for the scrap yard and giving it a second life felt deeply meaningful, much like the bus itself.
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Salt Flats and Repairs: Our first full-time day in the bus was on the Bonneville Salt Flats. A rough patch ripped the axle off the leaf spring—a stark reminder of the challenges of mobile living.
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Crossing into Mexico: Driving south into Mexico, we were nervous at first but soon fell in love with the people, the country, and the experiences. This trip ignited my passion for off-road work, blending my love for automotive and work.
We poured our hearts into every detail. The floors were bamboo. The couch was built from repurposed materials. The countertop? Crafted from salvaged pier logs. Our cabinets came from beetle-kill wood sourced locally in Tahoe National Forest. Every piece had a story, a second life, a purpose.
How the Bus Transformed My Photography and Career
Before the bus, my photography was deeply rooted in Lake Tahoe. I spent years refining my skills on its landscapes, but I felt ready to explore beyond my home base. The bus became my literal and figurative vehicle to do so.
With a warm bed, a sink to brush my teeth, a space to stand, and a fridge for cold beers, the bus allowed me to explore remote locations for extended periods. This comfort meant I could stay longer in one place, waiting for the perfect light or the right moment to capture.
Just as we took a rotting bus and gave it new life, I aim to bring fresh perspectives to the places I photograph. The bus’s exterior remains rough and weathered—patina, as some call it—while the interior is refined and intentional. In a way, it mirrors my work: raw, untamed landscapes captured with care, precision, and beauty.
The bus didn’t just change where I could go—it reshaped my career in ways I never could have predicted. It became the bridge between my outdoor adventure photography and the world of automotive storytelling.
- It allowed me to spend time in off-grid locations, refining my approach to shooting vehicles in rugged environments.
- That passion for off-road exploration eventually led to my work in Baja, capturing the raw beauty of vehicles pushing the limits in extreme terrain.
- The experience of traveling and wrenching on my own vehicle gave me a deep appreciation for endurance racing, opening doors projects like the 25 Hours of Thunderhill and, eventually, Pikes Peak - each on an adventure of its own.
The bus didn’t just change my lifestyle—it set the foundation for an entirely new chapter of my work that I had never seen coming.
More Than a Vehicle, A Philosophy
The bus became more than just transportation. It came to represent the philosophy behind my work—finding beauty in the unexpected and bringing it to life for others to experience.
It also taught me something deeper. The bus didn’t just take me to new places; it showed me what it meant to fully commit to something uncertain. Every breakdown, every late-night repair, every push forward shaped me in ways I never expected.
I thought I was just building a rig for Burning Man. Instead, I was building a foundation for a career that would take me to places, projects, and opportunities I never could have imagined.
This chapter of my journey set the stage for the next: The email from National Geographic. The moment that validated years of experimentation and exploration. The bus reminds me daily that every journey, no matter how uncertain, has the potential to lead somewhere extraordinary.
