Be Here Now.

New Blog Site

2010-01-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! This is a quick notice to let you all know that I am switching my blog over to a new address at http://jenedney.wordpress.com . Thanks for all the support!

PADI Certification: Pool Session 1

2009-12-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Monday I had my first pool session with my scuba instructors Pat and Rena from DiVentures. Dad has decided to get re-certified so we have been able to spend some quality father-daughter time in the water. I think I am now officially a water baby!

Photo by my older bro Chris Edney

Winter Art

2009-12-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

Landlocked Days

2009-12-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

Been spending my landlocked days out hunting with my brothers, spending time with the family, catching up with friends and just enjoying the beauty of the good ole' midwest ;)

Hard Knocks

2009-11-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

“And, tell me, wasn’t that the best time, that time when we were young at sea; young and had nothing, on the sea that gives nothing, except hard knocks – and sometimes a chance to feel your strength”

-Joseph Conrad

Bula! For the past two months I have been at sea delivering a 46 Sunsail from Trinidad to Hamilton Island, Australia, working, shooting and learning to live a life at sea. Instead of puting into words what it was like and what I saw, I was hoping the photos would take care of that for me. I will be posting a more extensive gallery as soon as I am done editing so, for now, here is a brief synopsis of my time at sea. Cheers!

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The Green Flash

Panama to Tahiti - 30 Days at Sea

2009-09-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, 30 days at sea without seeing land was certainly an experience I thought I would never have. As we set sail on the Pacific it was a bit chilly at nights but a welcome break from the heat and humidity in Panama. The trip was full of marine life including whales, turtles, dolphins and lots of flying fish. We caught several Dorado and had some nice bluefin Tuna steaks and sashimi. The weather and seas were quite variable and we were fortunate to pick up a spinnaker in Panama to help us along. Provisions got low forcing more creativity with the meals which resulted in some fabulous fish curry dishes. Tahiti has been quite wet as it is the rainy season but nonetheless it has been a welcome break on land. We are heading off to Rorotonga and then Fiji. More updates to come when I am back in the states.

A special thanks to Mike and Brett at Praxis Universal who have been an incredible support system for me and to my parents for their love, support and patience.

Here is a link to the Life.com gallery featuring my work on Zac. Also check out this month's issue of Coastal Living

http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/33472/the-boy-who-sailed-around-the-world

Panama Canal Transit

2009-08-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

The transit through the canal went as smooth as it could. I was a line handler and snagged some photos when I was able to. The lighting was beautiful and it was an incredible experience. It was my captain's first time through the canal, along with the crew so they were all a bit nervous! We had huge ships in the locks with us which was incredibly intimidating but fascinating to watch. We went through the first set of locks Tuesday night then anchored in Gatun Lake. The next morning we woke early and head through the second set of locks, finally making our way into the Pacific ;)

Due to technical difficulties, AKA my computer dying or falling ill I will not be able to post any photos at this time from the transit. Jaime, my other crew member and budding photographer has taken some wonderful photos from the trip. Please visit her blog at www.jaimesun.wordpress.com

We are heading to the Galapagos tomorrow and scored a spinnaker while in Shelter Bay so, we should make pretty good time, as long as there is some wind ;)

*Note: I managed to snag a couple photos.....more to come...

Sailing from Trinidad to Panama

2009-08-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

I am out on assignment until Oct. 10th delivering a 46 Sunsail to Hamilton Island, Australia and shooting along the way. Here are some photos from the leg from Trinidad to Panama. The crew are all new sailors and are working towards their Captain's liscense. Here are a few photos to show life on board. We are heading through the canal later today and then we will be off to Galapagos. I will try and keep you posted along the way. Cheers!

Leigh & Grant with the boys

2009-07-28T07:13:00.001-07:00

Teen's Epic Voyage Launches Photojournalist

2009-07-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

By Mike Kelly

Jen Edney, adventure photojournalist. That's the name and occupation of a 26-year0old Omaha Native.

The daughter of John and Pat Edney graduated from Marian High and Creighton University and interned last year at the newspaper in Ventura, Calif. She was assigned to shoot photos of Zac Sunderland, attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The assignment led to a bigger project on her own - hopscotching the globe, meeting Zac at ports to document his voyage.

By the time he achieved his goal in California last week at age 17, Jen had visited such places as the Marshall Islands, Australia, Capetown, Grenada, the Panama Canal and Mexico. To save money, she worked for six weeks as a crew member on a power boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

She plans to publish a book of photographs, but just as important, she said, is that the project helped launch her career.

"It's just been an incredible year of growth as a person and professionally," she said. "This has become a passion of mine."
Location: Omaha World Herald

There's no place like home

2009-07-27T08:18:00.001-07:00

Just had a fantastic day with the fam yesterday, Dad and I got some time on the water, apparently it's impossible for me to stay off the water...and finished the day off with an incredible sunset cruise with Matt, Liz, Dad, Bella and Mom. There's no place like home.

Senior Portrait Shoot - Meghan

2009-07-27T00:27:00.001-07:00

I did my first senior pic photo shoot today in Omaha. It was a fun filled day and had a great time with the shoot!

Just another day at the office

2009-07-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of me at work, mounting my camera on the spreader for Zac's arrival. Thanks to Lisa and Pete for the MacGyver tape job, you rock!

Photo by Lisa Gizara
http://www.GizaraArts.Com/

Zac Sunderland's Arrival

2009-07-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

Here are a few select photos from Zac's arrival today of Zac and his family. More will be posted on my website shortly, cheers!

Zac Sunderland before and after...

2009-07-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

Zac Sunderland is pushing through his last few days at sea. He will be arriving in Marina Del Rey an Thursday, July 16th, bringing his year long solo journey to an end. Here is a brief look at how Zac has grown since his departure. This is a combined portrait from Majuro and Puerto Vallarta. More to come on Zac's arrival.

Please check back as I plan to be shooting Zac's arrival from 4 different angles that day. Who ever thought you could be in 4 places at once ;)

Best Friends Daisy and Oliver

2009-07-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Daisy and Oliver make the perfect team. Daisy loves to dig for her rock while Oliver loves to eat sand. Nothing beats true friendship.

Website Update

2009-07-06T13:48:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know about my website update. I've added a 'media link' for those searching for Zac Sunderland photos for use commercially/editorially. I will send out another update as soon as photos become available for print.

Zac's arrival is scheduled for the 14th and I will have several cameras mounted that day to cover every angle. I can't believe it's been a year! Thank you to everyone for the support this past year!

Tribute to Home and Family

2009-06-27T19:48:00.001-07:00

My twin bro and I

More from Puerto Vallarta

2009-06-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Puerto Vallarta

2009-06-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

I had to make a quick trip down to Puerto Vallarta to meet up with Zac as he had to pull off due to a broken bulkhead. Hurricane Andres will also be making it's way past us so, we will see how things go. Here are a few pics from Zac's arrival into Puerto Vallarta. Laurence and I literally had just arrived from LA, I was running down the beach to get photos as Zac was moving pretty quickly...another lesson learned, ALWAYS BE PREPARED! A wonderful couple offered me a ride on their golf cart, the world is full of nice people ;)

Panama

2009-05-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some images of my experience in Panama and going through the Panama Canal...

Rockin & Rollin At Sea Part I

2009-04-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from my time at sea aboard the 37 Leopard Powercat from Ascension Island to Ft. Lauderdale. We had many crazy experiences and saw some incredible things, stopping along the way in Fortaleza, Brazil and Trinidad. Catching fish, almost hitting road kill, running out of cooking gas, resorting to the 'bucket system' when the heads broke, training for the rodeo when the seas were hectic, dealing with 'dirty' fuel, meeting incredible people and having a blast along the way. I had an incredible crew, Thanks Jamie and Greg, can't wait for our next adventure!

Fortaleza

2009-03-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Just a little note to let you all know that I have made it safely to Fortaleza. We had a lovely day off on Sunday, beers, a full meal and explored the night life of Fortaleza. Yesterday was a bit of a mission getting provisions for Jamie and I (detailed story to come in Trinidad-Tobago), not to mention for Greg trying to get fuel and water on to the boat. The docks here are super dodgy and you have to time getting on to the boat just right with the surges which can be a bit of a challenge. We are heading out in a couple hours to continue on to Trinidad-Tobago.

Life aboard the boat has been fantastic. Nothing like being stuck at sea to force you to stop and 'smell the roses'. The first couple days Greg was making fun of me asking, 'You don't know how to relax, do you?' Well, i finally figured it out ;) We haven't caught any fish yet and are hoping that the new lures we acquired here in Fortaleza will help with that.

I quickly got nick named 'chucky' because i've managed to chuck a few things overboard after doing the dishes. One being an important item to coffee drinkers. I scored some points after getting a coffee press in St. Helena, only to loose them after chucking the plunger into the ocean after one cup of coffee. Sometimes one misses an item or 2 before dumping the dish water overboard ;) The next day I managed to chuck the whistle top off the kettle as well...i guess i'm not meant to make coffee on a boat ;) I did redeem myself by pulling out my camping skills and introducing the Captain to 'cowboy coffee' which has finally settled the score.

We've had pretty calm conditions so we've been stopping mid evening for a swim, swam with a pod of dolphins, have been body surfing behind the boat, reading, cooking, cleaning and fashioning new lures out of whatever we can find on the boat...oh yeah, we even had a braai a few days ago ;)

Jamie and I are a bit nervous about our invitations from King Neptune arriving in a few days, should be about 3 days out of Fortaleza. We have heard so many crazy stories and have no idea what's in store for us. This is one ball i'm not sure I want to attend ;)

I will fill you in when we reach Trinidad-Tobago in about 10 days...until then keep smilin' ;)

Life on and off the RMS St. Helena

2009-03-05T01:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings from St. Helena! Perhaps the most beautiful thing about this island is that you can only get here by boat or ship. I spent 5 days at sea aboard the RMS St. Helena after seeing Zac off in Cape Town. Travel has been slow for him so I have been keeping myself busy exploring the Island and meeting new people from all over the world.

In this blog you will see photos of Bryson and Hugh who are from Vancouver traveling around the world exploring different surf spots. They are also doing environmental research along the way, focusing on educating young adults on where their trash ends up by documenting the trash they find on various beaches. Check out their website/Blog at http://www.oceangybe.com. They met Zac in Cocos Kealing and were hoping to be able to see him when he arrived. Alas, he has not arrived yet. Hopefully he will be here this afternoon. I enjoyed exploring the island with them for a few days and playing a round of golf at the St. Helena golf Course, definitely the most isolated golf course I have ever played on ;)

I am also introducing you to Rob ‘Bee’ Clark who is on a unique adventure of his own. Where to Next? Is his motto and he is sailing Single-handed around the world, guided (or misguided) by the dice! Check out his site http://www.w2n.co.uk for more information on this very unique story.

The last group of people I am introducing you to will be my crew for the next month. What? Crew? Huh? Well, as has been the nature of this story since I began shooting Zac in May 2008, things are constantly changing and I have to just roll with it. I was planning on being gone from the states for three weeks and have been gone for the past two months.

The other day I was walking down the main street in St. Helena and saw someone I recognized from Cape Town…you should have seen my face, shocked would be the proper word. I ran into Greg who is delivering a power cat to Ft. Lauderdale from Cape Town. One of his crew members needs to get back home so he has asked me to join their crew to help with the delivery. It just so happens that they are heading the same way Zac is and hopping on board with them saves me a LOT of money! So, I will be meeting them in Ascension and will be at sea for the next month until it is time to meet up with Zac in Grenada. We are making a stop in Brazil and Trinidad/Tobago.

I think this next month at sea will bring me closer to the story then I could ever be on land. Immersing myself in the world of sailing these past few months and meeting some amazing people with the most incredible stories has certainly given me a new perspective into Zac’s incredible journey. Being at sea, virtually neighbors with him for the next month will most certainly give me the insight I have been searching for. I am looking forward to the unexpected and thrilled to see what is lurking around the next corner…

Tribute to the most beautiful woman in my life. My mother.

2009-02-22T06:09:00.000-08:00

My mother and I were blessed with the opportunity to road trip together a couple months ago when she helped me move from Cali to Jackson, Wy. It was a fabulous road trip and I just wanted to have a tribute to the most wonderful and beautiful woman in my life. Thanks mom for all your love and support! (Dad, you are next ;)

Three.

2009-02-18T05:53:00.000-08:00

Three Solo Sailors: Zac Sunderland, 17. Mike Perham, 16. Saito, 75. Three Different Countries: USA, UK and Japan, Three Different Routes. Three Achieving the same dream.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to photograph and meet three extraordinary men this past weekend in Cape Town. The only one who had planned to stop here was Zac, that is why I am here. Mike and Saito had to stop to make repairs before heading back out to sea. Zac and Mike are currently trying to be the youngest to solo circumnavigate the world while Saito currently holds the record for the oldest person to solo circumnavigate the world. This is Saito's 8th time around the world. I have enjoyed chatting with Mike and his father Peter, they are wonderful people and have been very generous to me. Saito has a very warm and inviting smile and has been a wonderful person to chat with about his journey. Here is a look into three sailors following their dream.

Youth and Wisdom

2009-02-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

Zac Sunderland, 17 and Mike Perham, 16, two young sailors both attempting to be the youngest to solo-circumnavigate the world had a chance to meet Minoru Saito who is 75 yrs old and on his 8th trip around the world. He currently holds the record for the oldest person to sail around the world solo. It was a wonderful moment in Cape Town and a pleasure to meet Saito.

Portrait Shoot

2009-02-11T01:14:00.000-08:00

Zac had a portrait shoot with Kevin for Italian Vogue so I thought it would be a good chance to test out my mounted camera before sending it off on the boat to St. Helena. As you can see I was steering the boat and trying to take photos at the same time...multi-tasking ;) After the shoot, Zac and I decided to have a portrait shoot of our own. More to come...

Cape Town

2009-02-08T01:40:00.000-08:00

I've been in Cape Town for about 10 days now photographing Zac Sunderland before he heads off to his next stop in St. Helena. I've been spending most of my time down at the Marina and have met some wonderful people. Everyone has been so generous to us and I am so gracious for that. Cape Town is a beautiful area full of magnificent landscape and beautiful people.

Zac pulling into the marina

World Cup Stadium being built

'Tablecloth' over Table Mountain

Guys from Ocean Sailing heading out for the week

Ross from the Ocean Sailing Course

Bruce from the Ocean Sailing Course

Racing on the Addis in Cape, my first time ever on a racing boat...camera needed a bit of TLC afterwards :o)

Dragon Boats in the Marina

Concert at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town

Inauguration

2009-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

I was blessed with the chance to be a part of history with an amazingly talented group of people, not to mention incredible friends. Thanks to Jason, Dana, Eric, Josh, Elisa, Matt, Aldo, Dave, Jess and everyone that made the week a memorable one.

Mauritius Beauty

2008-11-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

Lymington Countryside

2008-11-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from Laurence Sunderland's home town. I was fortunate enough to spend the day with his stepmother, Laura Sunderland, as she took me around town and showed me the beautiful countryside.

Laura and Jemma

2008-11-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

Laura Sunderland and her lovely companion Jemma, out for a day at the lake.

The Ship Inn

2008-11-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a place I stopped off for a wonderful cup of coffee with Laura Sunderland, a lovely woman who took me out for the day to show me Lymington while I was visiting the UK.

Precious Moments

2008-10-03T05:34:00.001-07:00

While in Jackson I met several new, wonderful people. This is Matt with his son Lucas in the Granite Hot Springs, one of my favorite places in Jackson.

Rich Clarkson Adventure Sports Workshop

2008-09-28T18:06:00.001-07:00

I had the most amazing week at the Adventure Sports Photography workshop in Jackson, Wyo. A huge thanks to the incredible staff, faculty and fellow photographers.

Dave Black with his light saver before a light painting demo...it even had sound effects!

Cage of Death

2008-09-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Zac got to see some of the sites and unique aspects of Darwin, the most exciting being the ever so friendly crocs. Zac also had a cultural tour, spoke for the young sailors at the Yacht Club, and saw some of the wildlife in Darwin.

More from Darwin

2008-09-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from Zac's first day in Darwin. The boat was taken out of the water for some maintenance work before Zac's next leg to Cocos-Keeling. Zac also got to see his family back home while talking to them on Skype for the first time since he left. His youngest brother, Ben just turned one a few weeks ago and has grown a lot since Zac last saw him.

G'day from Darwin, Australia

2008-09-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

After an emergency stop in Papua, New Guinea and not much wind on the way to Darwin, Zac Sunderland finally made it into port. He will be taking the boat out to do some maintenance while here in Darwin and will be preparing for his next leg to Cocos-Keeling.

Sailing Solo

2008-08-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Majuro.

Zac Sunderland in Majuro, Marshall Islands

2008-08-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a slideshow from my week photographing and filming Zac Sunderland in Majuro, Marshall Islands. I will post a run down of the week soon. This is a fairly loose edit for Zac's fans to get a feel for the week. I will be posting a tighter edit later. For now, enjoy the photos and music from Youth to Youth.

Zac Sunderland in Majuro from jen edney on Vimeo.

2008 Los Angeles Gay Rodeo

2008-06-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

This is a daily piece I put together from the 2008 Los Angeles Gay Rodeo in Newbury Park, CA. It was a blast!

2008 Los Angeles Gay Rodeo from jen edney on Vimeo.

Teen Chases Dream

2008-06-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my first multimedia piece of Zac Sunderland as he gets ready to depart for his journey to try and be the youngest person to sail around the world. Let me know what you think, feedback is welcome!

Teen Chases Dream from jen edney on Vimeo.

A Not so Typical Father's Day

2008-06-16T14:58:00.001-07:00

The Get on the Bus program sponsored a special Father's Day celebration at the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility Sunday afternoon providing food and transportation to children and their caregivers so that they could spend some time with dad.

Born to be Wild

2008-06-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Raye Gabriel celebrated her 90th birthday by going skydiving in Lompoc, Calif. She wanted to do something different and said the scariest part was the jerk of the parachute opening. I hope I'm skydiving when I'm 90!

Glover Family

2008-06-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Glover family for letting me take their portrait today, and a special thanks to James for taking a pillow beating and getting quite a workout during the shoot!

Sailing around the world

2008-06-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Zac Sunderland is aiming to set the record as the youngest person to sail around the world. He will set sail June 14 if all goes well and is shooting to be back around this time next year. Zach has never spent more than a day away from family and friends. Here are some detail shots of him getting the boat ready for the journey.

Grand Opening of the Airforce One Discovery Center at the Reagan Library

2008-06-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a daily I shot Sunday. The Reagan Library had it's Grand Opening of the Airforce One Discovery Center and allowed kids from Lang Ranch Middle School to come out and do a simulation. The center includes replicas of the Oval Office, Airforce One, Press Room and control center. The kids were in charge of getting medical students safely out of Grenada, going through the same procedures as the president and his advisors.

Photo Illustration

2008-04-23T20:51:00.002-07:00

2008-04-23T20:51:00.001-07:00

More portraits...

2008-04-23T16:46:00.001-07:00

Portraits

2008-04-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Eric for posing for some portraits and giving me some lighting tips.

Surfer Baby

2008-04-13T22:06:00.001-07:00

I met a wonderful couple this evening that let me photograph them before their baby girl pops out in 2 weeks. They love to surf so I figured a shoot on the beach at sunset would be appropriate.

Portrait of a Friend

2008-04-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a portrait of my classmate Clayton. I had a difficult time finding a way to portray his wacky personality with just one photo so I decided to try a double exposure. It took a long time to figure out how to do it but ended up with a couple frames that worked. Let me know what you think.

2008-03-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a few portraits of Keith Akins who rides his motorcylce around on Easter wearing a Bunny Costume handing out candy to children and posing for photos. He has been doing this for the past few years.

Seabee Ball

2008-03-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I shot at the Seabee Ball at the Reagan Presidential Library Saturday evening.

2008-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

A cardinal ran into the window while I was home visiting my family. Here are some pics of my brother trying to help it out, waiting to see if it will be ok and our dog, Bella, checking out the bird after it perished.

2008-03-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Family

2008-03-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

My friends have been bugging me to start a blog so here it is guys :o) Here are a few photos from a hometown perspective project I worked on last month. My theme was 'family'. I met so many amazing people while shooting this assignment so I've decided to turn it into an ongoing project. I'm anxious to see where it leads me.