Hanson Photography

These were pretty good this year.

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Well this post is a little overdue.

Tomorrow I will find myself completing a full two weeks of carpentry work at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

We touched down on The Ice to a fantastic sunset, bringing with us cheeses, avocados and morale milk. We were the final flight for a month and the morale milk is already gone.

As I walk the dorm room halls I feel as if I am in a strange dream. Experiencing locations and cold like a faded deja vu, except in this scenario I have actually been here before. Fifteen years ago.

Sometimes I see a person rounding a corner or driving a vehicle and think I know them. When they get close I can see their faces are new, or at least new to me. They are my ghosts, those who inhabited these same Big Red parka’s and Carhart jackets that protected us all last time. We all look the same cowering from the cold.

Two weeks in and the routine starts to make sense. Some things are new but generally not. I look forward to eating, sleeping, and socializing when I have the energy. This is never a guarantee. In a couple of weeks there should be mail again, and for that I am restless.

With that said, if you would like to see letter make it to Antarctica, I would most gladly accept mail of any kind. A letter, a postcard, a magazine clipping or a sticker, all would be wonderful rays of warm sunshine in this frigid landscape. The professional tips I have received for mail are as follows:

- No Batteries
- Ship in bubble wrap or envelopes, boxes take forever

And that is all I have for today. Here are some pics of the journey to The Ice. Miss you all!

Ian Hanson - ASC
PSC 769 Box 700
APO AP 96599-9998

“The whole undertaking was criticized in some circles as being too "audacious." And perhaps it was. But if it hadn't been audacious, it wouldn't have been to Shackleton's liking. He was, above all, an explorer in the classic mold—utterly self-reliant, romantic, and just a little swashbuckling.”
― Alfred Lansing, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Fifteen years ago, I began the ‘post-education’ portion of my life. I easily and often define 2009 as the best year of my life, for a great many reasons. I lived a simple life of freedom. Weekend shifts as a radio DJ shifted into weekend shifts of wedding work. I performed in musicals, sold movie theater popcorn, and built set pieces. I embarked on my first road trip and my first visit to Colorado. As the fall neared I steeled myself against one of the largest adventures of all.

One afternoon, my mouth numb from the dentist’s Novocain, I received a phone call…

“Ian? Yes, we’d like to offer you the primary position of Janitor here in Antarctica…”

Though it took my fat, stupefied lips some time to form the sounds of obvious acceptance, I confirmed my willingness and excitement to journey to the Ice.

And as they say, history is doomed to repeat itself.

I have accepted a position as Carpenter Apprentice at McMurdo Station. I deploy mid-August.

Though my deployment is contingent upon physically qualifying (PQ’ing) I am fully preparing for the upcoming departure. Paperwork is nearly complete and with any luck I look forward to receiving a deployment date…well whenever it comes.

It seems such a simple thing. Starting a new job, turning over a new leaf. People do it all the time. Though I doubt many would have guessed it, I have personally felt stagnant for a while now. A long while. Though it is only a six month contract at a location I have already visited, it is so much more than that. It is a job in a field I have dabbled in yet have so much more to learn. I have missed learning. It is a contract for six full months, plus I fully intend to extend the adventure in new-to-me locales. That means leaving home, and the United States, for the longest continuous period of my life.

I couldn’t be more ready.

All that said, perhaps watch for posts in the near future. Even if this position does not shake out how I expect, change is in the air. If you’ve known me or some time you’ve likely seen my ‘get-rid-of-everything’ posts attempting minimalism. Leaving the country to live out of two backpacks for nearly a year suggests I may very well own too much sh*t, and I intend to move on from some of it. I intend to be ruthless, even if it hurts a little. Now is the time for flight, to be speedy and light.

Cheers to growing up, and moving on.

“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” ~ Lewis Carroll

Last Chance Metal Print Sale.

I do not know how today got away from me.

https://www.ianjhanson.com/store

TOMORROW, May 20th, is the last chance to jump in on getting a discounted print. If you missed the previous post...my new printer currently has a sale and I wanted to pass it along.

It is a great chance to get a print of mine you have been thinking on for a while, or a new one I've taken this spring. Here's how to take advantage:

#1: Go to https://www.ianjhanson.com/store and pick a size. 8x10, 16x20, 20x30, 24x36 are the available metal sizes.

#2: Pay through my website or contact me directly to pay. I have Venmo and all the things.

#3: Email me at [email protected] or message me here on FB with the images you want. You can pick ANYTHING you can find...it's been so much fun to remember the images we've talked about in the past!

I will post this reminder again tomorrow but some of us (me) are night people and not morning people so this one's for you! Let me know if you have any questions, peace out girls scouts and catch ya on the flip side.

VERY RARE Print Sale

This weekend I am ordering a literal sh*t-ton of new prints for the 2024 Art Show Season.

I am taking advantage of a sale and thought to myself…why not pass it along?

So if you’ve asked about prints before but it didn’t feel like the right time perhaps this is it. I won’t have access to this pricing normally so we won’t see this again for…maybe never. (not a scare tactic I just have no idea)

This is primarily for METAL prints, which is what my Art Show booth will be. If you’re interested in any other mediums (canvas, paper, idk wood?) then please shoot me a message.

So if you’ve ever been waiting for the right moment, this might be it. Shipping is FREE, you’re amazing, and dreams really do come true.

Share with anyone you can think of. I have until Monday night to push this order through and I can’t extend it because, well I’m not in charge.

https://www.ianjhanson.com/store

Pics depict the first 2024 Art Show Booth rendition!

Watch for a post tomorrow. It's art fair season and I am going to need some help making some decisions.

Stormy night outside Joshua Tree National Park, 2024

Thinking about the ocean today.

Big Sur, California 2024