As the plane landed on the tarmac in Kathmandu, I couldn’t help but ask myself that very question: What on Earth am I doing in Nepal? After all, wasn’t I just here in November? And haven’t I been here 7 times already? And didn’t I summit Mt. Everest back in 2010? Yes. To all of the above. But let’s just say that destiny came knocking as it often does and I responded favourably.

In January of 2013, I was documenting the climb of my friend Sh. Mohammed Althani, (check out his site) a Qatari climber and philanthropist whose dream is to climb to the highest point on Earth. His mission is to inspire Arabs to step outside of their comfort zones and to live their dreams. He also happens to be the brand ambassador for a charity called Reach Out to Asia (www.rota.org) and is raising money to help them achieve their mission of providing education for those that need it most. A mission I widely support.

So imagine: there we were, at 6100M in Argentina, freezing, 5 men huddled into a small yellow North face tent talking about this crazy little idea. Mohammed wanted to create the first ever Arab produced reality television series on Mt. Everest. And apparently I was the man for the job. Once we all made it to the top of Mt. Aconcagua, I received this random email from Moe: “Can you write a proposal for me, I need it in 2 days”. I said sure. Of course, I happenned to be in transit to Alaska at the time for another project, but who am I to say no to a Sheik!  So I delivered a proposal called ‘Arabs on Top of the World’. About a week later, Moe sends me another quick email and says; “Can you edit a trailer for me? I have a meeting with Qatar television and I need it in 2 days.” I’m thinking: “Edit a trailer for a TV series in two days?” Right. So I drop everything and cut a trailer out of thin air.

A few days later (and I am in total awe of what he was able to make happen in such a short amount of time) a production company from Qatar called Media Dante and their star producer Rosie Garthwaite was called in to produce the series, shortly thereafter QTV approved the budget and the next thing you know, we’re all in transit to Kathmandu to do something that’s never been done before in the Arab world.

So what’s the show about?

A Palestinian, an Iranian, a Saudi woman and a Qatari (which the latter two are world firsts) are going to attempt the impossible: they are all climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest. And guess who is responsible for capturing 100% of journey above base camp? Yup, me! I’m the lead (and only) high altitude cinematographer. A HUGE responsibility. It’s not exactly like shooting a few episodes of Honey Boo Boo at sea level. (Not that I watch honey Boo Boo). It’s more like going to war in an incredibly inhospitable, unpredictable, uncontrollable environment with obscene amounts of camera gear, technology and objective dangers and hazards at every turn.

Am I worried? YES! Of course I’m worried. You have to worry. You have to be afraid. You’d be crazy if you weren’t. But I am confident that if I can stay healthy and if the weather gods are on our side, we have a good shot at pulling this off. There also happen to be multiple unknowns that I can usually control, but that for some reason simply did not work out in my favour. The way I see it: clearly there is something for me to learn here. The list of things that did not work out the way I had hoped includes not having any of the Sherpas I’ve trained in the past on my team, not knowing the logistics company or the production company I am working with and most of all, not having a plan B if anything happens to me. That has me in a state of extreme mindfulness. I’ve been up Everest 4 times now and it’s a fact that your success is contingent upon your team. And I don’t know anyone. But I’m alright with that. Big mountains have a way of either bringing people together, or tearing them apart. I’ve experienced both. And I embrace the uncertainty that is ahead of me. Let’s see what the Universe has in store.

What am I most excited about? 

Seeing my Arab brothers and little sister show the Arab world that they can make the impossible happen. It is is a real honour for me to be a part of this, particularly because I’m half Lebanese. They’ve all become my friends and I care about each and every one of them. Their challenge is Everest. My challenge is Everest while creating stunning images that brings Everest to the Arab world in a way that never been seen. With a red marsh mellow man suit as my attire, down mitts and an oxygen mask strapped to my head!

At the end of the day: safety for all is all that really matters. And that will be my mantra.

Will they all make it? Time will tell.

Elia

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Last fall, I was contracted to shoot an expedition to Mt. Everest basecamp. A team of novices were planning to push themselves beyond their limits, step outside of their comfort zones and journey to the foot of the highest mountain on Earth: Mt. Everest basecamp at 17, 500ft above sea level. And of course, they wanted their journey documented every step of the way. Having previously reached the summit in 2010 and undertaken 4 Mt. Everest expeditions as an adventure filmmaker, apparently I was the man for the job. I happily accepted the offer with less than two weeks notice and found myself back in Nepal for the 7^th time capturing the magic of the Himalayas in HD video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How did I land this dream job you ask? It’s complicated. Let’s just say that 8 years ago, I made a bold decision to give up EVERYTHING to pursue a life of adventure. My car, my condo, my small video production business, I incurred huge personal loans and made gigantic sacrifices to invest all that I had into a resume and portfolio that I hoped others would take notice of. During this 8 year period there were times where I lived on tuna and chick peas, could barely pay my rent and repeatedly faced the possibility of bankruptcy. My plan at the time was to garner enough experience as an adventure filmmaker to gain the attention of potential clients who could hire me as a ‘high altitude filmmaker’ while earning the trust of school boards who would one day partner with my not for profit organization FindingLife – an organization that empowers, inspires and educates youth through technology and global adventures. I earn a living now as an adventure filmmaker and run this organization full time.

With two weeks notice, I packed up my Glidecam, Glidetrack, my arsenal of Canon DSLR cameras plus lenses, time-lapse remotes, tripods, guerilla pods and everything else I’d need to capture the magic of the Himalayas. On previous expeditions, I’d been using a a Cowboy studio rig as a hand held rig and a lower line LCD viewfinder adapter. Needless to say, I was not pleased with the results. I decided on a whim to reach out to Zacuto on the 11th hour and they happily loaned me some gear to test in the Himalayas. Within days I had a Zacuto EVF and a Fast Draw rig as part of my kit. Awesome! All I had to do was figure out how I was going to carry it all!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Some of the major challenges that you face in the high mountains is the altitude, the exposure and the extreme cold. The higher you climb, the less oxygen there is in the atmosphere and the harder it is to survive. While most struggle to place one foot in front of the other, as a high altitude filmmaker, you are responsible for your own safety and well-being in addition to creating beautiful images, telling a story while ensuring proper focus, exposure and framing. The best example I can illustrate in terms of how you feel at extreme altitude is this: stay up all night, ensure you’ve got a mild case of the flu, place a snorkeling mask on your head and run on a treadmill at full speed. Now operate a camera and be creative. Good times!

Now in this case, this team of novices were only climbing to Everest basecamp and I knew they’d be slow. For me, that meant that meant that I’d be able to bring some new toys with me to test out on the trail.

The Zacuto Fast Draw rig was a dream to use. It was the first time I had my hands on a professional DSLR camera rig and I found it to be incredibly steady, easy to mount and assemble and of course 100% customizable. That combined with the Zacuto-EVF made for the perfect rig in the Himalayas. Coming from a background where I shot with proper video cameras, features like zebra and peaking are essential to how I shoot and I find that one of biggest drawbacks to DSLR’s is that these simple features simply do not exist, out of box. I often question my exposure while shooting on DSLR’s due to the untrusted light meter. The Zacuto-EVF helped me nail my exposure each and every time. The increased resolution and peaking also helped immensely, particularly when it came to pulling my own fine focus on hand held shots.

In this environment, it’s important to understand that no film-maker can work alone and carry all of this equipment while remaining healthy. The risks of working too hard can literally result in death. I’ve seen it all too many times. Cameramen that shoot at altitude for the first time, push too hard, have trouble acclimatizing, contract acute mountain sickness which can lead to pulmonary or cerebral edema where your brain and lungs fill with water. The only way to treat mountain sickness and edema is to descend to lower altitude. My strategy was simple: hire good porters, train them to manage the gear, handle the lenses, balance the Glidecam and follow me along the trails. These guys make it possible. They’re generally hired at approx $15-20 USD per day and rely on tips after the expedition is complete. They’re the kindest, most humble, giving and strongest people I have ever met. They’re backbone of my efforts and I couldn’t do what I do without them.

In the end, it was a privileged experience to share in this team’s journey. The struggled, they laughed, the pushed beyond their limits and they eventually reached their goal. The culmination was a summit of a mountain named Kalapattar where two of the team members braved the thin air, sported headlamps while climbing in the dark and literally sat on top of the peak at sunrise and witnessed the sun rise over the summit of Mt. Everest. A glorious moment filled with triumph, emotion and the understanding that their impossible dream had been achieved.

In retrospect, I realize that in the future, while on more intense high altitude expeditions that a lighter Zacuto hand held rig will be a better suited choice for me personally.  The EVF has become a part of my kit and I’m now a loyal Zacuto fan. I certainly appreciate their support and look forward to their future products.

As a high altitude adventure filmmaker, I’m always on the look out for life inspiring stories of the human spirt that take place in the most challenging of environments. This spring, I’ll be back on Everest, this time climbing to the very top of the world to shoot a TV series for a Network in the Middle East. That adventure will be followed by a project I’ve been pouring my heart into for the past 4 years, a historical film called ‘The Untold Legend’ aimed at inspiring Native youth through the telling one of North American’s greatest untold stories.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can learn more about my work at www.eliasaikaly.com

More about my not for profit work at www.findinglife.ca

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Click here to view the embedded video.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

While most struggle to place one foot in front of the other in their pursuit of the world’s tallest peaks, I drag (often with help from local people) far too much DSLR gear with me to document and capture stories that inspire and stir the soul. Mother nature graciously and generously provides some of the most incredible scenery and light and I am humbled and grateful to be able to capture it for you. The magic of these environments is that you really have no idea what will happen in the frame once you set it up. I often view the end result with great surprise as I watch the stars dance in the evening sky. I just wish I had power sometimes!

Shot on a Canon T3i, 7D and 5D using the following lenses:

Canon 2.8 24-70mm
Canon 2.8 70-200mm
Tokina 2.8 11-16mm

Knock off intervalometer remotes
Cheap (light) tripods
A glidetrack
A guerilla pod
Large stable rocks!
Anything else that stabilizes the camera.

Solar batteries to charge my gear or anything I can rig that creates a stable(ish) current.

Processed in Lightroom
Movies compiled using Quicktime
Edited in Final Cut Pro

I would like to recognize the following people for their contribution, be it in support, assistance or inspiration.

Mohammed Al Thani
Mohammed Zaal
Ali Jaber
Arab Team in Russia (I’m sorry for keeping you guys up!)
Arab Team in Nepal (I’m sorry for keeping you guys up too!)
All of my dear Sherpa friends who were incredibly patient with my craft
The amazing porters from the lowlands in Nepal
Oliver and Alexandra
Apu (Mountain God) and Mel – You guys MADE this possible in Argentina!
Lucas Wiseman
Dominic Czartoryski

Zacuto for lending me gear while all others turned me down. Your products rock!

I hope you enjoy this piece.

You can learn more about my My not for profit work with youth: findinglife.ca

For any stock footage or work enquiries, feel free to contact me at elia@findinglife.ca
Stock samples available here: eliasaikaly.com/stock-library/stock-video/

Another time-lapse film called ’45 Days in the Himalayas’ can be seen here: vimeo.com/32645004

The post TimeLapse in 5 countries appeared first on Elia Saikaly.

Click here to view the embedded video.

5 countries, Peru, Nepal, Argentina, Russia and USA, over 15 000 photographs, dozens of sleepless nights while scaling 3 of the highest mountains on three different continents, never lower than 4000M and as high as 7000M above sea level. This is a compilation of my 2012 travel year. I am blessed and eternally grateful for the opportunities.

While most struggle to place one foot in front of the other in their pursuit of the world’s tallest peaks, I drag (often with help from local people) far too much DSLR gear with me to document and capture stories that inspire and stir the soul. Mother nature graciously and generously provides some of the most incredible scenery and light and I am humbled and grateful to be able to capture it for you. The magic of these environments is that you really have no idea what will happen in the frame once you set it up. I often view the end result with great surprise as I watch the stars dance in the evening sky. I just wish I had power sometimes!

Shot on a Canon T3i, 7D and 5D using the following lenses:

Canon 2.8 24-70mm
Canon 2.8 70-200mm
Tokina 2.8 11-16mm

Knock off intervalometer remotes
Cheap (light) tripods
A glidetrack
A guerilla pod
Large stable rocks!
Anything else that stabilizes the camera.

Solar batteries to charge my gear or anything I can rig that creates a stable(ish) current.

Processed in Lightroom
Movies compiled using Quicktime
Edited in Final Cut Pro

I would like to recognize the following people for their contribution, be it in support, assistance or inspiration.

Mohammed Al Thani
Mohammed Zaal
Ali Jaber
Arab Team in Russia (I’m sorry for keeping you guys up!)
Arab Team in Nepal (I’m sorry for keeping you guys up too!)
All of my dear Sherpa friends who were incredibly patient with my craft
The amazing porters from the lowlands in Nepal
Oliver and Alexandra
Apu (Mountain God) and Mel – You guys MADE this possible in Argentina!
Lucas Wiseman
Dominic Czartoryski

Zacuto for lending me gear while all others turned me down. Your products rock!

I hope you enjoy this piece.

You can learn more about my My not for profit work with youth: findinglife.ca

For any stock footage or work enquiries, feel free to contact me at elia@findinglife.ca
Stock samples available here: eliasaikaly.com/stock-library/stock-video/

Another time-lapse film called ’45 Days in the Himalayas’ can be seen here: vimeo.com/32645004

The post Touching the Sky – A TimeLapse Short film appeared first on Elia Saikaly.

I have just compiled a 3-minute time-lapse short film that is a compilation of over 20 000 photos shot in 5 different countries no lower than 4000M above sea level. Any ideas of what to call it? It’s a follow up to my last film entitled “45 Days in the Himalayas.”

Let me know if you’ve got any ideas! I can’t wait to release it. Here are some of the pics.

Thanks in advance,

Elia

The post Looking for a creative title for my timelapse film appeared first on Elia Saikaly.

This morning I rode shotgun in a helicopter and flew though the Himalayas.  I trekked through the trails in the Solo-Khumbu, encountered yaks, donkeys, suspension bridges, porters, stunning mountains and beautiful children.  I smiled at every man, woman and child I came across, captured the day’s events with an arsenal of cameras, a steadicam, a track and a trip-pod.

I’m currently time-lapsing 3 cameras under the stars while typing away in a tea house in the warmth of my sleeping bag. For me, this is heaven. For me, this is my ultimate dream. It isn’t luck, it isn’t a gift, it’s something called life-design. Please allow me explain.

I remember the defining moment like it was yesterday. 8 years ago I trekked to Everest basecamp with a team of Canadians and my goal was to shoot a documentary about my friend Dr. Sean Egan. During one of his training exercises, it dawned on me that what I was observing and capturing though my lens was exactly what I wanted to do with my life. It wasn’t necessarily that I wanted to be a climber, (although somehow that happened along the way) rather I wanted to travel the world and become an adventure filmmaker. I knew nothing of anything related to adventure at the time, but it appears as though I’ve done something right because that IS my life. How did all of that happen you ask?

I began by asking myself three simple questions:

1)   Am I happy in my life?

2)   Considering the answer was no, I then asked myself: Am I prepared to do anything it will take to make my dream my reality?

3)   Will I educate myself, associate myself with others in this realm and do absolutely anything I need to do, regardless of how difficult or how long it will take?

Fortunately the answer was YES to all of the questions above. I knew what I wanted and I was committed to doing anything I needed to do to arrive at my end goal.  Sounds too easy, right? It was… and it wasn’t. It was, because I knew the meaning of patience. I understood the concept of hard work.  I had learned what it was like to fall on my face and hit rock bottom and most importantly I had the ability to visualize myself living this goal. Was I prepared for how hard it actually was? Absolutely not! But I was resilient and relentless. Today, I’m living the rewards of 8 years or hard work.

If I had one piece of advice for most of the population in the west, it would be this: don’t ever settle for anything less that what your authentic YOU needs to be happy and fulfilled. Whatever makes the most sense to YOU, do it. Find a way. Whatever means the most to YOU. Aim for it and never stop. Whatever will lead you to the moment when you’re your happiest, do it.  Falling down will make you stronger. Conquering any fear you may have will only empower you.

I meet so many people that fear the loss of control, that fear the unknown, or can’t part with their existing salary in the job they hate. Others use their family as a reason or convince themselves that ‘perhaps someday it will happen”. Well let me tell you this “someday is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you”. I’m not saying jeopardize your security, I’m saying take a leap of faith and invest in your life and your happiness. Your friends and family will thank you because you will be a much happier human being. You could be living everything you’ve ever dreamed and it all begins with Life-design, knowing what you want and being willing to do anything it takes to make it happen.

Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.

Elia

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You can read the rest of the post writtern by Elia Saikaly here and enjoy the images below.

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