The Mountains Are Calling, And I Must Go - John Muir

Adventure

Need to add something here about adventure.

Personal Photographer

I have always served as the personal photographer and blogger (see below) for my family and friends when we venture into the outdoors or travel for vacations.  Climbing mountains, rafting rivers, and visiting new cultures make for amazing memories but memories fade, photos and video do not.  My goal as a photographer has always been to capture the experience as realistically as possible.  If you are on a steep mountainside I try to capture the sensation of being there by using a fish eye or wide angle lens to emphasize in the photograph the danger and risk of being in such a location.  While rafting I often use waterproof action cameras mounted on heads, on the raft frame, or even on paddles to really give the sense of being in the middle of the action.   On more relaxing excursions such as camping in a beautiful location I capture rotating time lapses of clouds or stars at night.  I may also use light painting at night to show a group having fun at a campsite.  The final goal is to create a story through photographs and videos that will convey the danger, fun, excitement, exhaustion, and beauty of your journey. 

Our Family Adventures

My wife Emily and I try to live adventurous lives, exploring the Pacific Northwest on weekends and once a year traveling to a foreign country to experience new cultures.  There is no better way to clearly show you my passion for adventure and photography than to share with you our personal family adventures.   I invite you to browse such categories as Vacations, Hiking, Skiing, Biking, Cascades, and Rafting for examples of how I document our adventures.  

Adventure Planning

Research, attention to details, and communication are the key aspects of good trip planning, whether it be a nearby hike, or a 3 week long African adventure.  I have been planning outdoor trips for over three decades for my own family and friends.  I pride myself in putting in the time before a trip to ensure we see and experience as much as possible, but in a safe manner.  I am not a professional travel agent, but frankly I've never seen a travel agent that specializes in Adventure Travel.  Anyone can plan a relaxing beachfront vacation but what I offer is more involved.  If you arrive at a hotel without a bar of soap it is not a problem, but if you are 10 miles into the woods with a sprained ankle and you don't have a headlamp or tools to build a fire it is much more serious.  If you are planning on traveling to the Pacific Northwest, let me help you design an amazing adventure tailored to your fitness and outdoor skill levels.  This can be anything from a driving tour, stopping at various sites and attractions to detailed logistics for a summit attempt of Mount Hood.   What I promise is proper preparation, realistic expectations, and detailed itineraries for any adventure you can dream of in the Pacific Northwest, one of the most beautiful regions of the world.  

Benefits of Personalized Itineraries

With preparation before your visit to the Pacific Northwest I promise ....

  • Tailored to your fitness level
  • Offbeat beautiful locations only a local would know
  • Realistic travel time estimates based on local knowledge.

Guide Services

I have partnered with Aaron Hartz of Hartz Science Explorations, LLC to offer personalized guiding services.  Aaron is an accomplished professionally licensed mountain guide capable of leading expeditions both personal and scientific throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Aaron has successfully led dozens of clients to the tops of the highest Cascade Peaks in Oregon and has safely supported multiple scientific expeditions around the world.  I have been with Aaron on multiple climbs and can speak personally of his technical mountaineering skills as well as his priority to safety and wise decision making in the outdoors.  He is also a good friend and overall good guy.  Whether you are looking for an outdoor professional for your scientific research or would like a personal guide for an attempt on the summit of Mount Hood, St. Helens or any other Cascade Volcano Aaron can get you safely to the summit while I will ensure your climb is thoroughly documented through video and photography.

Hartz Science Explorations Credentials

  • AMGA Certified Ski Mountaineering Guide
  • AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide
  • AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide
  • US Avalanche Level 3
  • SPRAT Level 1
  • Wilderness First Responder
  • Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit
  • CPR
  • All Around Good Guy
Hartz Science Explorations

MUCH MORE THAN A TYPICAL GUIDEBOOK

What I provide.

  • Personal first-hand account of the adventure
  • Trip Statistics such as elevation gain, duration, distance, etc
  • Actual GPS track in .GPX, .KML, GeoJSON format
  • Folder of geotagged imagery for review
  • Packing tips of essentials based on time of year
  • Permit information
  • Advice only a local would know
Guide Services

SITES I HAVE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST

Testimonials

Jon Ellinger is a pleasure to work with, he has excellent communication skills and is very responsive.

Jon has exceeed the geospatial positioning standards I require on the projects he has delivered. I find his work to be of the highest order given the equipment that he has chosen to utilize.

I highly recommend Jon for any UAS projects, including surveying ans engineering design.

Michael Magyar Owner - Magyar Land Surveying

Jon was detailed and communicative, ensuring he had a thorough understanding of our needs. His technical background coupled with a creative eye was instrumental in delivering a great product for one of our signature projects.

Kelly Johnson Marketing Manager - Century West Engineering

“The 2017 Eagle Creek Wildfire devastated the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Hundreds of miles of the Gorge’s trails, which are visited annually by millions of people, are now closed and severely compromised. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for Search and Rescue efforts in the majority of the area affected. Jon Ellinger with TLT Photography proved invaluable to our efforts to identify the burn areas to keep our SAR volunteers safe. Working with Digital Globe, Jon provided us with satellite overlays we were able to incorporate into our existing mapping software. Our SAR people and the citizens we serve are much safer because of their work.”

Sgt. Mark Herron Multnomah County Sheriff's Office - Head of Search and Rescue - River Patrol

I work at a professional mapping firm. We were looking for someone to collect aerial photographs and prepare large scale aerial images geo-referenced to our project coordinates (ortho-photography). We also needed 3D points generated from this imagery – sufficient to map roadways.

TLT’s drone-pilot/photographer is a certified photogrammetrist (something I did not find with other drone-photographers out there). He is professional and was excited about the details of our project. Really great to work with.

The photos turned out excellent, and the large scale, multi-photo stitched image was exactly what we (and our client) needed. TLT produced professional grade photographs with professional grade cameras and equipment.
Highly recommended!

Chris Sherby Owner - S&F Land Services - Professional Land Surveyor

The work you did was great and much appreciated!

Rawley Voorhies Project Manager - Century West Engineering

“I called Jon from his website to see if he could help me provide terrain data to my architect who is not local to my project. He was most generous with his time and provided a file in the format my architect needed. I was beyond pleased at his quick response and willingness to help.”

Patty Anderson Homeowner working with Architect to Remodel a Home

Jon was very professional and fast. He worked with me and provided great advice for stellar images. He went above and beyond in setting up the shoot, taking many, many great shots and did so in a more than timely manner. We use many drone photographers across the country and I have to say Jon is one of the best I have worked with. I highly recommend him.

Michael Washuta Creative Services and IT at Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co.

It has been an extremely quick and easy and process working with Jon on a drone photo and video project for a large office development we are leasing. He turned around top-notch visuals quickly, and with complimentary edits, to make sure we were completely satisfied with the finished product. The 4K video that he produced was amazing quality and will be extremely impactful in our advertising. I would highly recommend working with Jon on your next drone photo or video project.

Becca Wick Marketing and Business Development for Jones Lange LaSalle Brokerage, Inc.

We recently hired Jon for a land site flyover and the work product was excellent! Jon was extremely responsive (within minutes), super easy to work with, is a total pro that knows exactly what he’s doing and what the client (me) needs. Start to finish, great work, and I’m excited for the opportunity to work with him on future projects. Zero question of quality and professionalism with Jon. Loved it!

Blake St. Onge Senior Vice President - CRESA

TLT delivered an excellent package of video and photos for our week long rafting trip. The quality was excellent and I was amazed how quickly they were able to turn around the project. We now have a memory we will cherish for a lifetime. Thank you TLT!!

Ryan Anderson Product Manager at Airbus Aerial

“Thank you so much! This is SO helpful! I intend to run this answer with some link backs to TLT this Saturday. I appreciate it!” – In response to a detailed photogrammetry explanation for her very popular blog.

Sally French Creator of TheDroneGirl.com

Your work is beautiful – congratulations on living your passion!

Customer
Janet DelVillaggio Happy Customer

Mr. Ellinger is one of the most talented imagery data scientists that I have had the pleasure of knowing. Mr. Ellinger employed a number of innovative solutions to digital imagery projects that had strict accuracy requirements with tight budgets. Mr. Ellinger always completed his work ahead of schedule and under budget. His management skills for workflows and schedules are top notch.

Layne-Friedel
Layne Friedel Director Business Development at GeoTerra, Inc.

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