Nocs Naturalist
Danny Kern
First, hello! Please tell us who you are and what you’re up to these days?
My name is Danny, I’m lucky to live in Truckee, California. I’ve been flying with the flow of the universe, doing some odd jobs around town, spending my free time mountain biking and swimming. Once or twice a month, I’ve been doing an overnighter with a bunch of random people who love riding bikes and sleeping outside.
How does your background in outdoor adventure and snow sports influence the way you see and capture nature?
I think filming snowboarding and some other adventure action sports really requires you to tap in as if you were doing the activity. Viewing and capturing nature is the same way. You’ve got to be present, switch your mind off be with it, the nature that is. As if it were the athlete, or the people and new friends around you. I feel that I enjoy using my passion to access the back country and the locations these activities take place. These passions are fortunately in line with the things that make me feel tapped in. Accessing these beautiful places is all connected to the experience which is amazing in itself, so, capturing both of them together in a way is a different form of expression.
You’re also a filmmaker — how does storytelling through film differ from photography for you?
I think they both resonate similarly for me. Letting things happen naturally or organically and capturing those moments in an artistic way is what I find myself mostly drawn to, but I do like getting creative and sometimes direct images and scenes as well. I think film storytelling provides a more direct audio visual message with the viewer, whereas a still image or a series of images allows the viewer to create and imagine parts of the story for themselves. Filling in the gaps with their own interpretation of the visuals they are provided with rather than in film, there aren’t many gaps to be filled. Also, a photograph is viewed at your own pace, whereas a film is and can only be viewed in real time. Photography - you can stop time and stare at an image for hours, there is no limit. It will live forever, especially when it’s a physical print, whereas film, you have to have other physical means to view it. Photography is just more simple.
Tell us, what’s the story behind the IG name @parkinglotpoacher?
I was at lunch with a friend, I can’t clearly remember, but I think we were talking about how I’d wanted to move into the van that I was building out or that was my plan. He responded at some point saying that I could poach his parking spot any time. And I thought, parking lot poacher is kinda catchy and had a roll to it. I’d also been wanting to sort of rebrand or change my handle which, looking back, might not have been the most professional but I’d been filming so much more than shooting photos at that point in my career. I still shot photographs for fun. My handle was dbo_photo and before that dannykernphotography. Looking back, I wish I just stuck with one of those first two and created a new account for the van stuff, but so it is.
We’re stoked that Nocs are in your toolkit. You recently took our new pouch and optics on a bike trip — how did this fit your lifestyle and help you out there on the ride?
Thanks! Yeah, the Nocs have been so useful and fun. That was such a great trip. That was the biggest group pack trip that I’d ever been on. 26 people I think. Normally, the rides out of Truckee were four - maybe ten people. I’d ridden with large groups before but never for a ride like that. I had the pouch hooked to my handlebars next to a larger handlebar bag. It was a nice progression of size and didn’t get in the way. The pouch could be used for a variety of things aside from the monocular. I ended up using the optics to look down into a drainage that we’d climbed and traversed. There was someone that had fallen behind and we weren't sure if they were bonking or had a mechanical so we took a closer look. They were fine just moving slower during the heat of the day. It was hot so we stopped at some lakes and generally the rest of the creatures in nature enjoy the water as well so it’s a great place to observe wildlife through the Nocs binos and monocular. They enhanced the experience for sure and provided a lot of smiles and laughs.
It looks like you’re always on the mountain with a crew. What does community mean to you?
Community is really important. It's everything in a way. The ones who are around you contribute to what you experience. We are creatures who have always survived and thrived in communities. I think that specifically when in the mountains, your crew is a major factor in determining what you can and can’t achieve. Even more important, the people you’re with in these raw environments all play a role in the shared experience. If everyone’s up then the vibe is up, if one person is not then it can take away from that experience. That’s something I’ve learned a lot from personal experiences in recent years. So in short, community can help add to the magic of an experience. Community allows for experiences that wouldn’t be possible in solitude.
Anything on your calendar that you’re looking forward to? We’d love to stay in touch! Where can we find you these upcoming months?
Oh, man. I've sort of been doing my best to live with the flow of the universe lately. I had some major life changes this summer. A lot of time to myself and a lot of time with people, I made a lot of new friends this summer. It’s been a trip to say the least. The seasons are changing and winter is almost here. I’ll be visiting some family and resetting over the next two months to prepare to spend most of the winter in Japan. I’ll be bouncing around between Nagano and Hokkaido doing some photo and video work with snowboarders and some guide companies. I’m in the process of starting my own side gig as well, where I will host and share an experience in Japan that I believe a lot of other guide operations don't provide. It’s called The Nakama Network. So if you’ve wanted to come to Japan in the winter, spring or fall and would like to experience the country with a bit of a more local perspective, feel free to reach out.
