Biggest investment I've ever made in my photography

Cameras are expensive. Printers are expensive. Quality tripods are expensive. But nothing I've purchased for my landscape photography comes remotely close to the investment I just made. One that I believe will enrich my life in the following years, and help expand my landscape photography work.

The time has come to double down, and go all in.

I'm building a custom Sprinter camper van.

Over the past few years, I've rented a number of vans from private owners through Outdoorsy to explore and photograph the American west. These vehicles have not only allowed me to drive into backcountry locations, but more importantly camp overnight in situ. This has been especially helpful when photographing at sunrise, since I then don’t have to drive an hour or more from a distant hotel or Airbnb to get to a scene on time.

Renting vans from others has also given me the opportunity to learn more about how vans work, how they are built, the myriad of layouts and products available, and build a wishlist for my own.

Initially, I was gung-ho on the idea of doing my own van build. Rolling up my sleeves, watching a ton of YouTube videos, and doing everything from scratch myself.

But then reality set in.

First, a DIY van build would mean spending a year (or longer) of my life learning to do something I may not do a second time. Second, I'd likely overthink every detail, make mistakes, and want a redo. Third, some projects are better left to professionals who know their craft and can do the job better and faster, even if it costs more.

That’s how I landed at Benchmark Vehicles in Portland, Oregon. They’ve built over one hundred custom Sprinter vans with an eye for smart, beautiful interiors and rugged, off-road exteriors. They could do the work, and build a van with the customizations and options I was looking for.

But first, I had to find a van.

Benchmark connected me with a Mercedes dealer in California to procure a high-roof Sprinter 170 with the right specs for a custom build. Nothing on their lot, or anyone else’s, was a match, so I ordered one directly from their factory: Selenite Grey, minimal add-ons, no frills. The goal was to keep costs down and avoid paying for parts that would be stripped out and replaced with better after-market options (wheels, tires, chairs, windows, etc).

By stroke of luck, I ordered the van weeks before Trump’s tariffs on foreign auto makers were announced, saving thousands of dollars. In late April, Mercedes delivered my new van to Benchmark.

In the weeks leading up to my van's arrival, I worked with Benchmark's design team on layout, features, and finishes. Their team shared recommended layouts and add-ons, and I brought my own list of mods and ideas. After some back-and-forth, we landed on a final design.

This van will essentially be a rolling tiny home, with a Queen sized bed, shower, toilet, sink, induction cook-top, refrigerator, and microwave. Solar panels will charge and replenish the onboard batteries, and I'll have plenty of water and power to live and work off-grid in harsh, remote environments. A roof-mounted Starlink will keep me connected to the rest of the world, which will be especially useful in cellular dead zones, of which there are many out west.

On the outside, everything will be upgraded for off-road use. Upgraded tires, wheels and suspension for rocky terrain, recovery gear for sticky situations, plus matte vinyl wraps to protect the body from rocks and scratches. A snorkel is also being added to help cross streams and improve engine air flow in dusty environments.

But this van isn’t just for me and my photography. My wife will be joining me on several upcoming trips. Until now, she’s only seen photos of many of the places I’ve photographed. We’re planning to use the van to explore new places together in 2026 and beyond.

For me, this van is a big step forward in my photography journey. I need to be creating more work, more often, and having access to my own van will go a long way towards reaching that goal. It's an big initial investment, but I believe the greater risk is waiting too long or regretting I never took the chance. I don’t want to look back one day and wonder why I didn’t give my photography everything I had, or take the opportunity when it was right in front of me. That possibility is more frightening for me than any price tag.

When complete and ready for pick-up later this fall, I'll be sharing a more complete video tour. From that point forward, expect to see it in many of my upcoming videos!