MAYAFI.

Holy Definition, Batman.

PART I —

WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL. She is a literal piece of heaven.

Her name is Maya Sofia Johnson. Click here for a perfect minute and a glimpse of her.

Her healthy entrance into this world is a blessing beyond compare. There will be many, many stories of her life to be told.

PART II —

On my birthday post, I spoke of a Paradigm Shift in my life. It's my 30th year, and the perfect moment for a new (r)evolution in my career.

I spent my twenties realizing who I am as a person. I think it was a decade well spent. At the end of said decade, I began to devote myself to what I felt was my fate—that of a Cinematographer. I had established myself as a still shooter for the past 5 years, and it seemed somewhat odd to devote myself to another career. But it wasn't a career change as much as an evolution of my life as a Dealer of Light. Light is my life.

During the last year in particular, I have spent thousands of hours—and even more dollars—in the study and execution of filmmaking and cinematography specifically. This has including applying to the American Film Institute's prestigious Cinematography program. Basically, I was going for 1 of 28 slots—28 slots that about 1,000 other people from all over the planet were going for.

The chances were slim, and it's involved more work than I ever would have imagined. There were definite moments when I felt like it was not worth it. But I persevered.

Today, after a year-long application process and more self-induced psychological drama than I care to admit to, I was accepted as a Fellow into AFI.

It's a feeling of TOTAL elation, followed almost immediately by disbelief and finally a mixture of excitement and "holy crap, this is really happening."

This is going to be the next 2 years of my life: I will not see my family. I will have no social life whatsoever. I will go on roughly 5 hours of sleep and virtually live at AFI's Conservatory. I will work harder and longer than I ever have in my life. It will kick my ass every which way but up.

In short, this will be the hardest thing I've ever done. I feel privileged to do it.

People often ask what I'll be doing exactly. I will be studying the art and craft of Cinematography, which is the visual element of filmmaking. In other words, my job on set will be the Director of Photography ("DP"), and I will be in charge of the LOOK of the films/ads/music videos that I'll be shooting.

I like to say that the DP is the 4th most important person on a film set, because that's where they always fall in the credits when a film is over: Director, Writer, Producer, DP.

It's a ladder to the top, and I am at the bottom. But this step will be a big one in that climb.

SO. Now we have to get our lives to Los Angeles before September First. Here we go...

wes.