DiamondBack Bicycles Shoot

I usually don't shoot mountain biking in the middle of winter, but this March was particularly dry in the Pacific Northwest. So when I got a call from Diamondback Bikes to do a last minute shoot, I jumped at the opportunity.

As the shoot came together literally the night before, we had to keep our location close to home. Opting to hit the trails of Galbraith just outside Bellingham, we were on familiar ground for myself. Teamed up with athletes Kyle Thomas, Billy Lewis and Eric Porter the day was pretty awesome. A good group of guys, some awesome single track riding and a few beers afterwards to cap off the ride... not a bad way to spend a day.

Freeskier Magazine : Editorial Feature Article

I just got back from an 8 day shoot for Freeskier Magazine. The trip was part of a feature article for next winter's magazine.

I was stoked to get a call a few weeks back from the magazine's photo editor, telling me that I was slated to not only shoot the article, but also write it. I've done some writing in the past for magazines, but usually it's little pieces that are minor sections of the mag. This was the first time I've had the chance to shoot and write and entire piece though.

At any rate, I can't share everything about the trip yet... you'll have to look for the story in next year's magazine (I'll be sure to post it in it's entirety when it hits newsstands). But the basic premise of the trip was traveling and skiing around the Western US by train. It made for a lot of gear hauling and moving, but the trip was awesome. Can't wait to share more photos soon.

MSR Trekking Pole Ads

Last summer I got to do an ad shoot for MSR (a division of Cascade Designs) for their newest line of trekking poles. Those ads just got released earlier this past week and I can finally share them with you.

The TR-3 (Trigger Release) is designed to be used in rocky, uneven terrain. The focus of the shots for this campaign were to showcase the poles in rocky environments, where quote, "Slipping is not and option".

For the shoot we headed into the remote backcountry of the Cascades for our location backdrop. A lot of hiking and hauling gear, but the day couldn't have been better.

Red Bull : Third Shift at Snoqualmie Summit

Last week I got called up by Red Bull to shoot their upcoming ski and snowboard event, Red Bull Third Shift. Held at Summit at Snoqualmie, the event is a slopestyle competition that is held on a custom designed park built specifically for the event.

The venue looks a lot like an abandoned ghost town from the old west, that's been dropped onto a ski slope.

Events are always tough to shoot, as the photographer has little to no coordination with the athletes. Instead a more editorial/ documentary style of shooting comes into play. However, as the event was held at night, we had to resort to utilizing strobes to light the venue. Not an easy task given the size of the space.

On top of that, mother nature decided to throw us a curve ball, and dropped a full fledged blizzard on us during the event. It made for some great photos, despite the tough working conditions though.

All in all, the event went off perfectly. Tons of spectators braved the weather to watch the event. (It probably didn't hurt that there was a full bar built into the venue to help draw a crowd). I always like working with Red Bull... I never know what they're going to ask me to shoot next.

Ski Tuning Shoot for Patagonia

About a week ago I met up with local skier, business owner and close friend, Bryce Phillips, to do a ski tuning shoot for Patagonia.

 

Bryce, who is not only a badass skier for Patagonia, is also the owner of Seattle's uber popular store Evo, a sporting goods store in Fremont. As a result of his ties to the shop, we were able to use the ski tuning room as our location for this shoot. Score!

As Bryce was nursing a sore knee for a few days, and the weather locally was dry as dirt, we turned our attention the more lifestyle oriented shots we could achieve off the snow. 

Troy Lee Designs Shoot

Back in December of last year, I got called by Troy Lee Designs (one of the leading brands in bike and motocross helmets and apparel) to shoot their newest product, the A1 Helmet.

 

As the release of the helmet was a big secret, I haven't been able to talk about the shoot, until now... as the helmet was just announced to the public on the 23rd.

 

When originally called, I was asked to shoot the helmet in the mossy, green forests of the Pacific Northwest. I teamed up with local shredder, Lars Sternberg and we spent a day roaming around the overgrown, rain soaked forests just outside Bellingham.

 

Super stoked with how the photos came out.

NY Times Article : Snow Fall - The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek

As 2012 wound to a close, the New York Times released an article, Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek. An incredibly well written multi-media presentation detailing the tragic avalanche that occurred just outside the boundaries of Stevens Pass, Washington.

To say that this article hit close to home is a gross understatement. Stevens Pass is one of my home mountains and many of the skiers that were involved in the incident are close personal friends. To top it off, one of the skiers that perished in the avalanche, Chris Rudolph, was my best friend.

Almost a year later, and I still haven't been able to write about his passing. However, the article written by John Branch really captured the event that unfolded last February 19th. I'm honored that the NY Times turned to me to help with some of the photos for this story.

 

If you'd like to read the full article, there's a link to it HERE. Check out all the interviews, slideshows, maps and videos that are embedded. It's a long read (I think it took me 3 1/2 hours to get through), but it's well worth it.