Over the summer I had the pleasure of working with my good friend and colleague Trevor Clark on a spectacular project in the Yukon Territory in Northern Canada.Our assignment was to create a short film highlighting the unbelievable mountain biking in and around the city of Whitehorse, YK.Our client, H and I Adventures (based in Scotland), offers mountain bike tours all over the world to destinations such as Nepal, Ecuador, Mexico and Spain.They are adding the Yukon to their unbelievable list of destinations and needed a short film to tell their story.We had 10 days to scout and shoot the project.
This video is an especially important step for Trevor and I as we plan to work together a lot more in the future.We also had the pleasure of working with our friend and up-and-comer Tommy Penick on the back end for the edit.Tommy has a big future ahead of him and did an amazing job constructing the piece from a monumental amount of footage.
We would like to thank:
Sylvain Turcotte and Marsha Cameron of Boreale Mountain Biking – for showing us all of their secret stashes and unbelievable backyard that they call home
Lowepro - for their support and giving us the just-now-released Rover Pro bags that made carrying 50 pounds of video gear on a mountain bike as comfortable as it can be
Canyon Florey - for the use of a prototype of his ultra-lite camera crane that added a whole new level of production to the project
Ascending Cirque Pass looking down towards Lower Palisade Lake in Kings Canyon National Park
Earlier this year, my adventure partner Sean Cronin and I were looking to do an extended trip in the backcountry and any location in the world was fair game. After much deliberation we chose to forego an exotic overseas destination in favor of our backyard, The Sierra Nevada. The obvious choice was to tackle the John Muir Trail, the famous 211 mile path stretching from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney.
Several weeks of planning went by and I walked out to my mailbox on a sunny July afternoon to find the latest issue of National Geographic Traveler Magazine. In it, I found an article that was about two guys who had just completed the JMT by headlamp in the middle of the night. The premise was that the JMT was so over traveled that the only way to gain a true wilderness experience was to hike it at night. My decision was made right then and there. We were scratching the trip. If I have to hike something in the middle of the night to find solitude in the mountains the rest of the general public can have it.
Immediately my brain started churning on what trip we should undertake instead. Sean and I still really liked the idea of doing something in the Sierras, but what would it be? Several years ago I had heard about an alternative to the JMT called the Sierra High Route. From what I understood, most of the route was completely off-trail, stretched 195 miles from Kings Canyon National Park to Twin Lakes outside of Bridgeport, CA, traveled mostly above 10,000 feet crossing 33 mountain passes, had less than 20 people a year thru-hiking it and to sum it up in a word, was “burly.” I ran the idea by Sean over the phone and he said he would start looking into it. Five minutes later my phone rang. “Why didn’t we think of this in the first place!” he said, “I’m in!” And that was that. The second week of September we got dropped off at Road’s End in Kings Canyon National Park to start our journey.
Descending down to Upper Glacier Lake in Kings Canyon National Park
While the beginning of the route started on a trail, it was immediately apparent that it was going to live up to all of the hype. By the end of the first day we had reached Grouse Lake and had already climbed over 5500 feet. As we set up our first camp in a hail storm I started laughing. “This is going to be awesome,” I said to Sean. “Yep!” he replied.
Upon waking up the next day we began our first big day of cross-country travel. After leaving Grouse Lake we wouldn’t see a single soul until three days later when we joined the John Muir Trail for a brief stint to get us up and over Mather Pass. The scenery was spectacular.
Hiking from White Pass to Red Pass in Kings Canyon National Park
Over the course of those three days we traveled through one pristine valley after another in the heart of Kings Canyon National Park. Many of the lakes we encountered didn’t even have names, even though they were some of the most beautiful bodies of water I have ever seen. It became extremely obvious that if there isn’t a trail to a location, people aren’t going there. We were in heaven.
A beautiful unnamed lake near Frozen Lake Pass on the Sierra High Route in Kings Canyon National Park
On the morning of the fourth day we awoke at the base of Frozen Lake Pass (12,400 feet). Considered to be one of the hardest passes on the route we weren’t really sure what we were in for. We stared up at the steep endless field of boulders to a small notch on the horizon. At first glance it looked intimidating but as are with many things in the mountains, whenever you’re looking across at something it always looks worse than it is. Our ascent was tedious but in the end we cruised up and over with little difficulty. The route was steep, mostly Class 2 and 3.
Holding an altimeter on the top of Frozen Lake Pass in Kings Canyon National Park
After descending Frozen Lake Pass we arrived at the John Muir Trail. While the Sierra High Route travels mostly off established trails, it piggybacks on the JMT and several other trails out of necessity for short sections. This is simply because it is the most efficient way to navigate the landscape.
Within a half hour of being on the JMT we began running into things we hadn’t seen in awhile, people. After a short period of time we climbed up Mather Pass. Thanks to the extremely well constructed switchbacks, the pass turned out to be trivial compared to several of the mountain passes that we had already tackled. From the top of Mather Pass we gazed down on Palisade Lakes and in the distance was our next obstacle, Cirque Pass. After a little over an hour on the JMT we were at the outlet of the Lower Palisade Lake and ready to leave the trail once again.
Collecting water from a small tarn
We ascended a few hundred feet in elevation to a small tarn below Cirque Pass and made camp for the evening. Our camp site was magnificent. To the south was Lower Palisade Lake and Mather Pass and to the east was the impressive Palisade Crest (a series of peaks all over 13,000ft). The best part about our view was being able to see the difference between the Sierra High Route and the John Muir Trail. If we had stayed on the JMT we would have been forced down into a valley with less than spectacular views. Instead we were headed up and over 12,000ft Cirque Pass back into the true Sierra high country. Again, we were the only people around.
Our tents are illuminated at dusk near Cirque Pass
The next day we climbed up and over Cirque Pass, Potluck Pass and Knapsack Pass ending up at the top of Bishop Pass amidst a typical fall afternoon thunderstorm. While it was uncomfortable hiking through the hail and rain at the end of a long day, as a photographer I couldn’t have been in a better situation. Upon reaching the top of Bishop Pass and making camp the storm began to break and Sean and I got to witness one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. The light hitting the clouds was so intense that it literally illuminated the entire landscape. I always feel so lucky to be in the right place at the right time when Mother Nature decides to put on her show.
A spectacular sunset from a clearing storm lights up the peaks surrounding Bishop Pass
While Bishop Pass isn’t technically on the Sierra High Route it was a necessary stop for us. We had a resupply waiting down at Parcher’s Resort we had to retrieve so we could continue our journey. The next day we descended several thousand feet down to the resort and began sorting through the resupply. After organizing our gear more weather began moving in. We had a decision to make. Pack up everything and head back into the high country in extremely bad weather or get a cabin for the night and have a couple of beers. We chose the cabin and the beers.
The next day, after climbing back up and over Bishop Pass, we began our next section of the High Route. Rejoining the JMT we traveled through Le Conte Canyon, crossed Muir Pass, and descended into Evolution Basin. At the end of Evolution Basin we finally left the trail once again and began climbing towards the next major High Route obstacle, Snow Tongue Pass.
Walking by the famous Muir Hut on the top of Muir Pass on the John Muir Trail
We had heard a rumor over the course of our travels about Snow Tongue Pass. We ran into one guy who claimed that it would be impossible to descend without ice axes and crampons. The guy claimed to be a Mammoth local and gave us advice on Snow Tongue Pass and about every other location in the Sierras, most of which I’m pretty sure he had never actually been to. We quickly realized it wasn’t a wealth of knowledge he possessed but a strong will to impress his buddies that he was guiding aimlessly into the wilderness. Needless to say we took his advice with a grain of salt.
Luckily, and not to my surprise, our Mammoth “local” turned out to be completely wrong. After cresting the top of the pass and looking down, the descent looked discouraging but was far from impossible. After several hours we made our way safely down, completing another one of the formidable barriers of the High Route.
Navigating using a topographic map from the top of Snow Tongue Pass looking east towards Mount Humphreys
The next day of the trip was probably my favorite. We had the extreme pleasure of traveling through Bear Lakes Basin, one of the most remote locales in the Sierra Nevada. After a long and trailless climb over Feather Pass we descended into Bear Lakes Basin. We were immediately greeted with babbling brooks, cascading waterfalls and 360 degree panoramic views of spectacular Sierra Nevada scenery. Mark Twain once wrote that Lake Tahoe was the "fairest picture the whole world affords.” I think if he had the opportunity to travel to Bear Lakes Basin he may have changed his mind.
A spectacular afternoon view overlooking Bear Lakes Basin
As the days went by we crossed pass after pass through one amazing valley after another, finally descending down to Red’s Meadow Resort and Pack Station where we picked up our final resupply. Again, lured by the comforts of civilization, we grabbed a cabin for the night to recharge our batteries for the final leg of the journey.
Ascending back into the high country we made our way towards the Minarets and camped at one of the most dramatic camp sites of the trip, Iceberg Lake.
A beautiful sunrise over Iceberg Lake and the Minarets
The following day was, by far, the hardest of the trip. Making our way around the Minarets, Mount Ritter and Banner Peak we hiked towards the boundary of Yosemite National Park. The terrain was so rough that in the afternoon we were only able to move a little more than a mile over the course of four hours. It was frustrating to say the least, but with one foot in front of the other we pushed on.
Navigating through one of many endless fields of boulders
A mandatory stream crossing at Twin Island Lakes
The next day we crested over Blue Lakes Pass and into Yosemite National Park. For both Sean and I it was the first time either of us had entered the park without using a car. It was a pretty cool feeling.
We descended cross-country finally picking up a series of trails that pointed us in the direction of Tuolumne Meadows. Little did we know that Tuolumne Meadows would be the termination of our journey.
Taking a rest in the grass next to Rosy Finch Lake
The night before reaching Tuolumne Meadows the wind really started to pick up. Sean and I are very familiar with high winds in the Sierra and it usually means one thing - a big storm is on the horizon. When we arrived in Tuolumne Meadows the next day, we began asking around about the status of the weather. A ranger informed us that there was in fact a big early winter storm on the horizon that was supposed to hit in the next several days. We got on the phone with some of our friends in Lake Tahoe to verify the information. All of them had the same answer - bail out. So at mile 167 we had to pull the plug.
As it turns out we definitely made the right call. Two days later an unseasonable winter storm hit the Sierra with a vengeance and dropped over a foot and a half of snow in the high country. If we had decided to continue we would have been hosed. That much snow would have made travel pretty much impossible and put us in a very dangerous situation. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can only take what the mountains give you. When Mother Nature decides to put the hammer down it is best not to be in the impact zone.
Getting a much needed drink of water near Feather Pass. We didn't purify or filter our water for the majority of the trip.
Relaxing at camp at White Bear Lake
Even though we were unable to complete the last twenty-eight miles of the route, I don’t really feel cheated. On a previous climbing trip I had traveled on some of the terrain that we would have encountered. The scenery and terrain is impressive but, in my mind, doesn’t compare to some of the earlier sections of the route we had already completed. We definitely experienced the best the Sierra High Route has to offer.
In the end, the Sierra High Route lived up to all the hype. The country is huge, the terrain is rough and the views are spectacular. Almost every day we were tested with our physical ability, route finding skills and mental fortitude. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience such a grand adventure. Now only one question remains, what’s next?!
"If you have a fast connection make sure and dial up the resolution to full 1080 HD!"
In the ever changing world of photography there is a new skill that many of us are starting to embrace. The capability of the new DSLRs to shoot in full HD video with limited depth of field has taken the world by storm. Some folks argue that this is just a fad but in my opinion video is here to stay. Combined with still photography, video creates a visual storytelling powerhouse.
To start wrapping my head around the world of video I decided to shoot a thirty second TV commercial for my good friend Wesley King, owner of Tahoe Trail Bar. I teamed up with fellow photographer Shea Evans and we began setting up the shoot. After coming up with a basic storyboard and shot list we instituted our good friend Corey Welsh to act as the "talent." We shot the entire commercial in one afternoon on the most scenic trail in Lake Tahoe, The Flume Trail. We then had Nate Ceko over at Outside TV edit the piece for us. The learning curve was steep but I learned a lot and am happy with the end result.
The commercial is now running on Outside TV. I can't wait to start the next project!
It is 4:30 AM and I stumble down the hall to my coffee machine. On the ground next to the door is a pile of photography and snowboard gear that I laid out the night before. I reach for my trusty cup-of-joe and look outside to see that it snowed two feet overnight. A quick glance at the night sky reveals several stars and I know it is going to be an incredible bluebird powder day and a perfect day for ski and snowboard action photography. It takes me half an hour to plow the driveway, load the car and start my drive to Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Once there, I’ll be hooking up with several pro skiers and snowboarders for an early morning photo shoot. So how did I get myself into this amazing position and successfully execute the shoot? The article that follows will give you the skinny.
There are many unknowns in the world of professional photography for people just starting out. A lot of time is spent trying to figure out “how” to find and obtain dream clients, and once obtained how to execute the job. While every commercial photography job varies depending on it’s specifications, one thing is certain. The more information you have before you start, the more chance of success you will have. After a long winter season of shooting a commercial project for Kirkwood Mountain Resort I thought it would be a good idea to demystify how the process works.
Getting the Job
It all started last Fall with a call from Aurora Photos (the photo agency I shoot for). They asked me if I was interested in shooting on a three photographer team to execute a large commercial project for Kirkwood Mountain Resort. I would be responsible for all of the ski and snowboard action shots, the snow cat skiing operation and some scenic images. The other two photographers would handle all of the lifestyle, ski school and interior images as well as some additional scenic shots. It took me all of a second to say yes. I was then informed that the agency would be in touch with further details of the assignment and my contract.
So why did I get this phone call? It comes down to several factors.
I have been shooting skiing and snowboarding for a long time and have a niche portfolio in that area.
I had done some photography for Kirkwood in the past and already had a relationship with their marketing department.
I have been snowboarding at Kirkwood for 10 years and have an intimate knowledge of the terrain and weather patterns.
I already had personal relationships with many of the athletes that I would be working with and have been photographing them for many years.
I live in South Lake Tahoe and was available to shoot at a moment’s notice when big storms rolled in.
Several weeks later the snow began to fall and I had a contract and shot list in hand. Now began the waiting game to get the perfect combination of snow, light and access.
Setting up the Shoot
Photographing skiing and snowboarding at a ski resort is a completely different beast than photographing in the backcountry. In the backcountry there aren’t any access issues and you can find perfect untouched snow weeks after a storm. This is not the case at a resort. The window for perfect conditions is short. You have to be able to gain access to the terrain before it is tracked out (snow that has already been skied over and has tracks in it is considered “tracked out”) by the general public. That requires a huge amount of communication with ski patrol and the marketing department.
On a big powder day, ski patrol is going to be extremely busy conducting snow safety routes (bombing the mountain to trigger avalanches) to get terrain open for the public. At a Class A Avalanche Mountain like Kirkwood, this is no small feat. So how do you get to the goods with your athletes before the public is allowed access to the same terrain? One word, COMMUNICATION!
In the winter I am absolutely glued to the weather reports affecting the Lake Tahoe Basin. Days before a storm is set to hit I am already on the phone with the marketing department setting up the potential shoot. From there, the marketing department takes the reins and contacts the athletes and ski patrol to keep them in the loop. Once the storm hits, a decision must be made on when it will break. The decision is generally made the afternoon or evening before the shoot happens. At that point, there is a ton of time spent on the phone letting everyone know that the shoot is a “go.”. Before I go to bed I gather and lay out all of my gear. It is one less thing I need to think about in the morning.
The Shoot
After a 4:30 wake up, I arrive at Kirkwood around 6 AM and more phone calls ensue. My first priority is to link up with a member of the marketing department and get a mountain radio. This allows me to communicate with ski patrol to find out what kind of access we will be allowed. Next, all my attention shifts to assembling the athletes. I always have the athletes meet me an hour before the actual time I’m anticipating loading onto the lift. It is not uncommon for someone to be running late or not show up all together. I like to have everyone assembled early so I can troubleshoot any problems that may arise. It would be really bad to get the green light from ski patrol only to look around and realize I am the only one ready to go.
Between 7:30 and 8:00am I get the call from ski patrol letting me know what terrain we can start shooting on. I grab the athletes and we load the chairlift. At this point I really have to focus. There is only a limited amount of time to get the shots I need before the public will have access to the same terrain. It is imperative to work extremely quickly and efficiently. One piece of equipment that is indispensible on these shoots is a set of two-way radios. At the beginning of every shoot, I always ask one of the athletes to be the last person to ski or snowboard for every sequence we set up. This way, they can communicate with the other athletes and let them know when to ski/snowboard and where to turn/air in relation to the camera. Using the radios maximizes the amount of images I will take home at the end of the day.
As the shoot progresses I will be lucky to photograph the athletes twice on the same piece of terrain before the public is allowed access to it. As soon as new terrain is cleared by ski patrol I am notified over the radio and immediately move the athletes to that location. The whole process is fairly stressful because at the end of the day it is all about the final images. If I’m not getting the access I need I’m not getting the shots I need. I always keep shooting until there is no more terrain to work with. This is imperative because there are only so many days in a season where you are going to get deep snow and perfect light.
Image Processing and Delivery
After many amazing powder days and early mornings it is the end of winter and all my shots are in the bag. So all the work is done, right? No, not even close. Now it is time to deliver the project.
Over the winter I shot thousands of images and only the best ones will be delivered to the client. There are two edits of the work. The first comes from myself and the second from Aurora. After days of editing and processing all of my images, I come up with 145 shots that are worthy of submission. After review by Aurora, 105 are selected as finals for the project.
So now I’m done right? Sadly still, the answer is no. There is one last thing to do.
Of the 105 final images 76 are selected for commercial stock distribution through Aurora’s image partners. This means all brands and logos must be removed from every single image. In ski and snowboard photos this is no small task. Each piece of gear someone is wearing is guaranteed to have at least one, if not several, logos on it. Some of the images only take five or ten minutes to complete but others can take hours. This is where I turn to outsourcing. All of the images that even look like they will take more than a couple minutes to complete are immediately sent to a company I trust with all of my extended Photoshop needs. Within several days all of the images are completed, giving me the luxury of working on other aspects of my business. Those images are then delivered back to Aurora and the project is completed.
I wouldn’t trade my job for anything in the world. I have been able to take a lifestyle that I love and turn it into a living. Much of the reason I have been able to do this is because of relationships I have established within the photography industry. In the beginning, there were so many unknowns on “how” I was supposed to acquire and complete large assignments for clients like Kirkwood Mountain Resort. I still don’t claim to know it all but I have come a long way since my humble beginnings. Over the years many older and more experienced photographers have been kind enough to share their experience and knowledge with me. This article is intended to return the favor for the all the upcoming pros out there. All the best!
Left to right "Dave Trout, Corey Welsh, Sean Cronin and me"
Just another day in the office. Here's to many more!
It was a long winter season here in Lake Tahoe. One storm after another pounded on us, dumping feet upon feet of snow. For snowboarding and skiing this was great (as long as you didn't mind riding in a storm). For photography, this made life extremely difficult. Weather windows were slim to none. If we did get one, it seemed like the wind or rain had gotten its way before any good images could be created. There were a few great days with amazing light and snow and I made sure to capitalize on all of them. At the end of the winter season, with all of my commercial projects turned in, I finally had some breathing room. I grabbed my good friend Sean Cronin and we headed down to the Eastern Sierra to descend a line that I had scouted nine years ago in 2002.
This trip was less about photography for me and more about going out and remembering why I love the mountains and snowboarding so much. A lot of times when I go out photographing I'm not snowboarding the lines that I would like, simply because I need to be in a different spot to get the images I need. It was nice to just go out and ride an awesome line!
Of course, we did have a couple cameras with us.....
• aurora borealis 
