Rachid Photo Fine Art Prints

Yesterday, March 31st, was probably the best day of the season at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Mother Nature graced us with almost 3 feet of light, dry snow that we don't typically get here in the Sierra Nevada. I woke up at 5am to make sure I had enough time to get my gear ready and dig the car out. It wasn't hard to motivate since I was headed out to Kirkwood for what I already knew was going to be an epic day. Even further motivation was provided by the fact that I was going to be able to head up with the RSN (Resort Sports Network) film crew an hour before the lifts were open to the public and photograph all of the RSN athletes!

Many people would claim that this kind of light dry snow only falls in Utah or Colorado – Craig Garbiel takes a face shot for the critics!

When I moved out from the east coast 8 years ago I was only planning on staying in Lake Tahoe for a winter. It was Kirkwood, specifically, that changed all that. Days like yesterday are the reason I will continue to make my home here, most likely, for the rest of my life. The photo above says it all.

It looks like we're not done yet either. We've got storms lined up for next week, and after that I'll be headed down to Tioga Pass with a group of great friends to photograph some classic Eastern Sierra big mountain lines. Stay tuned!

Tags: athlete • kirkwood • lifestyle • light • mountain • powder • resort • skiing • snow • storm • winter

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Last week I was contacted by Kirkwood Mountain Resort for what turned out to be my best assignment all winter – photographing the Kirkwood Powder Cat and the terrain it accesses. With perfect snow and blue skies I couldn't have asked for a better day. I'd like to give a big thanks to Jon Copeland and his staff for organizing the shoot! As we loaded into the snowcat for the first run everyone was completely stoked!

The scenery around Kirkwood is second to none. The snowcat took us all the way up to Martin Point for our first run. The views of the Kirkwood Valley and the Sierra Nevada were absolutely breathtaking. Below, Jon Copeland unloads the gear.

As I dropped in to set up the first shot I was greeted with over 2 feet of fresh powder. Here is my friend Alex ripping a turn in my first action shot of the day. It only got better from there.

Skiing for the camera isn't easy but a seasoned veteran like Jon Copeland makes it look effortless. It took me a few minutes to set up this shot. I explained to Jon exactly where I needed him to make a turn and throw up some spray. He followed through, no problem. It turned out to be my favorite shot of the day.

Photographing skiing and snowboarding is tough. It takes a combination of great skiers and snowboarders, great weather, good equipment and of course, a capable photographer. It's all about waiting for that perfect day with perfect light. They don't come around often so you have to watch the weather and have a crew ready to go at a moments notice. I love every minute of it. When you come back with great shots it's always worth the effort.

Thanks again to Jon Copeland, his awesome staff, and Kirkwood Mountain Resort for making this shoot possible.

Tags: athlete • expedition kirkwood • jon copeland • kirkwood • lifestyle • light • mountain • powder • resort • skiing • snow • snowboard • snowboarding • snowcat • storm • winter

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