They usually just mention it in passing, assuming there is not much to be said.
I think that this relationship deserves a second look.
This article introduces the topic with more articles following to expand and delve into the issue.
Some monochrome cliff dropping to start things off.
The relationship between the athlete and photographer is complicated.
This can lead to conflicts and difficulties that derail a shoot.
In the past when I wasn’t shooting seriously everything was simple.
I took mediocre pictures of decent skiers doing run of the mill tricks.
With publicity comes pressure and other problems.
Caleb E gets it done
Now I use one of two basic strategies to shoot.
For the sake of simplicity I will call them the athlete based and the spray and pray methods.
I will outline the specific pros and cons of each bellow.
James E sets a flat three
I started out with the athlete based method.
I am fortunate enough to know a few good skiers who are kind enough to shoot with me.
Early this season I took a two day trip with James and Caleb to shoot park at Schweitzer.
Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate.
When we arrived it was freezing cold, dumping snow, and the wind was howling.
Lifts were on wind hold and visibility was almost nonexistent.
When I got home I loaded the photos and started processing them.
When I changed this one to black and white I realized that I had a winner.
Basically the percentage of good pictures was very high compared to the amount I shot.
One of the few useable shots from this day.
The only other useable shot from the same day.
We started taking these because we were frustrated with Schweitzer’s social media team.
We systematically worked our way down the mountain stopping at every patch to shoot.
I would shoot at the apex of his turn, capturing his almost pitted technique.
Our first “deep” shot.
This technique worked out much differently for me.
After a few runs I realized I this was not working out.
You also get to see people try tricks for the first time.
Trying to get artistic while spraying and praying
Definitely the best shot I have captured with this method.
This is a prime example of a totallyunplanned shot.
Thank you for your time!
I’ll leave you with one real pow slash shot.
