Sounds are unnerving, especially when you don’t know what they are. That odd noise from your car when driving down the highway. A weird crack or pop from your body you weren’t expecting when you move in a certain way. Maybe the scariest and most unnerving of them all, an unknown sound in the backcountry. It can really put me on edge and make my hyper-aware of my surroundings.

When shooting you can plan all you want, but sometimes everything comes down to luck. Getting this exact framing depends almost entirely on luck.

While in Tofino, we decided to take a day to hop on a boat and check out the shoreline from a different perspective. In doing so we came across a lot of wildlife ranging from bears to grey whales and orcas. Being on the water gave an unobstructed view, as I didn’t need to shoot through a thickly forested mountainside.

Not every adventure is some epic multi-day mountain ridge traverse, and I don’t think it always should be. This day was forecasted to be rainy and overcast, but we decided to get out regardless and just deal with the conditions. Not that I am in any way against hiking in the rain, it can sometimes just be harder to motivate.

For his 30th birthday, Tony Pavlantos made the goal to hike and snowboard 30,000 vertical feet on Mount Superior in Utah. This is no easy feat and it took the better part of a day to do this. He was up all night hiking and riding, and stopping for breaks in between to take a nap.

I didn’t have a particular plan to make an image in the ice cave. Ben Poechman and I planned to get out on Whistler Blackcomb on what was supposed to be a mostly sunny day. The idea was to shoot images on the giant ice blocks that fall off cornices in the spring. However, a storm came in and we were instead hanging out in a whiteout with nearly zero definition. We decided to go and check out the ice cave as it was nearby and we hadn’t been in a while.

After originally shooting some trail running using myself as the model in a recent post I was able to arrange an athlete to come out and shoot. We were delayed by rainy weather delayed for a bit but we finally got a nice window of sunshine.

When I lived Utah, anytime I was going up into the mountains to adventure, or snowboard I would drive past this spot in Big Cottonwood Canyon. I had scoped this angle when checking out a climbing location and knew I wanted to make a photograph here. It was a matter of waiting for the ideal conditions.

This was another one of those days where we got skunked by the weather. We had some good conditions in the morning, but as we moved into the afternoon it started to cloud out with high clouds at first. Noticing this sun dog starting to be visible I knew I wanted to get a shot with the rider in front of it. We were already in a zone taking some fun laps that had a slope that lined up reasonably well. I wanted the sun dog to intercept the slope so the rider appeared in the middle.

Overall I live a generally active lifestyle, from getting out snowboarding, to hiking in the mountains, to even just biking around town. While not all overly physically demanding they keep me in decent shape. One thing I have always struggled with though is doing a regular exercise routine. This is fine in the middle of winter when I’m getting out nearly every day. But there are times when I find myself on the computer for days on end, editing photos, and realize I haven’t done anything physical. Normally this happens in the spring when I’m trying to finish up all my imagery from the winter, and in the fall when it starts getting rainy.

When going out to shoot photos, I keep a few things in mind to create the best possible photo I can. In some situations, I plan out an exact image, and in other cases, I try to work on the fly and shoot things as they adapt and change around me.

What gear do I carry on a regular trip into the mountains? This is an ever-adapting list, and I’m always adding or removing things based on what activity I’m doing.

Some items included in the winter, rarely make it in, in the summer, and vice versa. I try to keep the weight of my pack down, and I think many people would be surprised at how simple I keep it.

A highlight slideshow of my work from the winter of 2019.

I first learned to skate when I was a little kid on a pond by my house. We would go a couple of times a winter when it was cold and frozen. I was an okay skater, but it never really took up much of my time. I then grew out of my skates and never replaced them and went years without skating. I moved to Utah, where it wasn't an option due to lack of nearby ponds and lakes, but it never crossed my mind as something to do.

Reputed to be brave, unruly and skilled horsemen the gaucho is a national symbol of Argentina, renowned in legends and folklore. However, the heyday of the gauchos has passed. But what does anybody do when their way of life starts to go the way of the dodo? They adapt, they change, they do what they can to remain relevant, and that is exactly what has happened at Mallin Alto.

Should we publicly tell people about locations that we love? Post about them online giving the exact directions and beta on where to park, how to get there, and exactly what to expect?

Traveling can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t do it regularly. Trying to decide what you should bring, and what should be left at home, can cause nightmares putting stuff in and out of bags trying to make up your mind. When packing my suitcases, if I have time lay everything out quickly, put it in my bag, weigh it and gage where I am. I then take everything out and look through it to make sure I’m not missing something important, or bringing a bit too much. However with my carry on I always pack the same things, and always know what I am going to bring.

Weather can be fickle, mosquitoes atrocious, but time in the mountains can still be cherished. As mentioned in a previous post I’ve made a personal goal to push my work outside of the snow world. I feel winter is where my focus and strengths have always been, but as this is only a small portion of the year I’m striving to expand my skills.

I have recently redesigned my website, updated my portfolio, and improved things on the backend. This being said, the content from my original blog wasn’t able to easily transfer over. I have chosen a few feature pieces I would like to share, but unfortunalty I don’t have the time/capability to integrate every previous blog post. Enjoy reading a few of the past pieces, and follow along for future content.

I have made it a personal goal to branch out and focus on shooting other activities. Some I have regularly participated in, and some which are entirely new to me.

As the days lengthen and the snow starts to melt, I start looking forward to spring days spent in the mountains at alpine lakes. The green of the surrounding meadows, and the blue of the water is a photographers dream. In BC in particular we are spoiled with a plethora of lakes to explore.