Climbing
I love climbing. I've been doing it for years. Longer, in fact, than I've been taking photos. It's a great workout for the body and mind. Climbing photography, however, is new to me. I did one session many years ago on a gym wall, but it's not the same as out on a crag. It's easy to get lots of similar shots, as you can see here. Ideally I'd get up on a rope to get some looking down shots, but that involves a lot of rope work and hanging around. Hopefully one day. For now, here are some ground based shots that I tried to mix up a bit.
Mint
I got the chance to shoot with my friends from Mint Snowboarding during the winter. They were after some new shots for their website and social media. The brief was to get a mix of clean unclutered shots, showing happy faces and the relaxed but professional instructing style. I can tell you it's not easy getting shots of groups of snowboarders up in the mountains whilst they are being taught ! As is often the case, I didn't want to intrude on the lessons so tried my best to work around the instructors and clients. Here is a sample of some of the images, I'm pretty happy with the results.
If you need a snowboard lesson as a beginner or experienced rider, you can find Mint Snowboarding here.
2466m
Les Hauts Forts is considered as the highest point in the Chablais region (if you don't include our Swiss neighbours). Sitting at 2466m above sea level, you get stunning views in every direction. There are two ways up, one is a long walk and the other is, well, a long walk. Unless you have a bike with you. In which case it's a pedal, push and carry. Not for the fainthearted, the last push to the top involves scrambling and pulling on cables.
But boy is the descent worth it..
Golden Rain
Well, not quite. We often have episodes of Saharan sand being transported from, well the Sahara, to the alps. When it precipitates at the same time, it leaves a fine layer of sand on everything around. And it also turns the sky pretty orange, especially at sunrise or sunset. This is what it looks like on my skylight.
Seeing Double
Double exposures are tricky. I seem to have more success with my analog cameras than I do my digital. The advantage of digital though, is that you can keep trying and eventually get the shot you want! So here is one of my friend Niko, and a bonus shot that makes me want to go on holiday.
Looking Down
Viewed from the top down, the world most certainly has a different allure.
Keeping it Street
I've known Tom here for a long while now. We went to the same school and lived in neighbouring villages. He now lives out here in France too. And he still skates like a beast.
He's had this spot by the local supermarket on his list for a longtime now so it was cool to get the chance to shoot it with him.
Sea of Clouds
We wake with weary eyes. The thick cloud dominates over the town of Morzine, leaving spirits low. But how to escape this feeling? Gaining height on the road to Avoriaz, the sun pierces through the cloud and brings hope to our hearts. Until all of a sudden. We are above the clouds. Hugging to the trees and mountains, we watch in awe as the clouds move gently, as if to breath in and out.
As the autumn draws to an end, the smell of winter is in the air.
Våga
From Old Swedish vāgha, from Old Norse vága, from Middle Low German wagen - 1. dare, to have enough courage (to do something); 2. to wave, to shape (hair) like a wave (våg).
In this case it's the former. Dare to do something. An old friend and her partner have decided to start their own running hat brand. At a time when people are losing their jobs, the economy is on a downturn and some countries are still on lockdown. But hey, if you don't dare, how do you know if it'll work or not. They came to Morzine a couple of weeks ago and met with some sponsored runners to get some shots for their new website. Here are a few.
The colour of Confinement
Much like a lot of the world, I'm in confinement. And much like a lot of the world, I'm now writing about it. It's a time to reflect. A time to learn. A time to share. Etc etc etc.
A time to take your time.
For me, it's been about many things; reading more, missing the daily routine of work, baking cakes, baking under the sun, finishing work I'd kept putting off, making lists, tidying, being lazy, doing nothing in silence, missing proper exercise and missing friends. And also colour film developing.
If you've been on here before, you may have read about my first go at developing black and white film (scroll down if you haven't). Since then I've developed quite a few films so know the process well. I've had a few colour films lying around that I wanted to develop, but all the labs are closed at the moment. "What better a time to have a go at colour development" I said to myself. The only main difference with b+w development is the temperature range. It's even slightly easier as you don't have to adjust times depending on the type of film or chemicals used. Randomly, I found a 35mm film that had already been exposed but not developed (turns out it's 15 years old) so decided to start with that as it probably wouldn't matter if it all went wrong. And it didn't go wrong! So I then developed an expired 35mm film that I'd just finished, and that didn't go wrong either, despite it being expired. Next up I've got some 120 that I'm going to do, but in the meantime, here are some shots from those first two rolls.
Faces
We had a big Volcom event at work this weekend (#volcomspottospot). It pissed it down with rain, but that didn't do anything to dampen down the spirit of everyone that took part. Here are some faces.
Snowboarding Is Fun
So I find myself at work with my camera in my bag a lot more often than I used to. Which means plenty of opportunity to get some shots. I have also recently (in the last few months) started using Lightroom on my mobile, and I must say that I'm pretty impressed by its capabilities. I can transfer directly from my 5d mk4 to my phone, edit a photo and post it online within minutes! These shots were previously used in a story on the works Instagram account, but I liked them so much I wanted to share them here.
Double Exposures
My Bronica ETRS can do multiple exposures on the same frame (old school cameras are great). Turns out my Canon 5d mk4 can do them too (new school cameras are great). It's not easy though, and getting pleasing results can be quite hit and miss.
Portraits
I don't consider myself to be a portrait photographer. I feel it's better to stick to what you know and "specialise" in only a few areas of photography. I often see photographers that list their specialities as pretty much every aspect of photography. I'm not one of those people. So when my friend Aisling asked me to take some portraits of her I was nervous. She doesn't like her photo being taken (she prefers to be behind the camera like I do) but needed a shot for a local newspaper article that she was to appear in back home in Ireland. Being a good friend, I duly accepted, safe in the knowledge that neither of us really wanted to be there. It turns out that the shoot went pretty well. We picked a good spot up on the mountain, with the fading light of the end of the day. Aisling has a great smile and gorgeous eyes and I really wanted to capture that in the photos. I tried my best at making her feel comfortable, and as you can see from the second photo, I think it went really well!
Mont Billat
I'd first seen this mountain from across the valley and was instantly attracted to its sheer rock faces and vertiginous slopes. I had to climb it one day. And that day was last Sunday, after a long day of work. Given the impressive allure of the peak, i'd assumed that it'd be a difficult ascent. It's not. The first half is a steady climb on a 4x4 track before it steepens and traverses a beautiful alpage and then onto rocky steeps and the final ascent along the ridge-line to reach the summit.
But most importantly, the views from the top (and along the away) are some of the most spectacular in the region. On one side you have Lac Leman and a view over to the Jura and Valais. On the other, you have the whole of the Chablais region, with the Dents du Midi in the far background. And then there's the other side looking over towards the Genevois area. In fact there are views everywhere all around! I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
Holiday Snaps
So this time last year I was on holiday in America. In fact it was the first time that I had visited the USA. I spent a week with my brother in Washington DC and then another week visiting Philadelphia, New York and Boston. I'm not a big fan of big cities, but they weren't as bad as I thought they'd be.
It turns out that I took quite a few photos, had a quick look at them when I got home and then forgot about them, until now. So here they are.
Championnats de France
At the end of July, Morzine hosted what was probably it's first race in nearly 20 years. Not since the days of the Avalanche Cup has the Pleney seen so many pro and amateur riders alike, racing to beat the clock. It would have been rude to not go and have a look, so I took the camera with me.
Practice was dry and conditions were great, with the Pleney serving up it's usual dose of fresh loam, rooty off cambers and steeps galore. Unfortunately things took a turn for the worse on finals day, and the rain turned the track into a veritable slip'n'slide.
Here are some cliches for your viewing pleasure.
Making Waves
Looking back through holiday photos from Portugal, a long time after the holiday is over, and a couple of photos caught my eye. I hadn't originally edited all of the photos (just a few for instagram), and must have thought "I'll do them another time". Well. 5 months later I finally got around to it!
These two are from the famous Nazaré. Home of arguably Europes and the worlds biggest surf-able wave. On this particular day, the waves weren't gigantic, but still big enough to warrant being towed in by jet-ski. There are no-one on these waves, but you get the idea of the size and the force of the tons of water swirling around.
Les Gets
Admittedly, it's not often that I get over to Les Gets in the winter. Recently, it was some work with Morgan Jupe that got me travelling the whole 10km to get there, and this photo made it worthwhile.
I really should get over there more often.
New Year
New me.
Is what a lot of people say. But i'm not like other people so i'll just keep on keeping on. Here is my last photo of 2017 and the first of 2018. The view from the office that never gets boring, at least for me anyway.
Happy new year to one and all.
Skate from above
Our friend has a diy concrete mini-ramp in his back garden. Lucky guy. It's still one of my dreams, if I ever own a house with enough land. I'd previously shot a few frames with one of my film cameras and not really liked any of the angles I could find. The other day we headed up for a session and I took my 5d with the trusty 50mm lens. I was looking around for angles and spotted the upstairs bedroom window. I'm super stoked with the shot.
Tommy Bowers - BSTS
Colour
I finally got around to sending off a few rolls of colour film for development (I currently only have the capability to develop black and white film at home). It's always a pleasure getting them back and seeing what I shot. Some I remember taking, others not. It's one of the positive points about film. The anticipation to see if a particular shot came out, the excitement of finding a great shot, the memories that come flooding back.
The first 4 shots here were from a holiday to the Basque Country at the beginning of May and the last from a walk in the mountains here at home. The two double exposures are actually happy mistakes. I have a small problem with the shutter on my camera which means that I often end up taking multiple shots. I'm not sure if the shutter fires first time so it involves a bit of guess work.
No riding for me
I've not shot any mtb photos since the start of the season, down at the World Cup in Lourdes. And I've not shot any here at home for a long time. So hurting my arm the other day gave me the motivation to grab my camera and get some shots of my friends that were here on holiday.
They were doing laps on the Pleney, so we met on one of the nice loamy and steep sections of a secret track. It was also just a short walk from the bottom of the hill (lucky for me!). I was shooting with my 5d, which isn't too great in low light, or with fast moving subjects. However, I just love the images it produces.
Are a luxury chalet company based in Morzine in the Portes du Soleil. It's run by Josh and Jess, an experienced and knowledgeable couple who can deliver a holiday to remember. They have a fantastic service on offer, which can be confirmed by the reviews on their site.
I'm lucky enough to have them as my newest client. I've been tasked to shoot interiors and exteriors of the fantastic chalets that they have on offer. The project isn't finished yet, but here are some sample shots.
If you are looking for an unforgettable ski or summer holiday in the French alps, look no further.
It's all downhill from here
On my way to the west coast I stopped off at the first round of the 2017 UCI DH World Cup in Lourdes. What a way to kick off the season. The French fans really know how to create a great racing atmosphere. Horns, whistles, chainsaws, broken bike parts. You name it, they can make a loud noise with it! If you haven't experienced it, you should go at least once. They support all the riders, but obviously even more so the Frenchies. And they were especially happy that one of their compatriots won on the day. The last 20 down were unlucky to have the heavens open up and turn the dry course into a slippy one.
It's only the third world cup I've been to, and it's actually a good opportunity to see some of my friends who work as mechanics for some of the big teams. Here are some of the shots I got of the finals day.
Holiday Time
It's always great to get away on holiday, and great to go somewhere different. This time, I went to new and old places around the Basque Country.
My journey started off with a detour in the middle of France in the Limousin region. More specifically to the Lac de Vassiviere where there is an island with a whole host of art sculptures, including a skate-able sculpture. This was the main reason for my visit. If you are looking for peace, quiet, sunshine and a bit of culture, it's a great place to go. I stayed at one of the local municipal campsites which was well equipped and there are plenty of things to do in the surrounding area too.
The second detour of the route was to the first round of the UCI DH MTB World Cup in Lourdes, a place more famous for it's churches and holy history than it's mountain biking. I'll put some photo up from that in a separate post shortly so keep an eye out for it.
I then continued my journey into Spain and the heart of the Basque Country. My first night was spent at Laga, just next to Mundaka, a world famous surf spot and the local large town of Gernika-Lumo. There wasn't much surf on, so other campers in the car park were keeping busy by cutting hair, among other things. The next day I had a drive over to Mundaka as there was a local surf competition on. It was great to see this famous wave in action. My next few days were spent between Laga and Sopelana, a bit further towards Bilbao in the west. Skating, surfing and photo taking. More of the former than the latter, so I don't have many shots but i'm happy with what i've got. I have some on film too, so I'll have to wait a bit until those are developed.
The journey home took me up through the French Basque Country, St. Jean de Luz, Bidart and Bayonne and then on to Cap Breton, Messanges and Mimizan.
Fantastic weather and scenery.
Old Equipment
My Bronica ETRS is second hand (maybe even more, I'm not sure) and it's a quality, if not a bit heavy, piece of kit. That's the good thing about old cameras. They are simple, well made, built to last, trustworthy......well not all the time. I had noticed on some of my negatives in the past that some shots never came out. At first I put it down to human error, wrong settings or an oversight on my part.
Until that is, I processed my last roll of exposed film. And discovered that I only had one shot come out. It turns out the aperture blades, which are housed in the lens, sometimes have a problem of not opening. So I had a roll of 15 "amazing" photos that I was really excited to home-develop. Only to find that I actually only had one.
I guess that's one of the risks of film photography. Those photos that didn't come out now only exist in my head. Probably never to be reproduced again.
Here is the one that survived.
Film developing
I developed my first roll of black and white film with the help of a friend. At first, it seems quite a daunting prospect. What if I accidentally get light on it? What if I use the chemicals in the wrong order? What if, what if. But actually, it's really rather simple. It takes a bit of patience (mostly to get the film onto the spool) and some good organisation.
And the result? It's rather rewarding, and great to see if your shots have come out or not.
An Adventure
We decided to stay overnight in the refuge de Bostan-Tornay. We drove to the end of the Vallee de la Manche, then splitboarded up and over the Col de la Golese, arriving at sunset. The refuge is very basic, with some bunks and a light and not much else. Add a couple of friends, sleeping bags, a stove and some food and you have all you need.
The next day, we carried on up the valley between the Tete de Boston and the Dents D'Oddaz in the direction of the Col de Bossetan. We didn't quite make it to the Col, as on the way we spotted an inviting couloir with some fresh snow. A short time later we were at the top, looking down the Golette de L'Oule and towards Mont Blanc, with a bearded vulture flying overhead. The silence of the mountains was calming. Away from the crowds of half term and in the middle of nowhere, yet only a short distance from home.
The turns on the way back down were well worth the 6 odd hours of combined hiking over the two days.
The Pipe
I went up the mountain yesterday to get some shots in the pipe. There weren't many people there so not a lot to shoot. Here are a couple of quick portraits and a throwaway trick shot. It's always good to keep shooting though.
Fascination
I can't get away from my fascination with trees, clouds and mountains.
The Sheriff
A home from home. I could spend all day in here. This was a shot Sheriff wanted and I got after 3 tries. Admittedly, he is a little bit blurry and I should shoot it again with a quicker shutter speed, but he was happy and I am too.
Sun Flare
We are deep into mid winter. It's cold, cloudy and snowy and conditions are all time. We've had endless days of powder, and the kids here for half term are complaining about being cold and wet.
If only. It's mid February and we've only had one good snowfall since the start of the season. We've been blessed with endless blue skies and spring conditions since the start of the new year.
Splitboarding
The new fashion in the snowboard world. And why not. Away from the crowds, getting to the top under your own steam, enjoying fresh powder a week after it's snowed. And nature.
Winter
It's that time of year again. The air is cold, the ground is cold, It's been snowing lots and not a lot. It's been sunny and warm, cold and warm, rainy, dry and everything in-between. I've also moved house and so have a new view to look at and shoot. Here it is.
Luxury
I recently finished shooting another chalet for Shep&Kyles. This is one of my favourite images from the shoot. To see more, you'll have to follow them on Instagram.
A Wet Walk In The Woods
One of the benefits of living here, is taking a few steps out of your door and having direct access to all of this.
Autumn
Leaves and light. My favourite time of the year.
