Though, we have been having some good snow falls here on the east coast, it has not been consistently cold to keep the snow from melting this winter until now. Even with some record setting cold we had too many warm spells and rain events in between the cold spells that kept melting the snow away. It was not until this past several weeks for that it was cold for the snow to pile up and for me to photograph some back country skiing and snowboarding. Now we have about a 26" settled base and good snow cover! I was able to catch up with some fellow enthusiasts this weekend and shoot the powder conditions found only in the back country!
I love winter photography and nothing more than photographing expert skiers and snowboarders. Like photography, knowing how to ride is very much like an art form. There is rhythm, motion and skill very much like a dancer on stage. Trying to capture it as a still image is much the same as you must read and anticipate the dancer so much you must do the same for snow rider.
There is the graceful body motion of the telemark skier that is contrasted by the dynamic alpine skier or the fluid surfing snowboarder riding the waves of snow drifts. When all comes together to convey the sport known an snow riding in the camera it makes me want to dance. Snow rider photography is not easy. You stand in one spot in the cold, twist and shoot sometimes on the side of a cliff or above it. Stand for long periods make your muscles cold so when you start to ski it can be like skiing your first run of the day. You try to loosen up except you are riding in extreme dangerous exposed terrain that can work against you. Not an easy thing to do! After I put the camera back into the pack I too started to dance my way down the mountain!
