Jason Stevens Photography

Happy Hunters

2011-12-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

Swamp the boat

2011-12-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

All images shot with a GoPro Hero Cam

Boulder Mountain

2011-12-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

San Rafael pinhole style

2011-12-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

Sunset on the Oyster Shell Reef

2011-12-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

While running from an impending storm on the Henry Mountains last month I was able to catch these images of sunset on the Oyster Shell Reef near the Notem-Bullfrog road.

Emma the Homecoming Princess

2011-09-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life goes places you never (*EVER*) expect.

For example, growing up I was never "King" of anything. I was never nominated for anything. Except FFA president, but on the cool scale that equals at least three demerits. Anywho, not that it bothers me...I never desired it. The spotlight held no attraction for me.

My daughter is not the kind of kid who desires notoriety or fame or the spotlight either. But she NATURALLY exudes so much coolness that it finds her from time to time. Like recently when, three weeks into her freshman year, she was nominated for homecoming queen.

Her mother and I had not idea how to respond; neither of us had ANY experience in these matters. I was a band geek, for crying out loud. So we just went with it and watched our "M" stroll with style and grace through the whole thing. She prepared a well though out (and witty) skit, a creative fashion show and demonstrated that she does, in fact, have talent ta' boot by winning her tennis match at the end of the day. It was perfectly clear, though, that to her it made no difference if she "won" a crown or not. She just took it in stride like it was part of the whole freshman experience.

And I'll be darned if they didn't crown her 1st Attendant!

And when it came time to strut her stuff in the homecoming parade, she quietly donned her tiara, grabbed her clarinet and jumped on the float with the pep band instead. Because after all, there is more than one way to toot your horn.

Here are a few pics from Templar Homecoming 2011:

Below: M and her "Prince" Mr. K demonstrating their talents by jettisoning marshmallows into the crowd.

Below: High fashion on the red carpet

Below: "Oh my heck, you DO love me!"

Below: Princess Emma (y mi reina Italiana)

Below: Chillin with the pep band homeys.

Below: jammin with the cabasa and maraca

Below: flowers and ribbons at the Homecoming game

I'm not dead yet...

2010-09-02T17:46:00.001-07:00

Hi friends, all four of my faithful readers. I'm not dead, just been busy. Many posts coming soon...

Jason

Castleton Tower

2010-07-20T20:10:00.001-07:00

Dave & Kim

2010-07-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Dave & Kim...

Post Nasal Drip

2010-07-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

Ice Climbing Provo Canyon, Utah.

Climbers Douglas Henrich and Brian Smoot

Route: Post Nasal Drip

Complete Gallery at: www.stevensfoto.com/postnasaldrip

Castleton Tower Parachute Landing

2010-07-18T23:34:00.001-07:00

In February I got an email from a photographer buddy of mine. It wasn't detailed or wordy. When "Castleton Tower, Base Jump, Airplane, and Parachuting" are all in the same sentence you don't need a lot of extra information, fluff or additional motivation. I was at the base of Castleton Tower at sunup on the appointed day.

Just before sundown on Valentines Day 2010, Mario Richards became the first person in the world to parachute from a plane and LAND on top of Castleton Tower, Utah. I got to be there, take a few shots and witness history. It was totally sick! Thanks David, Chris, Mario and the rest of the crew for having me along!

The entire photo gallery can be found at: www.stevensfoto.com/castleton

Escalante Country

2010-06-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

The adventures of N in the canyons of the Escalante

Farnsworth Canyon

2010-06-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

A little hike in the San Rafael Swell

Maple Canyon Rock Climbing Guide

2010-03-31T22:05:00.001-07:00

Maple Canyon Rock Climbing editions 1, 2 & 4

by Jason Stevens

$12.00

The first three editions of Maple Canyon Rock Climbing guidebook are now available in electronic format. There are +/- 130 Maple Canyon routes covered in the enclosed third edition. I have added maps, photos and beta for fifteen multi-pitch routes in totalling over 45 pitches. There are also brief notes on route development as select walls and other climbing areas in the valley.

DO buy the book if you are a first time Maple Canyon climber, you need basic canyon information and a "starting place". There is route beta for 200+ climbs in the first three editions – information that has not been available for 10 years. Only seasoned Maple Canyon locals know this information by heart. For the rest of you this will be brand new stuff.

DO NOT purchase this guide thinking you will have the inside track on new routes, hot spots or secret areas. The information is accurate but the books were outdated in 2001. The exception is the included new route beta for multi-pitch climbs. This is not a "new" guidebook.

Darren Knezek of Provo is working on the latest version of the complete guide and it is rumored to be out soon. For locals and regulars the information in the file is self evident and bla bla bla. To everyone else it is brand new and will fill the guidebook void until the new edition comes out. For first time Maple climbers I hope this reproduction will serve as an introduction to all it (and Sanpete Valley) has to offer. In my best estimation the current number of routes in Maple Canyon exceeds 350. When combined with the other climbing areas in Sanpete Valley that number is well over 450.

I have laid the electronic file out in chronological order. You can set your printer to print only the sections you want to take to the crag. I have added a few topos to some of my “new” areas and my multi-pitch climbs. I few photographs at the end of the file add a little eye candy.

When you complete the PayPal transaction you will be redirected to the download page. The download is a 38 MB .pdf file. Purchase price is $12.00 US

Maple Canyon Rock Climbing

Editions 1, 2 & 3

NYC

2010-03-15T21:59:00.001-07:00

A few of my favs from a recent mind-blowing, life changing vacation.

www.stevensfoto.com/nyc

Party at the Triangle Bar SKM Style

2010-03-13T23:24:00.001-08:00

Brian and Heather Schenck, USA distributors of Ozone Kites, hosts of the US Snowkite Masters and owners of the Triangle Bar invited me to shoot the Snowkite Masters event on Skyline Drive recently. It was two days of fantastic photography.

The event was followed by a rockin awards ceremony and party at the Triangle Bar.

Check it out...

www.stevensfoto.com/masters

The Barn

2010-03-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

A new climbing hotspot with a colorful flare: www.stevensfoto.com/barn

2010-03-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

And the walls came crumbling down

2010-03-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

Winter Camping

2010-03-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

Ice ribbons forming in the nalgene bottle

Unpacking travel Scrabble while the viddles warm.

Yes, those are stars and that those are moonbeam streaks from the January Wolf moon.

Happiness is...

2010-03-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

...fruit snacks, while you wait your turn to lick the spatula...

...being reminded that you you ARE in fact a princess...

...a celebration just for you...

Hanging by a thread

2010-02-17T20:44:00.001-08:00

I was downloading images today off of my point and shoot and I discovered an image I didn't know existed. My daughter took this image of me while I was on a photo shoot in Maple Canyon last summer. I spend hours hanging out in space shooting friends of mine who were working routes in Maple Canyons Pipe Dream cave.

Burnin Down the House

2010-01-11T22:04:00.001-08:00

No one grows up thinking their house will burn down. You certainly never prepare yourself for THAT phone call when the person on the other end says, "Grandmas house is on fire".

Well, it happened.

Enclosed are a few pics. See the full gallery at the link below:

www.stevensfoto.com/fire

Come Together...

2009-12-13T14:15:00.001-08:00

The link below will take you to the photos I shot at the Come Together benefit for a local family.

Kristi Stevens at www.hoontah.com wrote a blog about it - I encourage you to read it.

www.stevensfoto.com/cometogether

Pick a Pumpkin

2009-12-13T14:08:00.001-08:00

A Lamb, Politics, Paintings and a Pastrami Burger

2009-12-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I recently took a day off and went for a walkabout in the city. We had no plans and no agenda. We didn't even know where we were going. We were just going.

We rode the train into the city, got off when we felt like it and started walking. We visited a used bookstore with books stacked to the ceiling. I've never seen so many paperbacks in my life. We visited an art museum and saw Rembrandts and Blochs and all kinds of really inspiring pieces of art. Do you know how cool it is to stand in front of a 500 year old painting? It was really fun - we saw paintings worth $450,000.00

All that inspiration made us hungry and we decided we'd stop at the next eating joint we saw that looked interesting or quirky. It ended up being Lambs cafe. Lambs is well over 100 years old and the decor is straight out of the 1920's. If Derringer or Capone swaggered out of the back room with a flapper girl under one arm and a tommy gun in the other he would not look out of place in Lambs. We ordered eggs benedict and hot chocolate. Both delicious. The hot chocolate was swimming in whipped cream. We found out later that Lambs is a popular place for politicians and downtown businessmen and that more than one deal has been made over eggs benedict.

We checked out the Lion House, downtown construction, the Gateway and walked until our feet hurt then ended the day on a glorious note...

I had herd of a magical place that serves THE ORIGINAL pastrami burger. I, like George Costanza, am a connoisseur of the Salted Cured Meats (WITH capitols). So we ventured to the mighty Crown Burger to have a stab at what has been praised as the finest burger on planet earth. I'd never been there before.

The praise is right. If you do nothing else before you die you absolutely MUST have a Crown Burger. Seriously. The only regret you will have is that you haven't been going there your whole life.

New England Part 2: Connecticut

2009-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Collinsville Axe Factory straddles the Farmington River in north-western Connecticut. In it's heyday it produced it's own hydro-electric power and the factory made axes and hammers that were shipped all over the world. Today it's empty except for a few struggling artists running small studios in the dark corners of the factory.

The factory supported the small town of Collinsville, built into the hillside above the river. It reminds you of something from a Washington Irving story. Nooks and crannies in the woods beg exploration, the river lulls you as it laps the granite bank and candles illuminate pane windows framed with colonial shutters. Tall hardwoods diffuse the sunlight and render a warm fuzz on everything in sight. The cemetery, complete with crypts, obelisks, massive tombstones and rusting wrought-iron fences looks down from the hilltop. The stone steeple of the church and smokestack from the factory are all that break the treetops in the valley below.

It's one of the most calming and soothing places I've ever been. Everything is familiar: the streets, houses, the riverbank – even the sandwich shop. It all invites you to stop and...tarry. I spent three days shooting rivers, bridges, old buildings, cemeteries, houses and historic districts.

It was one of the best three days. It felt like going home.

The full gallery: www.stevensfoto.com/conn

New England Part 1: Rhode Island

2009-11-15T20:24:00.001-08:00

I recently dug a bunch of photos out of the archives. Actually, the photos are only a year old, but in terms of the camera and my abilities they might as well be from a lifetime ago.

I've since replaced my camera and lenses and I now shoot exclusively in manual mode. All photos were taken with a Nikon D70s in automatic, so the camera made a lot of decisions for me. The ISO was set at 1000 (who know WHY?), so the images are grainy, but it adds mood and I kinda like it.

These images were shot along the Rhode Island coastline in mid October. Only weeks before, the beaches were packed with people – the Kennedy's and Carnegie's (and the like) call this home in the summer. The annual migration of the nations wealthiest and most political families was over and we were completely alone on the beach for 3 days.

It was fantastic.

See the complete gallery at www.stevensfoto.com/ri

Joshua Tree & The Salton Sea

2009-11-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

Recently returned from Joshua Tree & The Salton Sea. Amazing.

Check out the Gallery at www.stevensfoto.com/joshuatree

New Website

2009-10-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

To all three (Ok, maybe five if I count my kids) of my followers, I have finally moved my website over to a new ISP and gave it a face lift. There are some new, recent images that I like. You might to.

Check it out...

www.stevensfoto.com

Colonel Flagg

2009-09-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, M.A.S.H. was the biggest thing on television. My dad watched it faithfully. One of the characters, Colonel Sam Flagg, was a strange and mentally imbalanced intelligence officer who would frequently appear out of nowhere and then disappear in an equally mysterious manner. He was like the wind - no one saw him come, no one saw him go.

I have a friend who has been traveling the globe rather extensively in the last few years and he showed up unexpected in my office the other day. I was unjamming the printer, back to the door, and I turned around and there he was. Just like Colonel Flagg. Scared the hell out of me. After my heart rate dropped, the kid in me kicked in. I bailed on work and we clipped bolts and pulled cobbles in our old stomping grounds – Maple Canyon.

We've both put on 10 years and twice as many pounds since the last time we were really "active" climbers. It makes me a little sad to think of how it used to be. Man, we were on fire. Now we are "old guys" surrounded by a generation of scrawny, super-fit teen uber-climbers with attention deficit. They belay with one hand, text with the other, and send 5.13 like it's casual jogging. My friend, who was always stronger, bolder and more cut that me (and still is) is now past 30 with a wife, kids and a career. And it shows. I guess we really are twice the men we used to be. The consolation is that we were pulling hard when the current gen was still in pampers and they are earning bragging rights on routes we bolted and established 15 years ago. It's STILL cool to be first, isn't it?

The important thing is, that as short lived as the afternoon was I had a ball. And if climbing days and coolness come as Coloner Flagg then I'll embrace this new oldness and ride the wind. And turn off the cell phone.

Wild Child

2009-09-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

My friends kids are part of Wild Child – a local gig that teaches kids the ins and outs of being a "rock" musician. I was a band geek and never did anything as cool as play the electric guitar or sing, but I can appreciate the amount of work and dedication it takes to pull off a good musical performance.

I was proud of them. They must have performed in front of 3,000 people - a scary thing when your that young. My hat is off to them.

Hell, when I was their age I was Rockin the Casbah. How lame is that?

Photo Shoot Colorado Style

2009-09-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

I've been dying to post these pictures. I had to wait until this months issue of Rock and Ice magazine came out, though, because some of them are printed there.

This was an awesome 4-day shooting spree and I got some good plugging out of it.

See here: http://www.rockandice.com/gmoney.php

And here: http://www.rockandice.com/photocamp%20jason.php

Anywho, here are a few images from Colorado.

G-Money

2009-09-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

In June I took part in a 4 day photo camp at Rock and Ice magazine headquarters in Carbondale, Colorado. The two instructors were Keith Ladzinski and David Clifford. It was a fantastic camp and I cant begin to tell you here the amazing things I gained from it.

Keith Ladzinski writes a monthly column for Rock and Ice called Keiths Corner. He selects interested personalities from the climbing community and features them in a one page column. The column is highlighted with one of Keiths fantastic images - in which he captures the essence of the person and their "story". He is the master of it.

On day three of the camp we set up a photo shoot in Redstone at the Chris Goplerud residence. Chris "G-Money" is an accomplished climber and highly respected photographer. He's also a professional Jazz drummer and has played with the best. The. Best. All over the world.

The shoot we set up was the actual Keiths Corner shoot and the image that Keith took on that day appears in this months issue of Rock and Ice Magazine.

During the session, each of us took turns with the lights and shoot Chris with our own creative expression. It was the most amazing 3 hours of creative energy I have ever experienced. Chris entertained us on the drums, banging away for 3 solid hours, never playing the same cadence twice. Keith and Dave coached us and memory cards were filled to capacity.

Enclosed are a few of the images I took during the session...

Ephraim City Festival

2009-08-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Ephraim City held a small festival today and showed-off a few of the investments it's made, primarily the new police car and fire/rescue truck. It was a casual occasion with a little music and food, lots of mingling.

I stopped by and fired off a few images.

Cole H's Senior Pics

2009-08-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

Chuck Taylors, New Duds and some attitude

2009-08-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

More Kid Candids

2009-08-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Reading by the Lamp

2009-08-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Dave the Photo Guinea

2009-08-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

I've been climbing with local Dave Larsen and he's been an awesome subject - willing to follow my bossy commands and climb the same route a half dozen times. He's been a real sport about it and so far we've produced some pretty good images.

Check it...

Below: A new route at The Platform, Maple Canyon.

Below: Dave on the first ascent of a new boulder we developed the day of this shoot in the Scandinavian Highlands, Wasatch Plateau. This particular boulder is called the Meat Grinder.

Below: Noah and Virgil helping with the lights

Refinery

2009-08-07T09:20:00.001-07:00

Photos of the Cheyenne, WY refinery. This would be a great location for a photo shoot if you could get access to the grounds. All images were shot from about two blocks away.

Elk photos from Rocky Mountain National Park

2009-08-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

Blinketty blink

2009-08-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

It struck me funny that this flashing round safety light was making a square reflection on the road.

I took this picture at 12:00 midnight on a full moon night.

La Casa de mi Hermano

2009-08-05T23:23:00.001-07:00

My brother is fixing up a house - and doing a fine job of it. It's an old house, built in the 1890's, complete with lap and plaster, adobe and century-old spider webs.

Before he completely covered up the old workings of the house I snuck in after dark and stole a few shots. I used several objects we found buried deep in the walls as elements in some of the images.

More Candids

2009-08-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

Drowning Grandpa

2009-08-05T17:57:00.001-07:00

My Tractors Sexy

2009-08-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

More fun with the lights in a field of stickery grass seed...

My Personal Rock Band

2009-08-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

While working away from home this summer my employees were gracious enough to let me set up a couple of shoots. I decided to do a play on the Rock Band poster to see what we could come up with.

None of them can play and instrument.

They damn sure cant sing.

But they do look kinda like a rock band.

A Hat with an Attitude

2009-08-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Kids in B&W

2009-08-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

Kristi is my BFF

2009-08-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

...and she can climb.

...and she's a great subject...

Kimmel Family

2009-08-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

Run Forest, Run!

2009-07-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week working in Cheyenne, WY. I don't even know how to begin blogging about that town. Woah.

After 9 straight days of 14 hour work days my guys rebelled and told me I was giving them the day off. I complied. They took a tour of the Budweiser factory in Fort Collins. I decided to check out Estes Park and Rock Mountain National Park.

It was a running day but once I got to the parking lot and looked around the long-dormant mountaineering spirit deep down in my gut wriggled it's way out and made other plans. Spectacular 12, 13 and 14,000 foot peaks surrounded me on every side, each of them flaked by massive cliffs, escarpments and vertical granite buttresses. In my minds eye I saw myself ascending every one of them. I had to get to the top of one of these babies so I devised a plan; run to the top of a mountain. Diabolical!

I was anxious to see what effect my running/training would have on my stamina and cardio system at that altitude. Six months ago getting to the tree line would have killed me. I feel better than I have for a decade, though, and this was the perfect opportunity to see what I was capable of. I chose a well traveled trail to the top of Flat Top Mountain. The map said it was a constant grade with no quad and calf burning steep stuff near the top. Perfect. I also chose it because I was alone but knew that there would be plenty of other hikers along the way. Dying of heart failure or oxygen deprivation is best done with a little company, even if it is a perfect stranger. I loaded a small pack with the essentials, donned the new boots I bought at the Sierra Trading Post the day before and took off up the trail.

The long and short of this story is that I made it to the top and the summit was spectacular. The guts of the story is that it was five miles to the summit and 3200' in elevation gain and I did it in 2 hours 23 minutes. And, I went from the truck to the summit without stopping. Well, I stopped for about 3 minutes at mile two to put some moleskin on a blister and at mile three I had to explain to someone that the little critter was not a mouse but a Pika. It's actually in the Rabbit family. That took about 30 seconds.

I was passing people left and right and never felt excessively winded. I actually got a huge ego boost when a group of girls I passed told me that I made them feel bad about stopping to rest. Am I wrong to feel good about that? Anyway, it felt great! I'm pretty sure that ALL of my friends, including Kristi, Amy, Kim, Cory, Joe, Hillary, Jared, Jaren, Tracy, Curtis, Jamie, Chris...could have shaved 45 minutes off of that time with little effort. But I know for a fact that six months ago I would have hacked up my spleen making it to the top of that hill.

I rewarded myself with a Gatorade and Wheat Bagel with Nutella then fell asleep under a huge boulder. It was bliss. Then I ran most of the way down and made it back to the car in 1 hour 12 minutes.

It was, like, the best run E-V-E-R.

And I was told that the Budweiser factory is pretty interesting.

Look a little closer

2009-07-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've been working closely with four of my employees for a week and our current project coincides with the purchase of my new lighting system. While eating my "Pork (insert some fancy Italian word)" at the Olive Garden and pondering a shoot at the local wind farm I noticed that my guys had amazing faces, incredibly expressive in their own way. I'd never looked so closely at them but I saw them differently and suggested that we do a photo shoot - as soon as we were done eating. Forget the wind farm.

And we did.

Using the shower as a lightbox.

Zane has more sarcasm in his little finger that most people do in their entire body. He'll go hours or even days without saying a word - then without warning a smirk comes over him and something unbelievable comes out of his mouth. Ky is level headed and cool and exudes contentment. A little tuft of hair makes an understated smile seem even smaller. Cole is deadpan except when someone or something strikes him as funny. He cocks his head to the side and peers with a slightly larger distant eye to avoid smiling. But a smile always pokes through. Wesley, unlike his brother Cole, always looks like he either just pulled a prank or is about to.

The more I shoot people the more I love it. Trying to capture that defining expression is super fun. Thanks to "my guys" for being subjects.

BTW: you don't get overtime for this.

2009-07-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

I love beef. And Bacon. (yes, capitol B)

But I don't do horses. I don't do livestock at all. Doesn't interest me in the least. I downright hate dogs. So, it was unusual that I would find an image watching my neighbors unload a hay wagon the other day. I couldn't resist wandering into the yard to take a picture.

You just never know...

Kristi is my Hero

2009-07-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

Kristi rocks. She's the bomb, the real McCoy, my hero. In June she ran the Wasatch Back RAGNAR relay with 11 friends. I drove the support vehicle and generally shared the misery. If you want to read one of the most inspirational blogs written, take five and read this .

In fact, it inspired me so much that I actually took up running. In middle school I was the kid cutting through old ladies yards to shorten that 1.5 mile loop during PE. But during the Wasatch Back I saw first hand something you only read about in glossy magazines or great novels - you know, the stories that MOVE you. Check out Kristis blog for the tug-at-your-heartstrings details.

Long story short, I was inspired, took up running and signed up to be team captain of my own RAGNAR team. I'm in my fourth week of running and everything about it feels great. Even the suck.

Good things come to those who shoot 9000 frames

2009-07-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

So I'm pretty excited about having an image in Rock and Ice magazine. I lucked out, too It's not just ANY issue...it's the 25th Anniversary issue AND the Outdoor Retailer issue.

Thanks to Brendan for letting me hang in his way for hours on end!

Kenny & Cartman go Climbing

2009-05-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

My last post was a tad on the heavy side. Were talking about a career after all...

On a lighter side, I wandered up Box Canyon yesterday to see what my camera might find. What It behold? The coolest PJ bottoms to ever pull cobbles in Maple Canyon!

Does anybody even make a harness that'll fit Cartman?

Tenacity, Determination and Pipe Dreams

2009-05-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I've been shooting photos in a giant "cave" in Maple Canyon, UT. It's not a cave in the traditional sense of the word, though there is one of those a few feet away under a seasonal waterfall. This cave more like a huge alcove with a stone roof. Think of it as a Sydney Opera House made of stone. It's 90' from the back of the cave to the front and about the same from side to side. It's the same distance from the ground to the apex of the cave.

Now imagine a climber starting at the back (or side) and climbing upside down in the belly of the cave, heading for the apex. To the untrained eye it looks impossible from every angle. It looks like a Pipe Dream.

I first saw the cave about 10 years ago. I passed it off as an impossible area, at least for me. A few years later routes started popping up in the cave and I took a second look, establishing Toxic Potatoes (11b). It's one of two short warm-up routes in the cave and is quite possibly climbed more than any other route in Maple Canyon. AWESOME! Today routes dot the entire roof of the cave, most of them 5.12, 5.13 and 5.14...very near the top end of the climbing difficulty scale.

So, I've been photographing a small group of climbers who spend three days a week working the same projects over and over again. The first day I shot images at the cave was their second day climbing there. In the three weeks I've been there I've watched them go from hanging between every bolt, resting and working the moves, to firing large sections of the route without taking a rest. While on a redpoint ascent (a climb with no falls or hanging on gear), one of the climbers made it through all of the crux moves and was within 2 feet of the anchors when he missed a hold and fell. He came back two days later and did it all over again, determined to clip the anchors. Once they've finished their "projects" they'll move to another route. It might be a harder route in the Pipe dream Cave, it might be elsewhere in Maple Canyon or in an entirely diferent area. But they'll keep going until winter drives them into the Gym or south to warmer climates. It's a fascinating process. I'm inspired by their tenacity and determination. They are incredible athletes.

My wife is a writer. While attending conferences and mingling with other writers, she's learned that the industry has a saying concerning writing as a career: If you can do ANYTHING else, do it. From time to time I question if photography is really something I should pursue as a profession. I have a job that provides a good living for my family. The average photographer makes as much as the average writer in a year; the equivaent of one months income in the average US household. Those who are financially successful do it at a huge expense in time and emotional resources. It's a consuming monster. Like my wife and the climbers in the Pipe Dream Cave, I feel driven to be a photographer. I'm no longer satisfied to do something just because it works or it's safe or comfortable. You might say I feel compelled to get "the" shot.

I'm constantly asking myself what kind of photographer I want to be. It's an important question and I'm figuring it out. The more I'm in the field the more clear it becomes.

I'm not 100% sure yet, but I'm figuring it out one Pipe Dream at a time.

Kill the critical beast inside you

2009-04-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Kristi and I went to Connecticut last fall to see her Grandparents and work on a couple of projects. She was working on her book (www.hoontah.blogspot.com) and I wanted to do some photography work. It was one of the best vacations I've taken in my entire life.

It was the first time I had traveled long-distance to shoot a location. I prepped for weeks and made sure everything was in order. I made a list of the things I wanted to accomplish, researched possible subjects, thought long and hard about the kind of images I wanted to shoot. I checked and double-checked my gear. Once on location I went to work in my single-minded mode. I bracketed, metered, analyzed, and checked the histogram on every shot. I got on my knees, shot from the waist, climbed on boulders, hopped fences and laid flat on the ground. When I didn't like a shot I did it again. And again. And again. Then went back the next day in different lighting conditions. I shot an average of 500 images a day for 6 days straight.

At night I downloaded, stacked, categorized, compared f-stops and shutter speeds, depth of field and focal lengths. I junked the bad ones and kept the good ones. By the end of the trip I was bogged down with a mountain of photos and I found myself choosing between the best of several images that were essentially the same and all quite good. I finally archived them all and didn't take the time to filter them down to a handful of the very best.

On the very fist day of shooting, before I was engulfed in the mechanics of photography, I walked down a set of abandoned railroad tracks in an alley between two red-brick factories in Collinsville, CT. The Connecticut river was a stones throw away, pouring over a low head dam that drove the turbines that powered the now vacant Collinsville Axe factory. The trees were putting on fall colors. It was a photographers dream.

I headed for an old stone tunnel that ran under the factory and opened in a grove of trees next to the river. On the way I passed the old weigh station, now a studio apartment but vacant at the time. A couch, kitchen chair, heater and other signs of life were left on the deck. It caught my attention, so I stopped, I raised my camera, composed and shot a single, spontaneous image and kept walking. I didn't over-think it or ask a bunch of silly questions about the subject or let my techno-critical side kick in. It was a creative moment and I let it be what it was and moved on. I think it was the only time during the trip I did it.

And it's my favorite image from the entire trip.

Changing the Stripes: a new route with an old friend

2009-04-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

I recently finished a Maple Canyon project with my long-time friend Virgil Ash. It's been a couple of years since we were on rope together and it was a great beginning to a new climbing season. The route goes at 5.6 and gets easier the higher you get. But it IS HIGH. Three pitches of great views and exposure. I called it Changing the Stripes.

Changing the what?

I've aspired to be a photographer since I was a kid but didn't do much about it until three years ago when I bought a Nikon D70. I shot religiously as serious ameture during those three years and, as Izzy Mandelbaum says, It's time to take it up a notch. I'm ready to admit that I want to be a professional and take stunning images. I want to be an adventure photographer and in order to make it happen I'm Changing the Stripes.

I've lost 17 pounds by changing my eating habits and working out. I lift at the gym three days a week and I ride my Mtn Bike. I'm jazzed about climbing again and I feel better than I have for years. I have energy to go more hours and I have the motivation to do it. What does that have to do with it? If you can't keep up with your subject or be the first one on scene how in the hell are you going to get the shot? The photographer is always ABOVE the climber in those killer images you see in Rock and Ice Magazine. Theres no market for butt shots, lunch breaks or the hike back to the car. My wife has been a huge inspiration in the fitness department. She's been working out and eating right for more than six years. I aspire to keep with something that hard for that long.

I took black and white film photography class from my friend Amy Jorgensen. It was three months of pure enlightenment from one of the most inspiring person I've ever met. I thought I knew a lot about photography until I took that class. I realize not that I'm just scratching the surface. It was the jumping board in my path to being photographer.

I upgraded my camera system to a D700 and 4K in new lenses. It's a more enjoyable toy than all my others put together! And I have a lot of toys.

I'm enrolled in the Rock and Ice Photo Camp in June and I've never been more excited in my life. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. Learning for Keith Ladzinski? Are you kidding me? His images are awesome and I love his use of artificial light. And David Clifford? His lifestyle portraits have spurred an interested in photographing people, something I've avoided until now. The prospect of learning from these two masters almost makes me giddy. I have high expectation for the camp and if I do my part It'll be a huge step in getting me where I want to go.

It's all been a bit overwhelming. Thats a lot bit-off and chew all at once. But, how bad do you really want it?

Bleed for your art. Embrace the Suck. Change the Stripes. It's go time.

Jason

Night Photography and TOADS

2009-04-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with night photography and artificial lighting in the tradition of photographer Troy Paiva. Troy is a master of TOADS night photography and I love his subjects and use of colorful lights. Toads is an acronym for Temporary, Obsolete, Abandoned and Derelict spaces.

It's been very rewarding so far. Expect to see more.

Monkeyballs

2009-04-26T22:30:00.001-07:00

So my kids have this game called Monkeyballs.

I know, I had to check twice, too. I assure you it's not a reference to primate anatomy. The players in the game are Monkeys in a ball, like a gerbil on a running wheel.

Anywho...my kids were getting crazy playing MonkeyBalls one afternoon and I decided to shoot some images of them from the perspective of the television. I was positioned just below the screen so that they could play and not really see me.

It was hilarious!

Manos arriba!

2009-04-26T21:49:00.001-07:00

My climbing days have been limited over the last couple of years. Consequently, I'm stingy with my climbing time and my kids have suffered. They require SO MUCH attention that it's really impossible to climb yourself when they come along. It's all about them.

It's worth it, though. Once your out the focus becomes making sure they have a memorable experience.

I recently took my four year old on her first climbing day and she ate it up. She was squelched by the physical limitations of being four but insisted there must be a way for me to make her "go higher" and demanded that I make it happen. On the same day my son donned a pair of climbing shoes clearly too big for him but blasted to the anchors without so much as a hick-up.

My eleven year old sent her first lead climb the following week. It was obvious the route was easy for her bit she lacks technical ability and experience, made evident when she took BOTH hands off the wall to pull the rope up and clip the draws.

She named the route Manos Arriba!...spanish for "Hands up"!