Digging through my portfolio

I'm currently putting a portfolio together to show at the Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow and PDN's Outdoor Photography Photography Expo next week in Salt Lake City. While digging through new and old shoots I came across one of my favorite shoots from last year in a skate park in Indianapolis. I just felt like re-sharing a couple portraits.

Extreme Conditions

I know I've posted this photo before, but I was looking at it at 100% and wanted to share. The athletes in the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race endured unthinkable hardships to complete the race. On the biking section the first day of the race they faced gusts up wind up to 70mph that pelted them with rocks and debris and threatened to carry their bikes away. In the clost up photo you can see the rocks flying through the air. That's full size gravel, not just small pebbles. I was also getting pelted in the back of the head while capturing this. Ahh, I can't wait for next year!

Neal Sipahimalani on Lucifer - 5.14c

A couple of weeks ago I went down to Red River Gorge to photograph Neal Sipahimalani on his attempts to send Lucifer, a super steep and crimpy 5.14c in Purgatory, PMRP. He's been working on it for a while and made some good progress, but after three attempts it didn't go for him this time. It's frustrating knowing you can make all the moves, but piecing them together it just doesn't seem to fall into place.



Neal Warms up before attacking Lucifer.

More Photos and story after the break!

LP Designs

I met Lorry at a party several weeks back, and we talked about collaborating on a shoot. Lorry is a fashion designer and a seamstress. She brought over some of her designs, and we were able to do a simple set up in my current house, which has walls painted several different colors. The shoot went great, and we survived the heat outside to get some great shots in my backyard.

More photos after the break!

New Design

Hey guys, I'm working with a new design for the blog, if you haven't noticed. It's still a work in progress, but let me know what you think. I want to hear it. The basic reason behind the redesign is I want to include larger photos. The old design limited my photos to 600px. The new one will have images 800px wide. Hope you enjoy it.

2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race - Part I: The Beginning

*note: This blog post has six segments. At the end of each page, click "older posts" or the orange link "THE STORY CONTINUES WITH MORE PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE NEXT POST."



Teams portage over a falls in the kayaking section on the first day of the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race.

I never expected to be in southern Patagonia. I have always dreamt of coming, but I wanted to learn Spanish before I traveled South America.


Don't stop here. More photos and story after the Jump>>

2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race - Part II: Kayaking

After an hour delay, the teams are sent off into Lago Grey in their two-man kayaks with spaced intervals. In the confusion of the delay I am told, with all of my baggage for the whole race, go to the beach. Then on the beach, with all of my baggage for the whole race, “Why are you here? The trucks are waiting in the parking lot for you. Hurry or they’ll leave without you.”

Members of team Adidas TERREX/Prunesco from the UK prepare for the 47 kilometer kayaking section


Noel Duffy (Australia) from team Dancing Pandas checks his gear before starting off with his team in kayaks.


Don't stop here. More photos and story after the Jump>>

2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race - Part III: Trek

Race Day 02. Wednesday February 9th

I wake up, miraculously on my own, at 5:30 and get the others up, ready to go. The light slowly illuminates more of the surrounding mountains, but the jungle is still very dark. I had illusions of keeping my feet dry for at least some period of time, but as soon as we leave camp our feet sink into the turba.

Turba, I had the pleasure of finding out, is a multicolored sponge-like substance that blankets all of the ground in this area of Patagonia. It comes in just about every imaginable color, but I saw mostly yellows and reds. You could step on it and sink three inches or up to your waist. It is fully impossible to keep your feet dry while walking through turba. In the higher elevations it is still present, but much more pleasurable to walk on, as it doesn't sink in to your knee with every step.

Don't stop here. More photos and story after the Jump>>

2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race - Part IV: Trek

Race Day 03. Thursday, February 10th
In the morning I awake to shouts, "There's a boat!" Everyone is confused; the boat coming for some of the checkpoint workers isn't supped to come till the afternoon. In the confusion only six of us got on the zodiac boat.

Don't stop here. More photos and story after the Jump>>

2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race - Part V: Trek

Race Day 05. Saturday, February 12th
I eat breakfast with Stjepan Pavicic, creator of the race. He asks me, "How do you feel about going up in the helicopter with me?" Well, that would be fantastic. Stjepan, media producer Brien Leittan, and I take off in a small van to a field where the helicopter will come pick us up. Flying around turns on the gravel road the van comes sliding to a halt, missing an unseen oncoming vehicle by merely inches. Both drivers look at each other without any hint of anger, just relief.

The helicopter circles before it lands. Four weary faces look out from the cabin. T.C. Worley, Sam Salwei, and Paul Cassidy had been trekking with the British team, but eventually got left behind. They waited for several days to get picked up, surviving without food or dry clothes. They were taken to PC10 by helicopter where they picked up Jan Villilon, who had been stuck there for days. For some reason Sam and Pauls gear bag was taken off and left at PC10. They didn't get their bag back for over a week after the race was over.


My first views of PC10

My first successful flight in a helicopter! I grew up riding in small aircraft since my father is a private pilot, but the motion of the helicopter is unlike anything I've ever experienced. There is a side to side Seen from above the fjords are incredibly beautiful; you can fully appreciate the intricacies of the landscape. After 15 minutes or so the pilot starts circling a mountain peak speckled with a few brightly covered tents. Figures appear from the tents and scramble around the peak. Stjepan yells over the roar of the engines, "We will be back in a few hours to pick you up." The helicopter sets down on a knoll and we jump out, splashing into the wet turba and ducking to avoid the whirling blades. We hurry to get out of the way of the helicopter and away from the rain.

Don't stop here. More photos and story after the Jump>>

2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race - Part VI: The Finish

Race Day 07. Monday, February 14th

Juan, the Gaucho that takes care of the ranch we were camped out on at PC13.

I awake to a buzz of activity outside my tent. "The French are starting!" It's 10am. The British and GearJunkies.com have already left a few hours ago for the 188 kilometers of biking to reach the finish line. Somehow I slept through all of that commotion. The French assemble their bikes and head off to the east toward Pali Aike. "Tony, you go in the truck and follow the French. Scott, you can follow the Croatians in the next truck," the organizers tell us. Just as the French start their day, fresh from a rest, semi dry, they reach a small creek they have to cross - just deep enough they have to get their feet wet, once again. They become specks and disappear over the next hill.

Don't stop here. More photos and story after the Jump>>