I am from St. Paul Minnesota

Where do you shoot?

All over Minnesota, mostly urban spots. Shooting park is kind of lame in my book.

How old were you when you first started shooting?

I first got really interested in photography when I was 14. I was on a road trip from Minnesota to L.A. I took along with me my dads old canon AE-1 with the stock 50mm lens. Basically haven’t put a camera down since then.

Who is your inspiration?

That is a long list…. First off my photo mentor Molly Durkin who took me under her wing and taught me a ton. I look at tons of different peoples works which get me thinking, people like Ben Chrisman (wedding photog), Melissa Rodwell (fashion) Erik Seo, Dan Carr, the list goes on. I like looking at all types of work and try to incorporate aspects from them into my work.

What is the most moving picture/video you remember?

Lots! Some that come to mind are the shot of, I can’t remember the skier, but it was a s-box at Park City, black and white taken from the chairlift, it was the cover of Powder a few years back. The photo of the people running covered in ash/dust on 9/11. (WARNING: Graphic Content http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060424/060424_911Dust_vmed_2p.widec.jpg)

What sparked your passion to shoot?

Not really sure what got me going besides the road trip to LA.

Do you have any formal schooling?

Took one photo class my first semester of college. It was all about printing and film developing had nothing to do with the actual photos. When I figured that out I would go out and blast rolls of film to get the assignments done in 5 minutes. I feel that most photo degrees are somewhat of a joke most are film based still.

How did you get into the business?

Funny story, the first camera I bought was a Canon Elan 7e. I got it because it was 5 frames a second so I thought I would shoot a ton of skiing. That was over 6 years ago. I didn’t really get into shooting skiing until last spring.

What was your first paid gig?

First paid ski related gig was some shots of Willie Borm.

When did you realize you loved shooting on snow?

I realized I loved it when I stopped caring about being a sponsored skier.

What is your favorite picture/video you’ve taken?

Thats a really hard question. There are a couple shots of Austin Torvinen that I really like.

Can you describe your style? Hard light, soft light, fisheye, etc.

I wouldn’t say I stick with one style in terms of lighting. I tend to use longer lenses though I find wide shots are a bit played out most of the time.

Most fun/interesting people to shoot?

I love working with Hornbeck when he is in town. Super nice guy and kills it like no other. Willie Borm is a blast to shoot with. He is only 12 but absolutely kills it. Also Asian Allen, he is emo, but still fun to shoot with. Lastly Austin Torvinen, highly skilled, highly underrated. Watch out for his super unknown its going to blow minds.

What do you shoot in the off season?

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a career in action sports photography? shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. You don’t need the latest and greatest cameras and lenses to take awesome photos. Cameras are tools, it’s the photographer that makes the photo. Also (I am guilty of this as well) get off the computer and go shoot! There are tons of sites with photo info out there stop spending all your time reading about photography get out there and do it.

Favorite format, camera, lens?

I still love film but don’t shoot much of it at all. I have a Holga that I have been taking with me on urban shoots, getting more lifestyle shots with it. Favorite lens would be either the Canon 85 1.8 or the 70-200f/4. The 70-200 in the film days people didn’t like because it was “too sharp” which is a great “problem” if you ask me.

What’s in your bag?

Holy cow, ok here we go:

Bodies:

Canon 5d

Canon 7d

canon elan 7e(sometimes)

Holga

Lenses:

17-40L f/4

70-200L f/4

50mm f/1.8

85 f/1.8

Lighting:

Alien Bee 800

Canon 540ez

Canon 580ex

Nikon SB-80

4 Pocket wizard plusII

gels

8.5″ and 11″ reflectors for the Bee

tons of cords,memory cards and other odds and ends

What was your first camera?

I got an orange plastic 110 ninja turtles camera from my cousins when I was 6 I would like to say. It had a little screen thing with Donatello in the corner so every photo had him in it. I had my dad cut the screen out. I think I still have it somewhere.

Favorite place to shoot?

Minnesota has tons of sweet urban so I would have to say its my favorite.

Your scariest shoot?

We were going to shoot a fence gap but had to wait because someone’s dog tried to attack us. We ended up calling the cops to have them take the dog away.

Your funniest shoot?

Funniest would have to be with Austin Torvinen. He was having issues on a couple tricks that day. After a while I started to give him lil’ pep talks, each time I did he would drop in and stomp his trick. The pep talks even worked with our generator that decided it didn’t want to work that night.

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Make Copies of the Infringement
If you think that the use is likely an infringement, make copies of it – both in electronic and print forms. Once the infringer realizes that she is caught, she will do what she can to get rid of the evidence of the infringement. You may need that evidence later.

Make Sure That the Use Is an Infringement
Not all uses of your photographs are infringements. Do you use a licensing agency that may have authorized the use? Could the user be related to an entity to which you authorized the use? Is the use a fair use? While only a court can ultimately decide what fair use is, the law gives us guidelines as to what may qualify and an attorney can help you with the analysis.  You also may check Stanford’s Copyright and Fair Use website for explanation and examples.  While some uses by newspapers are fair use, others are not.  The NPPA reports on a case where CBS’ use of Christopher Fitzgerald’s photo was not fair use.

Research the Infringer
Next, find out what you can about the infringer. Research the infringer’s website to find his name and contact information. If the infringer is a corporation based in the United States, you can find information about it on the website of the Secretary of State for the state where the infringer is based.  You also may be able to find a contact name by searching the website’s “who is” information.

Option #1 – Do Nothing
Now that you’ve documented the infringement and have some information about the infringer, you always have the option of doing nothing. If the infringer is in a foreign country where infringements are rampant and difficult to enforce or is a small website with little traffic, you may decide that it’s not worth your time and effort to fight the infringement.

Option # 2 – Request a Photo Credit
If the website would provide a marketing outlet for you, you may only want the infringer to give you proper credit. If so, write the infringer a letter officially giving her the right to use the image. Be sure to designate the parameters of that use and include the condition that the infringer post a photo credit with a copyright notice on or adjacent to the use. You may also require the infringer to add a link to your website.

Option #3 – Prepare a DMCA Take-Down Notice
Pursuant to the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (”DMCA”) enacted in 1998, the Internet Service Provider (”ISP”) that hosts a website is not liable for transmitting information that infringes a copyright only if the ISP removes the infringing materials from a user’s website after receiving proper notice of the violation. The notice must: be in writing, be signed by the copyright owner or the owner’s agent, identify the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed (or list of infringements from the same site) and identify the material that is infringing the work. Additionally, the notice must include the complaining party’s contact information, a statement that the complaint is made in “good faith,” and a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information contained in the notification is accurate and that the complainer has the right to proceed (because he is the copyright owner or agent). Use this great tool to stop an infringer whose ISP is in the U.S. from using your work.

Option #4 – Prepare a Cease and Desist/Demand Letter Yourself
When you don’t want to alienate the infringer (the infringer is a potential client and/or appears to be an innocent infringer), you may want to contact the infringer to explain that the use is not authorized and either request payment of an appropriate license fee, a photo credit with a link to your website (as discussed above), or that the infringer cease use of the image. It’s best to do this in writing – a letter by surface mail seems to have more clout than email correspondence.
Photographers sometimes send an infringer an invoice for three times their normal license fee in an attempt to resolve the infringement issue. While the 3x fee may be an industry standard and some courts have used it, is not a legal right given by any court of law or statute. Instead, U.S. law states that you are entitled to actual or statutory damages for infringement as provided by 17 U.S.C. Chapter 5, specifically section 504. The damages that you can receive from infringement – especially if you timely register your photographs – sometimes can amount to a lot more than three times your normal license fee.

There are some risks in sending the letter yourself. First, the infringer may attempt to preempt an infringement lawsuit and file a request for declaratory judgment that the use is authorized. This may involve you in a legal action for which you may need legal counsel in a jurisdiction (court location) where you don’t want to litigate. Second, your demand for payment may be admissible against you if an infringement case is filed. If you demand too little, then it may limit your ultimate recovery. To avoid this possibility, include in your demand letter that “these discussions and offer to settle are an attempt to compromise this dispute.”

Option #5 – Hire a Lawyer to Send a Demand Letter
When an attorney gets involved, the matter is escalated and tensions rise. While the infringer may be more defensive, the weight of your demand letter is dramatically increased if it comes from an attorney and the infringer generally takes the matter more seriously. Some attorneys charge a flat fee to send a letter; others may charge a “contingency fee” which is based on the percentage of recovery. Or the fee may be a combination of both.

Option #6 – File a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Your most aggressive option is to pursue your legal remedies by filing suit. Unless you created the work outside of the United States and in a country that is a signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, you must register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, hopefully before but at least after the infringement. (If you created the photo in a country that is a signatory to the Berne Convention, you do not have to register in the U.S. to protect your copyright or to file an infringement lawsuit in the U.S. However, if you do, then you may be entitled to statutory damages and attorneys’ fees.) If your photo was not timely registered for this infringement, you may want to register the photo for future possible infringements, as well, to be eligible for statutory damages of up to $150,000 per willful infringing use for each photograph. See 17 USC Section 504(b) and (c). Legal fees and costs also may be recovered from the infringer. See 17 USC Section 505.

In most jurisdictions you need to have received your registration certificate to file a complaint. Unless you have a breach of contract or some other state claim, you must file your infringement claim in a federal district court. To file suit, it is best to hire an attorney to help you because the legal procedures are complicated. Note that you have three years from the date of infringement to sue for copyright infringement.

When a photo is not registered with the U.S. Copyright Office prior to the infringement (or within three months of the first publication of the photo), a copyright owner may recover only “actual damages” for the infringement (pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 504 (b)), instead of statutory damages. Courts usually calculate actual damages based on your normal license fees and/or industry standard licensing fees.

Additional Claims
While many photographers place “watermarks” including their name and/or their copyright notice on their images or in the metadata of the file to prevent someone from infringing them, it’s fairly easy to crop or clone over the mark, or to remove metadata. Fortunately, the DMCA section of the Copyright Act provides a remedy in addition to the infringement claim when the infringer removes your CMI to hide the infringement.

Additionally, when you can prove that the infringement was done willfully, then you are entitled to enhanced statutory damages. “Willfulness” means that the infringer either had actual knowledge that it was infringing the owner’s copyrights or acted in reckless disregard of those rights. Evidence that the infringed works bore prominent copyright notices supports a finding of willfulness.

What You Can Do to Best Protect Your Images
To be eligible for maximum damages for copyright infringement and violation of your DMCA rights, put your copyright notice on each page of your website and put your copyright notice on or at least adjacent to each photo as well as in the metadata of your files.  Further, register your photos with the U.S. Copyright Office so that you will be eligible for statutory damages. It’s also important to put all of your licenses in writing, even if by email, and make the license contingent on payment of your invoice in full.

Where to Get Help
Legal help is expensive, but there are alternatives.  First, an attorney is more likely to be willing to help you on a contingency basis (for a share in the recovery) when you are eligible for statutory damages.  So be sure to register your copyrights timely.  Some photography organizations provide legal assistance, as well, with educational materials and/or personal assistance.

As mentioned, the Online Media Legal Network is an option.  In addition, most states have Volunteer Lawyers and/or Accountants for the Arts (”VLA” )organizations. As in New York, they serve “low-income artists and nonprofit arts organizations. VLA’s many other programs are more widely available to the entire arts community.”  Each VLA organization provides a variety of services, such as a lawyer referral service, free legal clinics, mediation and arbitration, wills drafting, and a speaker program in Georgia. St. Louis’ VLA’s website provides a list of helpful publications and other great links, including other states’ VLAs.  Find a VLA near you by searching on the Internet for “Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts” and your state. Some VLAs, such as those in Kansas City and Massachusetts also provide accounting services.

Also check with photographers in your area for recommendations for who they use.  Since infringements have increased, more photographers have retained legal assistance.

__________________________________________
NOTE: The information provided here is for educational purposes only. If you have legal concerns or need legal advice, be sure to consult with an attorney.

Copyright Carolyn E. Wright, Esq.
All Rights Reserved

Special thanks to Carolyn Wright for writing this. Make sure to check out her website for more information. www.photoattorney.com

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Chip Kalback is an up and coming photographer in the ski and snowboard industry. Even if you haven’t heard of him before but you will in the future. He has a great shooting style and always keeps things fresh. Plus he’s always a pleasure to talk to.

Where do you reside?

Denver, Colorado

Where do you shoot?

This ski season I will be shooting in a number of spots throughout Colorado, Utah, and California. And Ohio.

How old were you when you first started shooting?

I was around 19 and started shooting when a friend of a friend approached me about shooting an AFI concert because he knew I was a big fan of their music. Long before blogging was a household term, he had started a website about music in Cleveland; show reviews, upcoming events, photo’s, etc. I had to rent a big Sony Mavica camera from the Kent State University library since I didn’t have my own yet, and it shot on to 3.5” floppy disks. The shots from the concert were awful but I remember how excited I was to be able to take shots of something I loved. I’d say that random opportunity to shoot that concert got the ball rolling. Thanks Joel! Before that, photography was a hobby and a skill I was always very envious of other people having.

What or who inspires you?

I’d say a little bit of everything. Music is really important to me. Both through playing drums for the past 18 years as well as just finding new music and also constantly digging through my older stuff. I actually have a Pennywise LiveStrong style wrist band around my telephoto lens for that exact reason; if I’m ever frustrated or just not stoked on how I’m shooting, it’s there to remind me of my goals. I love listening to stuff while I’m shooting too, and I’ve found that various styles of music can really affect how I shoot something.

I also pay alot of attention to street wear brands and their lookbook’s they put out each season. In my opinion 10.Deep puts out some of the most well thought out and clever lookbook’s in the street wear industry.

As far as who inspires me in the snow industry, some of my favorite photographers include Chris O’Connell, Erik Seo, Jay Michelfelder, Mattias Fredriksson, Cole Barash, and Grant Gunderson. Outside of snow, I really like John Keatley’s work, Dan Winters’ stuff is insane, and Tim Kemple’s work is really sick as well.

What sparked your passion to shoot?

I can’t really put my finger on any one thing that made me say “this is what I want to do for the rest of my life”. The challenge of bringing people into how I see the world through how I shoot just gets more and more exciting to me. The more I learn, the more I realize I’ve got lots more to learn.

Do you have any formal schooling?

I really wish I did but as far as photography goes I’ve just taught myself and listened to what others have told me. Looking back, I wish I had taken photo class in High School, but at that time I was heavily involved in music and being on drumline in our 300+ person school band. After High School I went to Kent State University in Ohio and got my Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management based on my love of skiing and my interest in all things ski industry related. My ‘schooling‘ when it comes to photography consists of asking questions (thank you Seo!), spending countless hours on my computer reading photo blogs, studying portfolios, watching tutorial videos, etc. I’ve often wondered if my lack of education in photography is a good thing or a bad thing, because I don’t always know if I’m doing what’s “correct” or not.

How did you get into the business?

I don’t know, I’m still trying to get in! As far as who really gave me my first big opportunity, my friends Kyle Decker and Tyler Morant get all the credit. Let me back track a bit..

Kyle works with Level 1 Productions now, but he and I and our whole crew of friends started skiing together around 2000-2001 back home in Ohio on 200 vertical foot hills by the name of Boston Mills/Brandywine ski “resorts”. Around that time he started bringing his video camera out to the hill and filming us, because he thought he’d make his first ski movie, named Re-Edit.

Fast forward to 2006 when Kyle was filming for Rage Films at the time. He was doing a spring shoot at Winter Park and knew I was getting more and more into shooting skiing and snowboarding, so he asked me if I wanted to come up and shoot for a couple days with them, which I jumped at the opportunity to do. The only problem.. I had no camera. My Nikon Coolpix 4300 I had been shooting concerts with for the previous 5 years wasn’t going to cut it, so my friend Tyler hooked up his Nikon DSLR for the weekend in exchange for a 6 pack of beer. That was my first time ever using a DSLR, let alone on snow with various pro skiers as my subject. Looking back on that shoot, I’m confident I looked like a huge jackass, between getting in Erik Seo’s way, shooting in various Auto modes, missing shots of this “up and comer” from Pennsylvania by the name of Tom Wallisch… and numerous other instances. However, I had a blast and actually sold a photo from my first park shoot ever to Bern helmets of Ashley Battersby, which was used in their catalog that year. That was my first introduction to what it was like to shoot at a closed park shoot with incredible athletes, and it wouldn’t have happened if Kyle Decker hadn’t invited me along and Tyler Morant hadn’t loaned me his camera that weekend, so a BIG thanks to those guys!

When did you realize you loved shooting on snow?

I’m not sure it was one specific instance really as much as it has just grown over time. Obviously when you combine the fun of taking a photo with the act of skiing, anyone would love doing that. Getting to do it over and over in new places with very talented people only fuels how much I love to show people the skier/snowboarder lifestyle.

What is your favorite picture/video you’ve taken?

The first shot that came to mind when I read this question was a shot I got of Tanner Hall immediately following his SuperPipe win at the 2008 X Games. As usual it was Dumont vs. Tanner, and the excitement in the air of who would win was thick. Tanner went on to win the event but as soon as the judges announced his winning score, some people started boo’ing unhappy with the final scores, and I think a few snowballs were thrown. I snapped a shot of Tanner as he was conversing about the results from the event. He just has kind of a somewhat disappointed look to him in the photo, and I like it so much because it was the complete opposite of the extremely passionate and excited Tanner we’re so used to usually seeing. I felt like it was a very honest moment I was able to catch.

Can you describe your style? Hard light, soft light, fisheye, etc.

I’m not sure I can actually. I think my shooting and any semblance of my ‘own’ style are still very much in their infancy. Sometimes I shoot something a certain way and think it’s really sharp, then come back to those photos a while later and think they look pretty bad. Sometimes the opposite happens. I really like clean looking shots, be it action, lifestyle or otherwise. I feel like sometimes people have so much going on in their shots that the viewer loses focus or never even gets what the photographer was trying to convey in their shot. That being said, I like when shots make you think a little bit, like what was going through that person’s head at that time, or where they’re coming from or where they’re going. It really depends on what I’m shooting though. I wouldn’t shoot a park feature the same style I’d shoot a concert in, etc.

What do you shoot in the off season?

In the off season I shoot a lot of concerts of the bands I love. I live about 10 minutes away from Red Rocks Amphitheatre and they consistently get awesome shows there from about May through October. Last summer alone I shot Snoop, 311, Slightly Stoopid, Lee Perry, Ziggy Marley, and Rock The Bells there to name a few. It’s a great venue to shoot at and also just a really cool spot to see a concert in general.

Aside from music I also shoot other action sports like mountain biking and a little skate stuff. I shot a rally car event that Travis Pastrana and Ken Block raced in this past fall which was really cool. I also shoot various things for Jiberish Clothing and I’d like to get more into shooting streetwear and fashion related stuff down the road. I shot my first wedding this past fall as well, which was very stressful to shoot alone, but it was fun and I got some shots I was pretty pleased with.

I really enjoy skimboarding as well and I’d love to have the chance to shoot it sometime. Most people know about Laguna Beach, CA from Mtv, but it’s actually the mecca of skimboarding and there is some crazy amounts of talent out there. That, coupled with the beautiful landscape and the fact that I wouldn’t be giving myself frostbite while shooting, are two of the many reasons why I’d love to get out to the beaches there again this summer.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a career in action sports photography?

Don’t trade your shots for product. Ask questions. Get used to hearing lots of ‘No thanks’. Don’t ask a photographer what their exposure settings are. Find your own angle, don’t steal someone else’s. Buy an external hard drive for routine backup’s. Lose the attitude, there’s always someone who is better than you. Say thanks. Say please. Be respectful of those who’ve been doing it longer, better, smarter, and more creative than you have. Be respectful of those who are just getting started. Do your homework. Parking lot attendant’s can be bribed with just about anything. If you get caught, play stupid and use the word sir, often. Remember your batteries. No one will see your work if you don’t put it in front of them. Take your vitamins. Private “industry parties” aren’t that cool. Event security are nothing more than grownup hall monitors. Get your camera sensor cleaned. Be honest. If someone is at a spot first, it’s their spot, don’t poach. Shake hands. No one likes a suck up, be genuine or leave the pro athlete/photographer/videographer alone. Learn from your mistakes. Get a second opinion. Learn to take criticism. Use an Apple. It doesn’t matter how much you paid for your camera gear if you have no idea how to use it. Nature Valley granola bars are your friend. Don’t give up, stay hungry. Baggy ski pants are cool, until you have to carry around 50+ lbs. of camera gear. If someone likes your shot enough to the point that they want to use it for something, they can PAY FOR IT. A nice camera doesn’t mean much if you’re using a crappy lens. Buying a Holga from Urban Outfitters doesn’t make you artsy or different. Camera equipment insurance, think about it. No one cares how much you drank last night if you’re too hungover to shoot the next day. Function over style. Simple, easy to read business cards. Simple, easy to navigate website. Hestra gloves are the warmest gloves you can buy, period. An air mattress can make any floor feel just a little bit better. Don’t show up empty handed when you spend the night at someone’s place. Always shooting on burst mode is kind of lame. Craigslist. Mi Zuppa. Talk less and do more. Give props when props are due. And probably the best tip I can think of.. have fun.

What’s in your bag?

In my bag I’ve got a Canon 5DmkII and a 40D for my backup body. My lenses consist of a Canon 70-200 f/4L IS, a Canon 50 f/1.8, a Canon 17-40 f/4L, and a Sigma 15 f/2.8 EX DG fish. I have a few PocketWizard Plus II remotes to trigger a Canon 580EX flash, and two AlienBee’s B400 strobes which are powered by a Vagabond II power unit. I’ve used AlienBee’s/Paul C. Buff strobes, power units, and light stands since I first got into off camera flash and have been nothing but 100% stoked on their build quality, ease of use, and their customer service. Aside from that stuff, I have an assortment of CF cards, various cables, extra batteries, some Starbursts, a Gary Fong lightsphere, some cough drops, a Leatherman tool, zip tie’s, a headlamp, Gorillapod, power strip, and some other stuff. All of that is carried in or on the outside of my F-Stop Satori bag with room to spare.

What was your first camera?

My first camera was a neon green film camera, the kind that were really flat and wide from the 80’s. I wish I could remember the brand, and I’m not sure if I even have it still, but I loved it. The next camera I got was a Nikon Coolpix 4300. I shot concerts with that for 5 years and I used to get lots of weird looks from the other photographers there shooting… camera envy I’m sure. Following that, once I started to borrow my friends cameras on a routine basis and my parents saw that I was serious and committed to learning more about photography, they helped me purchase my first DSLR body which was a Canon 40D. I shot with that and loved it for the past 3 years until this September when I was able to get a Canon 5DmkII which I love!

What was your favorite trip ever?

Last year I went down to Wolf Creek, CO to shoot Mike Hornbeck, Johnny Lipzker, and Mark Rauschenberger. It was just a day trip but we had a blast, and it was one of my best days of the season last year. Wolf Creek is an awesome place to ski and shoot. There are no stupid fake villages, Starbucks, or otherwise. Tickets are very reasonably priced, no one cares what you’re wearing, and you feel like you have the place to yourself no matter where on the mountain you are. We got down there midweek on a bluebird day just after some snow had hit. We ended up skiing literally until the lifts closed, and we were finding untouched steep powder merely a short skate off the main lift. Ski patrol there were really nice and told us about a spot guaranteed to be untouched at 2 in the afternoon. We shot there for a little bit, which produced a shot of Mark Rauschenberger that was just used in the new Hestra 2010-2011 product catalog.

Favorite place to shoot?

Anywhere in the spring. Warmer temps, longer days, and better colors, the spring is my favorite time to shoot skiing regardless of where I am. Typically if I feel like trying out a new idea or some new gear I just go to Keystone. Their park is amazing, the general vibe there is always good, and there’s always someone I know out riding.

Your scariest shoot?

This story is not scary in a frightening way, but scary in a ‘can’t believe I pulled it off’ kind of way. I was staying up in the mountains for the weekend but had to come down to Boulder that Friday night for my then girlfriend’s Crocs Christmas party. I knew I’d be coming right back up the following morning so I just left all of my photo gear at my friends place because surely I wouldn’t need my photo stuff for a Christmas party. So after attending this party and enjoying some holiday cocktails, I get a text from my friend Ben around 1 A.M. asking me if I’d like to shoot a snowboarder doing a huge bomb drop the following morning. Without thinking I replied “YES!”, when I remembered I had left all of my camera gear almost two hours away, because surely I wouldn’t need my stuff.. So after a few frantic phone calls and various rash decisions about what I should do, I arrive at my friend Ben’s house around 2 A.M. just as a party at his house is wrapping up and I go over the Olympus body he’s going to loan me so I can shoot this bomb drop. I pick it up and head back to said ex-girlfriend’s for about 2 hours of sleep, which is followed by an alarm at 4:30 in the morning to wake up and go meet the athlete I’m shooting. With all of my camera gear I also left all of my outerwear up in the mountains because surely I wouldn’t need any of my stuff for just one night.. So I show up to the gas station we’re supposed to meet at wearing the same dress clothes I was wearing a few hours ago at the party. A thin dress coat, thin dress socks, some slacks and a button down. And green Vans slip-on’s. The athlete I was shooting was nice enough to loan me a down jacket I could wear, but that didn’t change the foot of snow covering the football field I had to walk through to shoot. The sun starts to come up and after a few hesitations the snowboarder sends it off the roof of the school we were shooting at and I get a few shots. After some more shooting we go our separate ways, and I come home to upload and edit what will later turn into a full page ad that ran in numerous issues of Transworld Snowboarding and other North American magazines. Definitely the craziest circumstances I’ve experienced thus far but it all worked out in the end and I got the shot I was going for.

Don’t forget to tell Chip what you think. Leave a comment below!

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Where do you reside?
Vancouver, BC

Where do you shoot?
Anywhere. I take some kind of camera pretty much everywhere.

How old were you when you first started shooting?
Probably 15 or 16? I was in high school and took a photography class and really liked it.

What or who inspires you?
I get inspiration just from seeing things. I’ll see something interesting and just start thinking about how I would make an image of it. As far as other photographers, specifically skiing, I like Chris O’Connell’s photography a lot, or really anyone who was in Freeze magazine regularly, because that was pretty much my only source for skiing info and photography for a while when I was younger.

What is the most moving picture/video you remember?
I don’t think I can name a specific one. Lots of images and movies are moving in their own way.

What sparked your passion to shoot?
I had a lot of fun doing it. It wasn’t anything more than that when I started.

Do you have any formal schooling?
Not in photography, haha. I’m about to graduate university with a B.Sc. in Environmental Chemistry though.

How did you get into the business?
Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m “in the business”. I don’t think I’ve ever made money off of my skiing photography. I actually get paid for my painting, I do the graphics for ON3P skis, and photography is something I do for myself.

When did you realize you loved shooting on snow?
Well, I’ve loved skiing ever since I can remember. So when I started to get interested in photography, it naturally followed that I’d start shooting on the snow!

What is your favorite picture/video you’ve taken?
Skiing – A photo of my friend Eliel Hindert doing a handdrag through pristine pow on top of Mt. Seymour here in BC. Non-skiing – A portrait I took of a gentleman named Garfield on the street in Vancouver.

Can you describe your style? Hard light, soft light, fisheye, etc.
I like shooting skiing with a pretty wide lens (Sigma 10-20mm), and available light. I don’t have anything against off-camera lighting, I’m just not good at it (yet)! I would say that my photos are representational and non-stylized…I try to capture what’s going on and what it looks like without any exaggeration or distortion.

What do you shoot in the off season?
I like shooting in the city. I have a bag that attaches to my bike that’s just the right size for carrying some camera stuff, so I just bike around and shoot whatever I see.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a career in action sports photography?
Practice as much as possible. Try to emulate shots you like of all different styles, just to learn how they’re done. And make friends with good athletes!

Favorite format, camera, lens?
Haha…I kind of have a problem with camera equipment. I have way too much…DSLR, digital point & shoot, film SLR, 35mm rangefinder, medium format rangefinder, medium format 6×6, medium format 6×7, medium format TLR, etc. I just see good deals on craigslist or ebay or what-have-you and can’t pass it up! The two cameras I use the most are my Canon EOS 10D and my Mamiya RB67. I really prefer the look of film over digital, but I usually shoot skiing digital, because it’s just a lot more practical.

What’s in your bag?
Mamiya RB67, 90mm f/3.8 lens, with 6×7, 6×4.5, and Polaroid backs, and Porta 160 (VC and NC) and Ilford HP5+ film. Or, if I’m carrying my digital stuff, EOS 10D, 50mm f/1.8, Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6, and Vivitar 285hv’s with cheap Cactus V4 triggers if I am shooting flashes.

What was your first camera?
My parents’ film SLR (a Rebel X I think it was) was the first camera I used. The first I actually owned was my 10D. I got it when it had just come out, and I’m still shooting on it. I really should upgrade, I just have never had the cash. Oh well.

What was your favorite trip ever?
Hmm…Probably spring in Mammoth two years ago. I was staying with some friends and just skiing and taking pictures every day. It was a lot of fun, I love spring park shredding. I’m gonna do it again this year hopefully.

Favorite place to shoot?
I like shooting in really nicely groomed parks, like the black park at Whistler/Blackcomb, or in the BC, just hanging out with friends. I can’t think of one specific place.

Your scariest shoot?
I do a lot of street and documentary photography in the rougher neighborhoods of Vancouver…I’ve been in some situations – threatened, yelled at, attempted robbery (I was on my bike so I got away), etc.

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