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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