Author: robshaer

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Today’s Archive Image: Brooklyn’s Fort Reno Provisions 2012


Any photographer I can think of will agree the diversity of the work is one of the reasons why we stick to it. It is the people we meet, work with and feature in our work. It is compelling subject matter and it is the explorations of our passions. I’ve been lucky, I’ve traveled extensively over the years for clients near and far and last January I had the rare opportunity to produce some content for a good friend in New York who had, with partners, opened a new restaurant in an old neighbourhood in Brooklyn. I’ve long since posted a gallery but in revisiting the work recently I decided I wanted to share another look with you.

If you know me, you know food and drink are among my great passions and in keeping with that, it was a great pleasure to work with people and a staff who hold both in such high regard.

 

You can see more images and more of Fort Reno Provisions here: Fort Reno Provisions

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Get Out There Magazine Cover

Time flies. If it weren’t for the reminders I would say that it was impossible that my last post was in August. As the winter rain settles into the Vancouver skyline I was drawn back to my photos from Crankworx this past summer. What an amazing week and a tremendous opportunity for very intensive shooting. During a conversation a couple of weeks ago with my photography colleagues from CreativeMornings/Vancouver we talked as photographers do and in the process I was asked about a previous position that I held for almost five years. While that job feels like it is from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I remember it being a tremendous learning experience, just as my first internship was. What set these experiences apart from others was how intensive they were, how high the bar was set for production, delivery and quality. It was hard work but it was possible to see improvements almost daily and certainly weekly. If you are at school or starting out the best advice I can give is to shoot daily. There are far more elements to being a photographer than most of us will let on to, client care, business development, insurance, incorporation et cetera, et cetera. But to see your craft develop is to shoot as much and as often as you can. Be deliberate in choosing your subjects and photograph your passions. Be passionate about your content.

The time between Crankworx and now has gone by in a blur, some disappointments and some successes and some great clips found in the Whistler Question, Pique News Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, The Georgia Straight and the cover of Get Out There Magazine’s Western Canada Winter 2012/2013 issue (above). You wouldn’t know it by the frequency of my posts but there have been some interesting and touching shoots for the UBC Department of Midwifery and portrait clients and I am happy to say that I also have a new position. The photo above was shot last February at Whistler’s Olympic Park during the Yeti Snowshoe Race Series. Since then I have signed on as Photographer and Photography Manager for 5 Peaks Adventures who manages the Yeti Snowshoe Series, 5 Peaks Trail Running Series, Meet Your Maker Ultra Marathon and others. We are three events into our year and I can’t wait to get on snowshoes early in 2013 for the Yeti.

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Events: 2012 Crankworx – Redbull Joyride

A few more from last night’s Redbull Joyride at Crankworx. It feels like it’s been a pretty long week, but we are back at it for one more day. Last night was the crown jewel of Crankworx, it’s the big money event and the winner, Thomas Genon, suggested that he might buy an ‘ippy van’ with with $25,000 prize money when he gets back to Belgium. Clearly I have no fear in dating myself, but I can remember summers in Whistler being pretty quiet, those summers have long since passed; 25,000 people watched yesterday’s event, which has to rival almost any winter event held in Whistler barring the 2010 Games. The scene on the ground in Skier’s Plaza was only eclipsed by the scene in the air above us. With high winds and broken clouds athletes were pushing 60 foot airs and dipping deep into their bag of tricks. It has occurred to me that it isn’t that these athletes pull these stunts, it is the casual way in which they appear to approach them. For Genon and others there must be some pretty serious things going through their heads as they prepare to hit ramps and drops with blind landings, but as a spectator it can be a little bewildering to see riders hit jump after jump after jump holding little back. I’ve always understood that it’s more than just talent or nerve, or um, Prairie Oysters; as young as they are, Genon and his competitors are professional athletes and their evaluation of a stunt goes far beyond how we might consider a line, trail or obstacle. Today is the Canadian Open Down Hill, time to grab a coffee and clean my lenses.

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Events: 2012 Crankworx – Giant Dual Slalom

Three hits from last night at the Giant Dual Slalom from Crankworx. Despite the serious glass fest that is Crankworx (lots of photographers) it’s a pretty good crowd, at least among the professionals. Everyone is pretty respectful of each other’s sight lines and is happy to share a few words between the moments of frenzied movement when a rider appears on course or sets up a trick. I’m new to this world, though I have shot road cycling, and some mountain biking, I am the slightly aging, soft around the middle rookie but I am pretty excited to be on the mountain and I’m pretty happy with the work that I’ve been coming home with at the end of each day. It actually feels a lot like the summer I interned; it’s been getting easier each day to get out of bed in the morning in anticipation of the day ahead. Today is Cheese Rolling and Slope Style. I have to draw up a wedding contract, make coffee and get back to the village before all the free spots in lots 4 & 5 are taken. Cheers!

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Events: 2012 Crankworx Teva Best Trick II

 

Enjoying the quiet in Whistler this morning with a cup of coffee while I pull a few ad photos for a client. I couldn’t resist post a couple more images from yesterday’s Teva Best Trick contest at Crankworx. Though it remains true what I wrote last night about the work of others, I am pretty happy with some of the shots I made, not bad for a rookie.

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Events: 2012 Crankworx Teva Best Trick

It was so tough to pick one image of the 30 or so edits from today’s Teva Best Trick event at Crankworx but I hope you’ll like this one and that it will keep you interested in coming back and ultimately interested in my post event Crankworx gallery. This is one of those events in which the photographers outnumber the competitors, and today it felt like 3-1, the RedBull Joyride event this weekend is sure to be a glass fest. It is interesting to see so many pros in one place, everyone seeking out their unique vantage point, but ultimately turning their lenses to the same subject. One of the most interesting experiences I have had in photography is how different photographers see and approach the same subject. It hits me every time I look at the work of others who have been at the same event as I have. This is one of those things that makes photography so compelling but also humbling. It can be difficult to look at the work of others and see so clearly the elements of my own work that needs something more.

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Events: 2012 Crankworx

The seeds were planted months ago. I wanted to come to Whistler to shoot as much of the 2012 Crankworx as I was able. I missed the first few days, but there are some pretty gnarly events left to come and I am excited to be here. I am a volunteer. If you’ve read previous posts you might know that I do that, I volunteer for events but rarely as photographer. Photography is my profession, or has been, and I am working at bringing photography back to my primary source of income, it’s about half right now, which isn’t bad for a photographer who has retired a couple of times. Along with photography, I have a great love for cycling and if you’ve read my blog before you might also know that. I volunteered for Crankworx because I want to create some portfolio quality mountain biking images and after tonight, at the Deep Summer Photo Challenge, I can tell you that not all portfolios are created equal.

It was humbling, to say the least, to see the quality of images and slide shows shot and edited in three days. There isn’t a month of Sunday’s in which I could do the same. That said mountain bike photography is relatively new to me and I don’t spend the time in the mountains that I did when I was young. I don’t mean to demean the work that I do, only to elevate the work of tonight’s presenting photographers. Simply, tonight’s photographers shot the kind of work that first made me interested in photography. You should have a look.

This is what Bike Magazine had to say about Reuben Krabbe’s winning slide show; actually, they were a bit speechless. Have a look:

http://www.bikemag.com/news/reuben-krabbe-wins-deep-summer-photo-challenge/

 

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Events: 2012 Crankworx

It was a bit of a late start this morning after yesterday’s late night, especially in my cold medication-induced haze. I must be the only person in Whistler with a pocket full of Halls and Tylenol Cold & Flu medication. I spent a couple hours today shooting at the Pump Track in Olympic Plaza where riders were getting in a training session before the full competition later this week.

More pictures from Crankworx to come.

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Events: 2012 Crankworx

Wow, it’s been a long time since I last posted, but in my defense, I’ve been super busy with both business and personal travel; but excitedly I can say that I am now in Whistler to spend several days shooting Crankworx, the largest Mountain Bike event of it’s kind in the world. I arrived late last night and spent too much of the morning just getting myself sorted, there have been some amazing images coming out of the Whip Competition today and I think I am going to find myself challenged to keep up with some of the work being produced.

Early this afternoon I did a course tour with Redbull of the Joy Ride course and I can safely say that to most, it is simply shocking, just wait till you see pics at the end of the week. I did manage to snap a couple frames before the tour and this is my favourite. A sweet little drop over looking the patio at the Garibaldi Lift Co. Can’t wait for more!