SUP (Stand-up paddleboarding) is one of the fastest growing sports on the water and this shoot proved to be a lot of fun.  Which shot is your favorite?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on the shoot.

–Scott

Double backflips have been done on man-made wooden ramps, dirt jump tracks and foam pits, but never in a natural environment. The jump was out in the desert, on a ridge exposed to the wind, with a bumpy, off-camber in-run to a quick, tricky takeoff and a steep, slippery landing. It wasn’t an ideal situation and the consequences were high. He could easily get injured in the attempt.

Every one knew this was a one shot deal, and if he pulled it off there would be no second attempt. We couldn’t miss the shot. There were two angles I really liked, so to get them both, I put a second camera (Nikon D3) with a fisheye lens on a tripod close to the jump with a PocketWizard Plus III attached to it and set myself in the other location 200-plus yards away with another Plus III unit on my main camera, a Nikon D3S. I set them both on transceive (TxRx mode), Channel 1 and fired away as Paul hit the jump, getting shots from both angles at the same time.

I put the second camera behind a wooden Teva sign under the jump to keep it inconspicuous for the video crew. To be sure there was no interference from the sign or anything else around the camera, I put the Plus III on the ground with the antenna pointed on a line of sight to my shooting position, connected to the camera with a standard Nikon/PocketWizard cord about 18 inches long.

There were some tense moments and a few crashes, including one hard impact the first day which gave Paul a minor concussion. We thought it was over at that point, but Paul came back the next day with renewed energy. After a few practice jumps and one minor crash, he nailed a massive double back flip, landing perfectly and riding away on a partially broken frame. It was an incredible shoot, and an inspiring moment to witness another big step forward in the never-ending progression in the sport of mountain biking.

– Scott

Thanks to PocketWizard for contributing to this post.

The first annual Shoot LA event last weekend at Smashbox Studios in West Hollywood was a huge success for Bron Imaging and Hasselblad. It was so popular that the line to get in stretched around the block, and crowds exceeded capacity within the first hour. At that point the fire marshall shut the doors and no one could go in or out for a couple of hours while the crowds thinned out. It was like trying to get into the hottest club in town. To keep everyone happy, the Bron/Hasselblad crew put together some impromptu lighting and shooting demos outside in the parking lots while people waited.

Meanwhile, inside the studio a series of seminars, workshops and live fashion demos were going on, covering many aspects of lighting, photography and the photo business. My workshop, “Lighting for Action”, was last on the schedule in Studio 1, and I was excited to see almost every seat filled. The crowd was really receptive as I went through the basics of incorporating strobes into action sports photography.

The highlight was the live action lighting demo I put on at the end with Norwegian pro skateboarder, Tom Erik Ryen. We were really lucky to find Tom at a local skate shop, and he did an amazing job in the small space we had to work with, jumping high over a wooden box while I snapped his image. Take a look:

It was a great event, and I want to thank Colin King and the people at Bron Imaging and Hasselblad for inviting me to speak. I look forward to doing it again soon.

– Scott

I’m excited to announce my annual Scott Markewitz Photo Workshop in Moab taking place this coming September 28 to October 1, 2012.

“Western Spirit and photographer Scott Markewitz are teaming up to bring you an intensive workshop geared for photographers of all levels who are passionate about mountain biking and the outdoors, and want to expand their photographic knowledge and skills. Participants will learn about all aspects of mountain biking and outdoor photography. In addition to our morning and evening classroom sessions, we will have trail practice photographing professional mountain bikers in action. This will be a fun and exciting experience for everyone that will challenge students creatively, technically and physically.”

“All participants should have a basic understanding of digital photography and be able to mountain bike on moderate trails in a desert environment while carrying their own camera gear. Students are required to bring their own DSLR camera with assorted lenses, a backpack to carry their equipment while riding, a laptop with Photoshop installed (CS2 or higher – it is also recommended to have other image processing software such as Lightroom, Aperture and/or Photo Mechanic), a memory card reader, at least one external hard drive for storage.

The cost for the workshop is $995/person and includes 3 days of photo instruction by Scott Markewitz both on the trail and in a classroom setting, breakfast, lunch and snacks, Western Spirit guides, Western Spirit support vehicle, and professional athletes as models. Mountain bike rentals are available or you are welcome to ship your bike to Western Spirit in advance.”

Click HERE to get more details or visit:

http://westernspirit.com/tripfinder/#!/trips/scott-markewitz-photo-workshop-moab/

Should you have any questions regarding the workshop feel free to either leave a comment below or e-mail me at:

Scott@scottmarkewitz.com — subject: “Photo Workshop Moab“

–Scott

A big Thanks to Western Spirit for contributing to this post!

I had heard stories and seen photos of the incredible winter that was happening in Europe this year, so when I got the call from Salomon to fly over for a shoot in Italy last month, I was more than excited. When we got there, winter had shut off and spring had taken over the Alps. It was warm and sunny, the snow was melting fast, and the forecast projected even warmer temps for the next several days.

Riding up the lifts the first day looking at nearly brown south facing slopes, I wondered how we were going to be able to pull off this shoot and make it look like winter. But, we were surprised to find cold, dry snow on the north faces and large swaths of powder sitting untouched almost a week after the last storm.

Italians ski like they drive, fast and seemingly on the edge of control. Setting up a shot on a groomer was a scary proposition with people flying by way too close for comfort, but as soon as we skied off-piste it was as if we had the mountains to ourselves. It was an amazing contrast, and one of the things I love about skiing in Europe. There are so many areas where the vast majority of skiers stay on the groomed runs, leaving great off-piste powder skiing for days after a storm.

I love skiing and shooting in Europe. No matter what the conditions, there is nowhere else where food, culture, and history are as much a part of the experience as the skiing itself. We had an incredible week with great food, fun times and a really productive shoot. Thanks to Salomon for bringing me over and thanks to the great crew of skiers – Amie Engerbretson, Tyler Ferris, Anne-Sophie Bron, & Julien Henry.

Until next time, Cheers!

–Scott

I’m excited to announce my participation in this years “SHOOT-LA” event, taking place April 28, 2012, at the Smashbox Studio in Los Angeles. This event is going to be a great chance for photographers from every level of experience to gain insights from many top industry professionals and learn about new equipment, techniques, and business strategies. I’m psyched to be able to speak at this premier event and to share my perspectives on lighting and action sports. .

There will a lot of going on, so be sure to register fast and be there early. Speakers like Kawai Matthews, Rob Haggart, Timothy Hogan, Michael Grecco, and many more will take the floor to discuss topics like guerrilla marketing, social media, lighting, fashion, and many more aspects of the business of photography. For more information regarding this awesome event, be sure to visit the SHOOT LA landing page by clicking HERE or see the info below:

See you there!

–Scott

I just returned from an amazing trip to Haines, Alaska with Matchstick Productions and the Mountain Hardwear team – James Heim, Sam Anthamatten, and Michelle Parker. French skier Richard Permin also joined the crew. We arrived in Haines on Feb 19, excited to get out in the mountains after hearing stories all winter about the epic snowfall in Alaska this season. After a couple of days the weather broke and we flew out for our first runs of the trip on a clear, cold day with our pilot Jay Quinlan, the former snowmobiler who was featured in many past MSP movies pushing the limits on his sled.

I love Alaska. It’s the best skiing in the world and an incredible place to photograph. I’ve taken many trips to ski and shoot in these amazing mountains, and every trip is just as exciting as the first one. February is early for skiing in Alaska. The days are short and the sun is low, but the light is amazing and there are very few skiers around. We flew 4 out of the 12 days we were there and, except for one other crew, we had the entire range to ourselves. We found great snow, impressive lines, and the skiers stepped it up for some great shots.

It was a fun, memorable and productive trip, and I want to thank Mountain Hardwear and Matchstick Productions for making it happen.

I’ve created a full gallery of some of the behind the scenes taken up at Haines.. see below.

Feel free to leave some comments and let me know which ones you LIKE. You can also visit the full album, “Haines, AK – Behind the Scenes“, on my Facebook page.

– Scott

Check out the latest feature article from Ski Journal (issue 5.4): Ski Journal | Issue 5.4 | Scott Markewitz

It’s always great to have the incredible author and long-time friend, Leslie Anthony, write about some of my work and happenings. In the latest Ski Journal (issue 5.4), Leslie highlights a few of my beginnings as a professional photographer, past projects, and current pursuits. I’ve attached a PDF of the article here: Ski Journal | Issue 5.4 | Scott Markewitz
or you can check it out on Ski Journal’s website here: Ski Journal

Let me know what you think and please feel free to leave any comments, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoy!

Coming in 1st PLACE: Photo #9 (701 Votes)

Photo taken by Andrew Joseph. 1st Place Prize: Dakine Mission Photo Pack + Sun Sniper Pro camera strap

Coming in 2nd PLACE: Photo #17 (649 Votes)

Photo taken by Bridget Hunter. 2nd Place Prize: Dakine Mission Photo Pack

Coming in 3rd PLACE: Photo #5 (278 Votes)

Photo taken by Alan Lemire. 3rd Place Prize: 2 Snowbird lift passes and 2 VIP Cliff Spa access cards

Coming in 4th PLACE: Photo #7 (271 Votes)

Photo taken by Andrew Joseph. 4th Place Prize: Sun Sniper Pro camera strap (no over-ride)

Coming in 5th PLACE: Photo #19 (248 Votes)

Photo taken by Dan Finn. 5th Place Prize: Sun Sniper Pro camera strap

I would also like to throw out a huge thanks to all of the professional skiers/snowboarders that contributed to this workshop: (respective by photo)

1st – Tyler Peterson
2nd – Kalen Thorien
3rd – Mark Kogelman
4th – BJ Emery
5th – Natalie Segal

And thanks again for all of those who participated and joined in on all the fun. I will be in touch with all of the winners to arrange for prize disbursement. Be sure to stay tuned for my next photo workshop taking place in Alaska at the end of March.

–Scott

Thank you to all of you how have participated in this years contest. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7TH, 2012 @ 1:30PM. STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS.

And special thanks to all that participated in the workshop this year. I feel that it was one of the best workshops yet and it was amazing to have worked with all of the participants that came. Below is a short video that sums up this years Scott Markewitz Photo Workshop hosted at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. Enjoy!

Thanks to Royce Taylor (Generocreative) for producing and filming this video.