proud to see first descents and america’s most eligible bachelor (according to cosmo magazine) brad ludden getting some attention today in USA Today. fantastic work brad + his group do for cancer patients – get involved if you haven’t. and thanks to colin at giant noise for putting it together in mere minutes.

one of the most beneficial though least talked about skills that really shows a measure of a visually involved person is the ability to edit work. and by far the toughest part of that job is editing one’s own work.

this is not a skill that can easily be taught or absorbed but rather is refined over time. there are no hard and fast rules but you will notice guidelines and trends the more you do it. as your self editing skills are tied directly to the work you pursue you won’t see a rise in one without the other. and as you are the one producing and editing the work it is far too often a conflict of interests as your story, or more precisely, the story of the image is drawn into your conscience by merely seeing the work.

after i moved back to the states 10 years ago i had a bulk of slides to sort through but as much of my work was then unpublished my editing had no direction. it took me years to find a market that i felt passionate about and then learn what that field needed and didn’t have. the eye is a funny tool that definitely ages well with time.

this is another reason that i’m an advocate of keeping ALL your work around, personal and otherwise, as you never know when you’ll be reviewing old jobs and find that gem. i’ve done this numerous times and only miss the thousands of slides i jettisoned during that cross pacific move a decade ago.

in case you’re wondering what brought this thought about, i was reflecting on an image (below) that i have in the exposure section of outside magazine this month. though i truly am attracted to that moment in time it leaves me wondering about another ski image that is similar but has remained unlicensed. they both are winter shots, both feature at least one person skinning uphill, both are in stunning landscapes + both are even in canada. why is it that one is more marketable than the other? i have always considered the ‘lesser valued’ image (above) one of all time favorites. is it the work involved, the backstory that creates that personal bond? does that bond affect your editing? does photography require us to remain uninvolved with our subjects to portray them fairly?

if you ever get a chance to sit down with an accomplished pe let me know what they say.

Took me at least 10 minutes to get to the office this am – the sidewalks were icy and I was walking. Had to head down valley to find a few parts I needed recently. Couldn’t shoot a few weeks ago as an Arctic front moved in and the temps dropped way below zero (both c & f).

Gotham it’s not. But working as a location photographer some distance from anything of standard metro value really suits me. Aside from the obvious choices for quality of life, family, space and a ginormous spectrum of recreation the people and pace make a difference.

The way the blogs roll these days it’s hard to not to hear about everything that’s happening. Sure, I know folks that don’t have an email address but it’s for the right reason and suits the lifestyle just fine. My Mac tech on the other hand has an iphone, two old school cell phones and a server farm that registers a noticeable percentage of energy consumption on the local grid.

But I’m down with these discrepancies and I know I’m not the only one. As my office is booking regional and national accounts for the year it always amazes me who chooses to look beyond the options in front of them and who doesn’t. I’m thankful for each client that I get to establish a relationship with but I don’t think they have it too bad either if they get to come visit the Rockies for a week.

With everything from cajun to sushi and amenities that cater to those with means beyond most of us the possibilities for a damn good time are endless (as long as you don’t stay for more than a week). Location wise there the opps are endless – a national park, a lake larger than any freshwater west of the Mississippi, ski resorts, wilderness, Native American communities, vast fields, mountains, and more.

And the thing that ties it together and always brings the greatest of color into my shoots are the people. It’s amazing how rock solid people still are. Access to almost anything here in the northern Rockies is a simple polite question away.

My point is, look around. It’s way too way too easy to get caught up in the latest fads and the current homogenous mindset. It’s common sense to be in touch and up on the latest but that shouldn’t be at the expense of what’s right in front of you. After all, the real adventure consists not of seeing new sights but in seeing the sights around you with new eyes.

“Make visible that, which without you, would never have been seen.”

Robert Bresson

Seems obvious that war photographers are by far those that sustain the most frequent and severe injuries among us. The work that they do is unparalleled in terms of risk and exposure. That is only confirmed with the frequency, particularly these conflicted days, that the media brings to light stories on wounded or missing journalists. I applaud everyone that makes that work happen day in and day out.

Though not in that realm myself, I’ve always considered myself lucky for the very few ‘penalties’ I’ve received from the work and lifestyle I pursue. And this despite the fact that I’ve never been good at believing without attempting. You look at mountain bikers, skiers, ultra runners, climbers and almost any athlete chasing a dream and see some of the worst things imaginable done to the human body (and I’m not talking steroids). It’s amazing that with all the shooters out there hanging off cliffs, standing near hurtling objects and general following Capa’s advice that there aren’t more incidents. Working in this arena has always left me cautious but yet rarely hesitant to dive into whatever’s at hand.

That was all questioned this week with the latest handy work on my knee. There’s not much I don’t consider when putting together an image but the examples below are perhaps evidence that we all need to take stock of risk sometimes. Get insurance, build your savings and eat your spinach.

Now.

On assignment for European magazines at Selkirk Mtn Lodge, BC, Canada (with four days left).

Leeches after multiple days in Taman Negra National Park, Malaysia.