Rarely does Bellingham get snow, but when it does, people have a field day. The multitude of grassy slopes around town are transformed into sledding, skiing, snowboard, snow kayaking, and whatever-other-surface-you-can-shred-snow-with hills. I thoroughly enjoy how much people embrace the snow when it comes. Instead of people hunkering inside, many people are out building snowmen, hurling snowballs at each other and frolicking in the uncommon phenomena.
I was one of the many who chose to enjoy the snow while it lasted. I got out with two of my good friends Claire and Virginia to an overlook down by the water. The red of their jackets made for amazing contrast against the bleak scenery.
Snow in Bellingham means something else too. Urban. There are an incredible amount of perfect rails in this town, and when the snow comes, so do the shredders. I got out with a big group of buddies to do some urban skiing. It was my first time working with flashes which was a very interesting experience. I am very glad that I had my friend/fellow photojournalist Danny Miller there to walk me through the process.
We started shooting at the art rail on campus, right across from Carver Gym. I was just starting to get the lighting dialed in when we were shut down by the campus police. Kevin Curran and Buddy Chapman already had another spot in mind, so we packed up our gear and drove down to the next location. Upon arrival the lip was already made, so I just needed to set up the camera gear.
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| Thanks Brooke for helping with the exposure! |
Working with flashes is not easy, but it is a lot of fun. You have to get your exposure correct, place them in the right position, make sure they are turned on (they turn off due to inactivity), make sure your transmitters and receivers are working and the list goes on. That being said, I was very pleased with how a few of my photos turned out. The first one I took ended up being my favorite.
All in all it was great learning experience. I can safely say that I now know a lot more about flashes but still have sooooo much to learn. The shoot opened my eyes as to how flash photography can give you the means to make photos in otherwise unsuitable situations. It has inspired me to buy flashes and the works!
