Returning to skiing after a 23 month injury-waiting-surgery-recovery has been a really joyful experience. To keep myself from going stir crazy over the past two years I’ve been delicately managing my relationship with the winter season; doing everything I can to be around the sport and culture by shooting urban, going to Freshtival, and religiously watching great winter content online. However, at the same time I’ve consciously made an effort to avoid imagining and visualizing myself skiing: it was just too painful to see it in my mind’s eye, while being unable to actually ski.

The last week has i’ve been doing the gypsy transient skier thing; living in a van, hopping resorts, bagging turns, and making images. If you aren’t following me on twitter you might not have known, other than the absence of blogging. Over the last week I’ve found myself on couches and in parking lots in Revelstoke, Abbotsford (to ski at Mt. Baker), Victoria, and finally Whistler before a night drive back to home, warmth, and a real mattress in Calgary.

Other than a single day skiing some impressively deep snow in Fernie, this trip was my triumphant return to the winter wonderland we have the privilege to engage in and play with. Suiting I found myself living a bit of a ski bum dream; chasing snow around the province, embracing mother nature’s chilly side, and most of all sharing the experience with great passionate people.

For any culture to develop vibrantly there are some key ingredients; the activity and ideas people identify with, the environment within which they interact, and the people themselves. We’ve all heard and talked to much about the sport we call ours, and the mountains we get to play among, but for me on this trip it was the people who made the impression. Passionate people.
All the Writers, Photographers, Skiers, and Snowboarders, and that guy who sent the burly line. -Of course there was the one snowboarder taking his perceived superiority too seriously as he hurled obscenities at me, but he’ll always be there so stop worrying about him.- Thank you to everyone in our sport, for your dedication to the people, environment, progression and movement. This trip, every trip, and every day I have the opportunity to share with you is a privilege.

Around this time the general populace of the city I call home has been moaning and groaning for several months, summer is gone, and the cold chill of winter has set in. For being Canadians who will boast about the cold weather they’ve lasted through, many really don’t endorse the snowy season in the way I, and many of my friends do; cherishing the sweet silence of winter and exploring the world of opportunities it opens up.

So here, for you, oh weak frail Canadian. From warmer times, happier days, and better seasons: remember with me those idealized days of summer on boats under the sun.

Matt after crashing straight to kidneys off a huge Raily

Several months ago I was contacted by Ian (below) from the Aidrie based band To Die For. They were looking for some new promo images, but didn’t really know what type. The key point was that the group really had to be different; something you don’t see every day. On some projects you can look around for inspiration; finding some feature in other people’s work to generate images with a slightly different approach. But for TDF the main instruction I was given ruled out that type of creative process.
Instead I took a look at the types of images I look forward, think about, and work on the most. They are often quite technical in nature, and take different photographic techniques from different genres of photography. The end result is above: star trail/long exposure shots which are usually done with landscapes married with portraiture.

I also got called in by Fall City Fall, a great Calgary band who I’ve had the pleasure to work with many times before. This time the band gave me almost 100% creative control which was great, however intimidating. You have no idea if they have hidden expectations of any sort, and if you are aligning with what they’re secretly hoping to get. We shot just outside their jam space which backs onto an industrial area of town, the industrial card has been played many times before in band photography. But with a couple tweaks of perspective and lighting the product is a new take on a classic theme.