Inspiration in the form of technology

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes, sports, and personalities. A video like this personally helps me re light the creative fire. For some it inspirational, for others its crap. Take it as you like.

Click here to ride the wave

Fan Photo Friday

A few weeks ago I had submitted a photo to norco bikes for a contest held every friday. This was selected for the front page of the website

Image details
Canon 5d Mark ii
Canon 16-35 2.8 ii
ISO 400 f/2.8 138 second exposure

Dayton Clothing Company Hat Photo Shoot

A few days ago I did a product shoot for local badass clothing designer Alex Dayton. His brand Dayton Clothing Co was launched in 2008 and evolving with each new line.

Tools for the shoot:
Canon 5d Mark ii
Canon 24-105 f/4 lens
(3) Pocket Wizard Plus ii's
(2)Alien Bee 1600's
1 bogen super clamp
1 Manfrotto light table

I placed one alien bee clamped to a chair under the semi clear mafrotto plastic light table and one light at a 45degree angle to illuminate the rest of the hat and to also blow out the back ground. Clear masking tape was used to make a jig so each hat would be uniform in the photograph.

To order one click here

Toy Soldier Productions Tee Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago I was contacted to shoot photos for the new Toy Soldier Productions Tee shirts. After some location scouting I choose an area called the Story Mill. It's an old mill that is no longer in use but it's extremely iconic to the area. I knew I wanted to shoot at night but the original setting was on a red brick wall. It was a game time decision to move 20ft around the corner to the white brick wall. Overall I think the images turned out great. It was a tough shoot because of the amount of people that showed up and it was tough to move around.

Here's a link to the video edited by the best editor in Bozeman, Andy Hahn.

Industrial Cotton from Toy Soldier Productions on Vimeo.

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Industrial Cotton from Toy Soldier Productions on Vimeo.

images can be seen here.

cheers, Ryan

Polarmax Ad Campaign

Well I skipped class today because music appreciation 101 really isn't my thing. I did however receive a phone call from Donny, an art director at Polarmax. This company specializes in technical base layer clothing. The photo is going to be used in 30+ stores nationally for display racks and for posters. I'll upload the final poster as soon as it gets sent to me.

cheers, Ryan

www.polarmax.com

Toy Soldier Productions Photo Shoot DVD cover

The fall has been extremely busy but there's no complaints. I've never seen my image replicated so many times until the Toy Soldier Production dvd's came in. It's nice to see a seasons worth of work paying off.

www.toysoldierproductions.com

www.ryankirkphotography.com

Red Bull Rampage

10 Tips to photographing an event: Red Bull Rampage

Launched in 2001 and held annually through 2004, Red Bull Rampage brought the creative, unrestricted ethos of freeride mountain biking to the contest arena while staying true to the sport's core ideals. Poised on a sandstone ridge in the brutal landscape near Virgin, Utah riders were free to chose whatever line they dared between an established start gate and the finish line 1,500 vertical feet below. Exactly what happened between those two points has become legendary.

1.Dirt: If your worried about your camera and everything you own being covered in dirt,don’t show up.

2. Credentials: Unlimited access is key to composing images. Contact your local magazine or know someone who knows someone. Free lunch is provided with the press pass.

3. See Tip 1.

4. Business Cards: Everyone from publishers to team managers are on hand and the event. Exposure is everything.

5. Clothing: With highs of 103 degrees is obvious to wear shorts and a t shirt. Yet wearing the same outfit for the entire 4 days of photographing makes you more recognizable to riders and other photographers that you meet during the event.

6.Pre-Visualize: There are thousands of ways to photograph the numerous lines and features. Pick your areas and produce quality not quantity.

7. Equipment: Two cameras are key. The remote camera is locked onto the tripod with the wide angle lens and can be triggered by pocket wizards. The main body varied from the 100-400 and the 24-105.

8. Luck: Somehow randomly meet a writer for the biggest European bike magazine and have him be stoked to run your images.

9. Sell aka Luck #2: Submit images to the magazines and get paid for the time. It’s important to review the submission guidelines prior to submission.

10. Individuality: Don’t be concerned about what the other photographers are doing. It’s impossible for someone to duplicate your style.

www.redbullrampage.com

-ryan

Freehubmag.com Behind the Lenz article

Hello again world. I was contacted a few days ago by the guys over at freehubmagazine regarding a new segment they're starting up called behind the lenz. I learn best from articles like this because it is a way for me to pick other photographers brains. Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way and continues to help me.

Here's a link to the post here!

If you haven't already been to Borders or Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy of the printed coffee style copy of FreeHubMag I strongly suggest it.

Thanks again FreeHub and now go out and shoot photos!

-Ryan

Sneak Peak

After finally digging thru the thousands of images and picking out the bangers for submission I came across a shot that makes me want to ride. It's a shot of Brandon Watts (editor and pilot of freehubmag) on a wall ride feature in Moab, Utah. The amount of vert involved is pretty awesome and the amount of blowing sand into my eyes, mouth and camera gear during this shot is equally impressive. Be sure to check out freehubmag.com in the next week or so when they launch their next web issue!!

cheers

Toy Soldier Productions Photo Shoot-Cooke City

The idea sounded perfect after a few drinks and a quick confirmation on weather from mother nature for the following day. The plan was to leave at 4am to get to Cooke City at 7am to meet up with Shane Stalling(Aka the boss) and his buddies to show us around. I was joined by skier Cody Perin and Toy Soldier Productions filmer Justin Brodin and we set off. If you ever get a chance to drive thru Yellowstone National Park, take advantage of the amazing scenery and seeing wildlife up close. When I say up close I mean we almost hit a few hundred between driving there and back.

Without killing bambi we met Shane's crew at the Super 8 and he began doubling everyone back there. The sled in was around 6 miles and I about puked every 100 yards from the festivites of the night before.

The jump had already been built the day before by Shane and Tyrel so we just showed up and it was on. Phil knocked his shoulder out on the biggest air of the day. It sucks it was first hit but at least he overshot everyone by double digits. Cody was dialed on landing his dub 7 but sent it a bit deep on the attempt and ripped the toe peace off the ski and split it in half.

Winter not over yet!

Happy Shooting

Toy Soldier Productions

Toy Soldier Productions Photo Shoot

Every once and a while it's nice to have a stress free product photo shoot involving attractive people and fresh tall Tee's. With the studio to ourselves we got to work. Actual shooting took less than half an hour and another half an hour or so for set up and break down. Side note (professional models make the world of difference, thanks Megan!)

to order a shirt follow this link right here...

toy soldier productions feature film, Come Find Us will be release in the fall of 2010. Trailer Here!

Keep Shooting No Matter The Conditions

I just got finished with photographing with freehubmag on a 2500 mile ten day road trip. After adding it all up I shot 3,002 photos. The card full warning on the camera was common theme. Here's a photo of Josh on the top of Slickrock in Moab, Utah. Note: The wind was gusting to 80mph. Keep shooting no matter the conditions.

Sea Otter Classic Day 1

I arrived in San Fran on Wednesday evening and got picked up by Brandon and Josh from Freehub Mag. The chevy cargo van must weigh in at 30 tons because its full of 5 bikes, thousands of magazines, and a few cases PBR. Can't forget that. We ended up camping in a strawberry field off highway 1 that night due to overpriced Cali hostels and hotels. Who wants to pay $40 to do the same thing at a camp ground. INSIDER SECRET: The KOA camp ground off high way 1 just North of the Santa Cruz state line is da bomb. It's a mix between a private golf course club house and a camp ground. It's loaded with saunas,outdoor private showers, and electricity! After freshening up, thank you KOA, we headed to Sea Otter Classic in Monterey and set up the booth. The booth spot is right across from the SRAM guys and on the perfect corner. You really couldn't ask for a better spot. I managed to shoot a few photos with the little battery that I had of the dual slalom qualifiers. No Pro's tho. Freehub got the invite to the private SRAM product release party. AKA Pros, Beautiful California ladies and one of the best dinners that i've had in a while(salmon). Enough said there. And free beer. Thanks SRAM you throw a hell of a party.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Cheers

Sea Otter Classic

Hoping on a plane in a few hours to go photographic at the Sea Otter Classic in Cali with freehubmag.com

Photos will be posted tomorrow for day 1 of the event!

F stop gear review

After months of searching I came across a company that produces adventure photography specific packs. www.fstopgear.com. F stop packs are built and designed to handle the limits of nature and the traveling photographer. I've had a few months to test this pack and I haven't been steered wrong.

-Our award winning all around backpack. The perfect choice to carry your gear to a shoot or out to the slopes. Ideal for short trips or just around town with your full setup.
-Comes with Large ICU – (7.5” Deep x 11” Wide x 15” Tall). All Mountain Series backpacks work with all ICU’s so you can use the correct ICU for the trip. Smaller ICU for less camera gear and more other stuff, or an extra ICU for all Camera gear.
-Molle attachment points work with every piece from our Dakota Component System and the internationally standardized Molle System.
-Internal padded Laptop Sleeve fits most 15” laptop.
-Rip Stop nylon and high density foam make this backpack a workhorse that stands up to abuse.
-Full sized hip belt, padded shoulder straps, and adjustable sternum strap allow you to carry heavy loads easier.
-Numerous, Large external pockets and straps fit tripod, snow shovel, snowboard, skis, and almost anything else you want to carry.

Fstop gear is always striving for input on their products which helps their products evolve into the very best. If your in need of a mid-sized camera pack, look no further then the Tilopa. If your in need of taking every battery, flash, and multiple camera boddies with you on the shoot go with the slightly larger Satori pack. So go ahead and part with your fathers 1992 Lowel Pro Bag and pick up an Fstop pack. Now get out and photograph!


Click here to see all their packs

New Site

New Site is launched...

New Blog

The Ryan Kirk Photography site should be done very very soon.

Cheers World