Winter 2015

NEWSLETTER

All images ©2015 AdamBarkerPhotography. No usage without authorized consent.

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Hello Friends!

After a long and extended hiatus, we’re back and better than ever with a shiny new newsletter from ABP. These fancy duds are jam-packed with the latest and greatest from my world behind the lens: behind the scenes, photog-raphy tricks and tips, gear reviews, how-to’s, destination profiles and so much more. This is your new quarterly one-stop shop for all things imagery, inspiration and insight related.

It’s been a weird winter here in the West (can we even call it that anymore???) With temps climbing into the 60s here in the Salt Lake Valley, it’s felt more like Sprinter (think about it) than anything else. Winter shooting has been a chal-lenge, but the human race is an exceptionally fickle and adaptable machine. Fat skis were replaced with road bikes much earlier than anticipated, and t-shirts won the warm weather battle.

In this issue, we highlight Torres del Paine National Park. A wild and remote part of the world that demands preparation and respect, but gives amply in awe-inspiring vistas and truly unforgettable recreational opportunities.

For those photographers not averse to cold weather and challenging expo-sures, I’ve broken down how to shoot backlit ski imagery in our how-to section.

Are you a skier, snowboarder or mountain lover? If so, grab your favorite hot beverage and cozy up to our photo essay showcasing the flavor of life in and around Whistler Blackcomb Resort. “We Are Family” touches on the heart and soul of why we yearn to live, work and play in the mountains.

Finally, gearheads rejoice! Enjoy a review of my favorite backcountry apparel combo from Arcteryx--the Lithic Comp jacket and pants.

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Raised amongst Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, internationally acclaimed photographer Adam Barker has a passion for photography matched only by his zest for life. Known for bold landscape and active lifestyle imagery, his love affair with exceptional imagery

has translated into stirring editorial work for Fitness, Men’s Journal, Outside, Outdoor Photog-rapher, Skiing, Ski, Powder, Flyfish Journal, USA Today, Mountain Magazine and many more publications. He has drawn praise for his teaching style at workshops both domestic and abroad, and has drawn similar accord for his instructional DVDs. Barker has produced im-agery for a varied array of commercial clients including Panasonic, Manfrotto, Vestergaard Frandsen, Deutsche Grammophon, Volkswagen of America, Deer Valley Resort and many more. When not shooting, Barker can be found spending time with his wife and three sons, or “product testing” in the mountains, on the river, or wherever else nature happens to call.

ADAM BARKERwww.adambarkerphotography.comadam@adambarkerphotography.com801.550.9141

destination spotlight

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WILD! If I had to sum up this South American gem in one word, it would be exactly that. Despite the lodges, token 5-star hotels sprinkled here and there, and mod-erately primitive infrastructure, this national park still feels “out there” in every sense of the phrase.

Torres del Paine, or “Paine” as its affectionaly referred to by locals, offers up a cornucopia of recreational and photographic opportunities. Encompassing moun-tains, glaciers, lakes and rivers, the park is located some 200 miles north of Punta Arenas, Chile. For those familiar, picture Grand Teton National Park on South American steroids, and you might begin to fathom the enormity and vastness of this corner of the world.

Pictured here is the Cordillera del Paine (the center-piece of the park) and Rio Serrano--a powerful, glacial-ly fed river that holds a bounty of Silver and King Salm-on, in addition to trophy sea-run brown trout.

I was fortunate to spend a number of days in the park in early 2014 and I experienced the full gamut of weather and shooting conditions within that time peri-od. Wind is a constant in TDP. The day after this image was captured, I summited a benign peak after a rela-tively mild 3-mile hike. Within five minutes of summiting, I was buffetted with hurricane force winds topping out at 105 mph. It was, to say the least, harrowing.

For those that are able to withstand its fickle weather tendencies, however, there is ample reward. Miles of hiking and backpacking trails await the adventurous, and (as seen here), this region offers the committed angler an exceptional fishing experience.

GETTING THERE: Easiest airport is Punta Arenas. Expect a 4-hr drive to Puerto Natales, and then another 2 hrs on the road from there. There are numerous lodging options in the park, from DIY camping to full-on 5-star hotels. http://www.torresdelpaine.com

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

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When shooting an image like this, I pay extra close attention to the highlights (brightest parts) of the image. When I weigh the importance of where I want detail in the frame, it is most import-ant to have accurate color and detail in the snow and sunset. It is far less important to have detail in the skier as I really just want to accentuate his shape. Note: it is far easier for the camera to capture both highlight/shadow detail in winter images, as the dynamic range is far less due to the light reflected by the snow.

Shooting directly into the sun can wreak havoc with your cam-era’s auto focus system. Whenever possible, I always pre-focus on the spot where I anticipate the climactic action to occur. This may or may not have to be super exact depending on what lens/focal length/aperture you are shooting at. I shot this image with a Can-on 8-15mm fisheye lens (infinity focus starts at just 3 feet).

Pre-Focus

Expose for the highlights

How To: Shoot a Backlit Ski Image

If you want to freeze action and render the moment tack sharp, you must be acutely aware of the shut-ter speeds at which you’re shooting. Generally speaking, I don’t recom-mend shooting cross-camera (action crossing the focal plane) any less than 1/1000th sec (unless you are panning WITH the subject). If the sub-ject is moving towards or away from the camera, it’s possible to get away with a slower shutter speed.

Fast Shutter Speed

Tech SpecsSkier: Marcus CastonLocation: Whistler/Blackcomb ResortCamera: Canon EOS 1DXLens: Canon 8-15mm Fisheye f/4LSettings: 1/2000 sec. @ f/6.3 ISO 1000

In January of this year, I was invited to compete in the Arc’teryx Deep Winter Photo Challenge held at Whistler Blackcomb Resort. Upon arrival, I soon discovered that the “challenge” aspect of this competition was no joke--conditions were some of the toughest I’ve ever photographed and we struggled to find soft, workable snow. Regardless, I (along with my team of stellar athletes) was committed to creating a cohe-sive body of work that touched on the heart and soul of what snowsports enthusiasts share in common: a singular drive to live, work and play in the mountains. I hope you enjoy this small edit from that story. Visit this link to see my entire slideshow from the contest!

PHOTOESSAY: We Are Family

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ABP MVP: Arct’eryx LIthic Comp Jacket & Pants

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past umpteen years, you’re likely familiar with Arc’teryx outerwear.

In the interest of full disclosure, you must know that Arc’teryx is my outerwear spon-sor. There are, however, countless larger-than-life outdoor super heroes far more accomplished than I that use and endorse Arc’teryx product as well. Like, for exam-ple...Greg Hill. Never heard of him? Oh, well, ya know, he’s just the guy that was named one of the Top 25 Fittest Guys in the World for climbing and skiing 2 million feet in a year. He has permanent residence on the pain train, and he doesn’t even feel it anymore. Yes. If it’s good enough for Greg Hill, it’s good enough for all of us.

Now! Onto the goods. Skipping the crazy tech terms that all but the most elite gear geeks understand, the

Lithic Comp series was designed for back-country enthusiasts that want the ultimate in breathability and weight savings, while leaving nothing wanting in performance and protection from the elements.

Differing from some of the brand’s more classic pieces, the fabric in the lithic comp line is soft and supple. It

moves with you, and, thanks to the rocket scientists at Arc HQ, it works FOR you. Wind-proof, breathable GORE fabric is placed in areas where weather protection is most prudent (think front, shoulders, top of the arms, seat, cuffs, etc.). In areas less prone

to the effects of precipitation (and where breathability and stretch take priority), a proprietary Trusaro softshell material is used (underarms, back, behind the legs).

Both the jacket and pants are designed with maximal utility and minimal waste in mind. Pit zips were skipped in favor of

oversize mesh-lined hand pockets that also function well for dumping excess heat. The pants feature adustable/removable sus-penders, side vents and a low bib design-that “aids breathability” on the up and keeps snow out on the down.

My take? I found this combo to be the most functional and comfort-able backcountry-centric jacket

and pant I’ve used to date. It seems like Arc’teryx truly adopted a very strategic “less is more” strategy here, and it works ex-ceptionally well.

As one would expect with the back-country slant, they are a bit tighter fitting than what I’m accustomed to,

though the fabric is so stretchy and comfy that it doesn’t seem to translate into any re-striction (you just need to get in touch with your inner euro steez). Additionally, I would love to have another zippered pocket on the left leg--seems like us photographer types always need another nook to give a warm welcome to that stray lens cap! Jack-et and pants sell for $450.00 and $375.00 re-spectively. www.arcteryx.com

“If it’s good enough for Greg Hill, it’s good enough for all of us”

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Plus• Bomber construction and quality per what we’ve

come to expect from Arc’teryx• Exceptional breathability for high-output pursuits• Weatherproof protection without sacrificing com-

fort • No excess

Minus• A little on the tighter side for my taste• Would love an additional zippered pocket on the

pants• May be a bit high-priced for the budget conscious

(but still worth every penny!)

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