The Defined Foto - Specialized Shoot

It's invigorating to wake up to the fresh chill of autumn and plan a get away to the mountains or along the trails that take you deep into a place where the world stands still. The outdoors is one of life's greatest gifts. It offers an opportunity to exercise while exploring... a chance to refill the lungs with an antidote that combats the daily grind. But, as much as we need it, as much as I need it, there never seems to be enough time to set my priorities straight. Welcome to my first installment of The Defined Foto as described in my Evolution blog.

I met Lena a few years ago when Annette Milbers Fleck and I held one of our "My Best Body" Shootout events in Calgary. Both Annette and I were impressed with her strong physique yet even more impressed with her positive attitude. What really surprised me was Lena had never touched a weight at this time, and I have since learned that weight training is something she's only really started over the past several months. Her main passion since she was a young girl and now her favorite form of exercise is mountain biking where she has competed in many events including the renown 24 Hours of Adrenalin.

A couple weeks ago, Lena participated in My Best Body 19 in Edmonton at Corey Dalton's SNAP Fitness on Calgary Trail NW. She asked if she could bring a couple props and I said "Sure! Whatever you'd like that is fitting to you". She showed up with a sparkling clean snow-board and her Specialized mountain bike. This was Lena's third Shootout and I could see a new energy and comfort in her posture and expressions. Annette and I took a number of photos of Lena and her bike and that's when the thought of really capturing her spirit in her element began to form.

Over the years, mountain biking was one of my favorite outdoor activities... and should be again at some point... as I really could use some fun yet intense exercising. Seeing Lena's excitement at the opportunity to shoot while doing some trail riding was contagious. It was the second best thing to riding myself, so we planned an afternoon shoot that would allow the temperature to reach something more comfortable than the zero degrees we have been feeling in the mornings here in Alberta.

I chose a location that was unique and somewhat remote to ensure a quiet trail to set up along. It took a little bit of work to carry a hundred pounds worth of gear but was so well worth it.

There were two things about this shoot that jumped out at me. First, Lena's obvious passion and energy for something she loves to do, and secondly, how much fun it was for me to capture my concepts. I had a few ideas planned as I began the shoot, but as I got into the groove I let myself go with the flow. One idea would lead into the next and after a couple hours of shooting, which often times required a few takes to get the exact shot I envisioned, we had a complete set of shots that shared a story.

The images I have attached here are a few of what we shot and I hope they inspire you to take some time out of your busy schedule and hit the outdoors.

Tip for photographers: Always look at themes your clients are passionate about as it'll give you an opportunity to capture an energy you might not otherwise find.

About the photos: I used a two light portable system that I balanced with the ambient light to create the look and feel I had envisioned. My secondary (back) light was bare-bulb with directional reflector at f8 to f9 and my primary source was into a three foot off white reflecting umbrella at f4.5 to f5.6 at a shutter speed of 1/160, 800 ISO, Flash WB and -3.33 eV. Photo of young Lena provided by Lena.