Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Kidwells Gulley 12/23/2009
The boys had a fun session of slashes & hip transfers. That little gulley offers so much in just a small space. After everyone had thier taste of slashes, we proceeded to pay homage to Kidwell & built up the Quarterpipe for a great session. To be honest, no bangers or covers were made here....just a good time and lots of high fives. The session got even heavier as John Foy, Jason Tackit, Dan Pitbladdo, & Chas Guldemond all shared the gulley and got some as well. the trick of the day seemed to be the backflip as everyone layed one out. find your own roadside distraction & lay one out this holiday season!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
KT-22 Spins for 2009-2010 Season!

The Northern Sierras has been getting pounded with snowfall for the past week. A total of 73 inches has fallen at Squaw Valley USA. After countless hours of snow removal for the past week, I finally decided it was time to take advantage of my new Squaw Valley season pass. Like many other opportunistic individuals, I took advantage of the early season season pass offered by Squaw this summer for the low $369.00 price tag. This pass was just too good a deal to pass up as regular all day adult lift tickets carry the price tag of $83.00! Do the simple math right there & the purchase of the pass pays for itself in just 4 all day tickets.
Many phone calls were made in the morning asking team riders where they were planning to ride. I was able to rally Brendon Drury and Alex Horgan to the cause. Brendon arrived 1st and had to settle his pass situation and I couldn't wait so I decided to do a hot lap up Red dog while he worked his mojo with the pass office. Brendon for sure was blowing it. It really didn't matter at that point as the KT chair was not yet confirmed to open. I did have a feeling it was going to happen as I was on the Red Dog Chair i noticed for a brief minute the KT chair started to churn for a second and I heard a few "hoots" off in the distance. Really?! Could this be happening?! After my quick run down the Dog, I met up with Drury and we bro'd down heavy as the rumor was confirmed...they we're going to crack KT around noon! We decided to take a few laps on Exhibition as to keep a close eye on the KT situation. At 10:30 am, there was a small pack of people already waiting to get the goods on KT. However not enough, to justify us waiting while the day was beautiful and sunny so we decided to take a few more laps. In hindsight there was no regrets with that move, but after just 2 short runs, the like at KT was filling up fast & stacking pretty deep.
Alex finally showed up & it was time to stand in line & get ready. Everywhere you looked you saw smiles from ear to ear in anticipation of he 1st true Pow run of the season. Not to mention it was about to take place on the famed KT, with blue skies on a beautiful mid December day. The thing I love about standing in line on the 1st official Pow day is all the familiar faces you see in line. Old friends that you haven't seen in a while always make it out on days like that. Former PortersTahoe employees Chris Doyle & Alex were in the line up as we caught up on current events. Our Norther California 32 & Airblaster sales rep Eric Wallis was in the lineup as well and as excited and stoked as can be. The Chair finally cracked & it was game on!
Once again, if its on, IT"S ON!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Powerful Photo Essay
http://www.dayswithmyfather.com/
Karen & Trent
The Lake Tahoe Basin has a lot to offer the outdoor enthusiast. Biking and hiking in the summer, to Skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Tahoe is truly a majestic place that draws people to it's beauty. This last summer, a friend referred Karen & Trent of my photographic services as they were looking for someone to document their wedding in a style they saw fit to capture their wedding day. Being outdoor enthusiasts, they ended up being a perfect match! Trent served for a few years on Ski Patrol at the north shore ski resorts and was very familiar with the area living up here in Tahoe years previous. They chose the Lodge at Tahoe Donner as their venue & stayed at the Cedar House in historical Truckee, CA. The Lodge at Tahoe Donner is home to a signature golf course that is recognized for having the best greens in the Tahoe Region. The Cedar House is a hotel that "explores our need to connect to nature, emphasizing in its design a harmony that is sympathetic to the human body, mind and spirit." If you have a dog, this hotel is for you!
Bear Valley Wedding
Choosing wedding venues can be tough at times and quite a task. For those of you who want a wedding venue that is very private without a lot of glitz & glam and stays true to the outdoors, look into having a wedding at the Bear Valley Lodge. This summer I shot a very intimate wedding there for Brooke & Ryan. The valley holds a place in their hearts as they traveled all the way from Portland, OR to get married at the place where their family has owned a cabin there for over 30 years. The setting for their ceremony took place at Alpine Lake which has great vistas nestled within the pine trees and granite. The reception took place at the modest Bear Valley Lodge. The Lodge has minimal amenities and may be a perfect setting for those who are budget minded. If you can get past the dated decor, this may be the setting you're looking for. DIY couples could take advantage of this location as Brooke & Ryan did, as they took the responsibility of doing their own decorations, centerpieces, & cupcake wedding cake. Bear Valley has a miniature Lake Tahoe feel if you will and can offer a great alpine feel. This location is home to many skiers & snowboarders who seek a winter getaway from Central California.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Playdate Shred!

It has been a great summer of shooting weddings for me this year and I hope next summer is just as successful. Winter has arrived and it is time to switch my shooting mode. Summer sure was fun, but it's time to get suited up and start getting into winter mode as the snowboarding season is just around the corner. We've had a few early storms that have hit Tahoe, just enough to get some early season snowboarding. I've taken a few laps already on the hill at Squaw Valley USA and Boreal Mountain resort. The riding hasn't been anything to go crazy over, but just enough to get the stoke up and do some snow dances.
During this early time of year, the minimal snow coverage allows just enough snow for some early season stunts. I was invited by a handful of snowboarders to come shoot their on snow antics. This group of guys ride year round and travel all over the country in search of satisfying their snow cravings. Nick Visconti, Brandon Cocard, Johnny Lazzareschi, Silver Severino & more were all in attendance making the most of the Squaw Valley Park. The park is not made for these types of antics, mainly used as a children's playground during more ideal weather conditions. But hey, big kids can play too right. Here's a little photo essay of what went down.
Enjoy!
ericasistinphoto.com
PortersTahoe.com
easyloungin.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Erica & Gabriel
Abby & George Revisited
Amnda & Brad
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Abby & George

Last weekend I had the pleasure of shooting at a beautiful location in Genoa, NV. The Orchard House is a wonderful venue for weddings and events. It's nestled in the the Northeastern Sierra Nevada's just south of Carson City. We almost had a situation on our hands as the rain settled in right after the ceremony, but the weather cleared and set us up for great photos. They say that rain is good luck on a wedding day and I feel the Abby and George will have the best of times!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Countdown Begins.
Another child on the way. I cannot describe this feeling in words to anyone that doesn't have kids and for those of you that do already know...all I can say is it really is wonderful! There's a a huge mix of feelings & emotions to see your wife become a beautiful mother. Also, the fact that you're going to be bringing a child into this world. We're super happy about what's to come & wouldn't have it any other way.
All shot with natural window light from both sides of our dining room.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Summer IS here!
Summer is finally here in Lake Tahoe! There's nothing better than to kick it off with a photo shoot with beautiful models. With the help of my trusty assistant Zak Shelhamer, we were able to get these wonderful shots of Melody & Lindsey all in natural light and a simple reflector. The great thing about this shoot was that we packed a bag full of lighting, but never broke it out. Zak and I were forcing ourselves to see the light and use simple tools. I feel the look is genuine and fresh which got me away from trying to overpower the situation with watt seconds. This whole set was shot with the Canon 50 1.4 and Canon 70-200 2.8 IS lens on a Canon Mark II. Comments, critiques & advice welcome.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
BrandonStash-1.jpg
Keep things simple and light....it will make you better. No matter how much gear you bring to a shoot...your eye & mind will make the difference. Yes, I'm a little proud of this one and it feels good. Thanks to all the great tips at Strobist, I think David Hobby's teachings are finally sinking in.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Backcountry snowboarding with snowmobiles
There is nothing better than untracked powder and not another snowboarder in sight. I ventured out on "sleds" snowmobiles into the Northern Sierras with Brandon Cocard & Chris Bosco. About 30 minutes off the trail head, we found a nice little zone to build a kicker. We got stuck plenty of times trying to get out as I was on a borrowed sled from Andy Finch that I have named "Orca", Brandon hit a tree and Bosco found a hole!
It was a great day out there shredding and soaking up the sun...Bosco made sure to get me in on a few laps as I made a few glorious turns. They got their share as well:)!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Zak Shelhamer.
What can I say about Zak? Well, he is a great guy with many talents. He snowboards, shoots photos (acts as my assistant from time to time) and likes to play around with video as well. Here he is sending it off the bridge in complete control. Atta boy Zak!
Eric Willet
I love shooting with new people...and this is one snowboarder to watch out for here in the near future. Eric is from Colorado and an insane snowboarder who has been placing top 10 in this years most major snowboard events. Such as the Dew Tour and The open snowboarding series prented by Burton Snowboards.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
2009 Winter Dew Tour: Northstar at Tahoe Day 1
This is the last stop for the Winter Dew Tour and it couldn't be a much better setting. Northstar at Tahoe is hosting the final event here in our own backyard. Being the last stop, there is a total of 1.5 million bones of prize money being handed out for the winners of all disciplines. Snowboard Slopestyle & Halfpipe as well as Skiing Slopestyle and Halfpipe in both mens and womens divisions. Today My main focus was Mens Snowboard Slopestyle qualifiers as PorterTahoe.com had serious interest in routing it's team riders Chas Guldemond & Brandon Cocard. They both made it in and this is Brandons 1st major final in his rookie year of competition in the professional ranks. Congrats Brandon & Chas! Tomorrow is the finals and we'll be doing a much more in depth post. Zak Shelhamer and myself are covering our snowboard competitors closely and have lots of different footage to put together for you. Instead of waiting for us...get on out to Northstar at Tahoe and see all the action for yourself. Its gonna be a great time!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Storm Clears

It's been snowing for over a week now in Tahoe and the results are phenomenal! There is seriously over 7 ft of new snow on Donner Summit. I headed out today once again with Mike Basich & Andy Finch for some bluebird powder snowboarding. The drive up was unbelievable on Historic Old 40 as the sun, clouds, sky & mountains made a beautiful setting for our day of adventure. In the process, we ran into local photog Dalton Paley and ski bum Skogen Sprang. We all rode together and got some great photos.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Valentines Day Wedding


We got more new snow in the Sierras and it sure did create a great backdrop for a Valentines day wedding. Tanya & Chad got married in South Lake Tahoe at the very popular Regan Beach. The heavy snow subsided for a few hours just in time for their special day. Thanks you two for being a joy to work with.
ericasistinphoto.com
Monday, February 2, 2009
US Grand Prix of Snowboarding: Boreal Mountain Resort
The blue sky was awesome, and in order to enhance that, I decided to play with a CTO tungsten gel over my flash head and set the WB on my camera to tungsten. The tungsten setting is much cooler and is around 3200 K which is equivalent to your ordinary household lightbulb. Mixing these elements together, I was able to get some real saturated blues in the sky. It's fun to experiment and try new things.
On Sunday, the boardercross took place and I got myself into a more traditional sports shooting mode in order to document all the high speed action.
I love the fact that I can go out and work on these aspects of my craft and just try to engage in new things....working with top notch athletes doesn't hurt as well!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Nate Holland at Boreal Grand Prix
Nate Holland Pre US Grand Prix Interview from PortersTahoe.com on Vimeo.
This last week wraps up a crazy schedule for 4peat XGames Gold Medalist Nate Holland. Nate is happy to be home and to be able to race on home turf here in Tahoe. This weekend is the USSA Chevy Grand Prix tour at Boreal Mountain Resort. I was able to catch up with Nate and get a few runs in with him and play with some new toys I've recently acquired.
In particular, I've recently acquired the much talked about Canon G10 camera. This little lightweight Point & Shoot has a plethora of features including video capture that I was able to interview Nate with. It can also sync up with all my Canon dedicated flashes & studio strobes( tests to be coming soon). I also got my hands on a GoPro helmet cam. I've just scratched the surface of multimedia things you can do with all this gear...this was my 1st attempt at doing something in this nature. Come on out to Boreal and check out all the action this weekend.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Mount Rose Jan 6, 2009

I love receiving last minute phone calls with the 2 stroke hum of snowmobiles in the background. PortersTahoe.com Team Rider Brendon Drury hit me up and said he and his younger brother were up at Mt. Rose riding around on his snowmobiles in search of some terrain for some snowboarding.



Brendon hiked over to where i was camped out & we planned our shot.



Monday, January 5, 2009
Tahoe Vista Session


