Pod cast that I did for Adorama Camera

By Jack Howard

May 19, 2009

I first noticed Grant Gunderson's work last summer. I was lazing away an afternoon in the hammock, when the September issue of Skiing magazine arrived. Instead of the normal blue sky and airborne skier, or a superwide angle of a line carved down a crazy steep, this was an amazingly different ski action shot: It's night, the skier is super-close to the camera and there are great arcs of star trails in the sky, and carlight trails around the village below. Best of all, the cover folded out, as shown, to make the presentation even stronger. This is the sort of shot that gets your attention, because is it so technically excellent in so many different ways.

Skiing Magazine September 2008 cover image courtesy Grant Gunderson/Skiing Magazine

Mount Baker, Washington based Gunderson is a self-taught 29 year old ski photographer, and he is the Photo Editor of The Ski Journal, a great looking hardbound photo-intensive ski journal. He also freelances forSkiing, Powder, and most of Europe's 45 different skiing magazines.

Grant talks to us about the importance of being prepared in the backcountry, previsualizing and prefocusing shots–and the importance of snowball accuracy for both shooters and athletes when communicating where the action should take place. You don't have to be skinning up an out-of-bounds chute for an angle to appreciate the tips and tricks Gunderson offers–they'll work just as well on a groomed Green cruiser at your local weekend hill.

3 things Gunderson always keeps in his camera bag are Avalanche Gear, a first aid pack, and communication radios.