ESPN Feature... SSL Shootout.

Had a little feature in ESPN a while back when I was shooting the Ski Salt Lake Shootout that I hadn't yet posted up.  I'm sure plenty of you had seen it but for those of you who have been living under a ROCK!!  Here's a couple screen grabs of the action that I shot and the link to the article in ESPN.  And I didn't really think of myself as the "dark horse entry" but I guess the description fit!!  

I would love to drop all the technical jargon on here about each of these individual shots but this is just a quick little post.  I will be writing a much more in depth post about the whole Ski Salt Lake Shootout experience in the coming weeks.  Being gone on assignment for 6 weeks in Montana and then 3 more in the Dominican Republic has put me a little behind on my blog... but it's coming... I promise.

- JD

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James Douglas Prints... for Sale??

I've been asked by a number of people recently if I have any of my "fine art" available for sale... and it hadn't really occurred to me until I just sold a bunch of them that I could even do such a thing.  I've got some semi-popular images that have sold fairly well to friends of friends and misc others but I never thought there was a market for the majority of my work in this way.  I guess I was wrong...

So I'm officially introducing a way for you all to buy prints from me in the coming weeks.  Will introduce either a "STORE" option on the website/here or maybe we'll just give it a try via emails and paypal at first.  HA!  As far as prices... I have no idea... but depending on size and demand probably somewhere between $19.95 and $8,076,500... sound good??

Below are a couple of my winter shots from my travels that I've sold to people and galleries here in NYC and around the country...  If you've seen a shot of mine in the past that you like but can't seem to find, feel free to email me anytime. James@JamesDouglasStudio.com

- JD

Wolverine Cirque, February 2008

Silver Fork, February 2008

Loveland Colorado, 2008

Solitude Utah, December 2008

Utah, January 2008 (huge!)

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The Importance of Archiving...

Keep your photos... Keep your photos... Keep your photos!!

It's a great rule to live by and one I adhere to vehemently. Now I'm not talking about the first pull of the trigger when you realize that your last shoot was at night and now you're working midday, or the one of your beat up/out of focus chucks. Once you get yourself dialed in and begin shooting you really shouldn't delete anything. Digital storage is getting cheaper and cheaper, and unless you are shooting 1000 frames a day with a 60MP Hasselblad I think we can afford to fill up an external hard drive or two, especially when 2TB of WD My Book Studio space will set you back less than $200. Sometimes on the slower days... and don't look at me like you've never had a slow day or two... I really enjoy going back through some of my shoots and just hunting for those hidden gems. A quirky smile from a model that the client didn't like but another may love, sometimes the client doesn't appreciate the pristine landscape that you just happened upon mid shoot. And without a doubt it's those fresh eyes that will let you even notice these tucked away in the rest of the madness.

My best example of this was when I spent 5 months skiing and helicoptering all over the Rocky Mountains. When I came back I had over 14,000 images to sift though... even though I had obviously done some editing in the field, and by field I mean a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. After about 6 months and all of the shots were in their respective magazines I went back through and managed to pull out enough keepers and heroes to support a gallery showing of my work!! Most of the reason I had missed these was because I was so focused on the editorial side of the fence, and being on the phone with art buyers/photo editors who had a specific niche to fill didn't help either. Being able to go back and view the body of work as a whole allowed me to create an incredible collection that really spoke to the culture and stunning beauty that is big mountain skiing.

It's hard to know what you might come up with when you go back and sift through that old work of yours but if you took your time and made some great images the first go round... then they could be even better the second time.

- JD


Here's an "outtake" I took exiting a decent of Loveland Pass in Colorado. The shot used in the magazine was one of my pal Ross McDonald dropping a tremendous pillow line, but both he and I agree that skiing under this 30+ year old abandoned ski lift was far more memorable.



And this one below was taken in Utah as part of a series I was doing on the ski patrollers of the Wasatch range... but without a patroller in the frame... the client skipped right over it. Even though I believe it to be a great representation of the lifestyle of those guys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Persistence...

There are people who say that "the early bird gets the worm" or that "positive thoughts = positive results" and as true as those statements may be... there is nothing to me that counts more than persistence. I've had so many doors(well... metaphorical doors) slammed in my face so many times, it began to take its toll on me both emotionally and professionally. I began to doubt myself and my abilities to create great work. After a while I started to think that I wasn't going to be able to "make it" in this highly subjective and crowded business. After countless emails and office visits, always going back again and again... but never to the point of stalking or having security know me by name, except for one building that shall not be named... I was given a chance. And I believe that a chance is what 90% of all struggling photographers are looking for, just that one break that will make their career a reality. As much as I would like to tell you that it only takes one chance, one moment, one gig to create a career in this business, that is simply not the case.

I like to think of this business as a bit of a track meet, and more specifically the hurdles. Everyone is allowed a bit of space to get up to speed, and some are faster than others but you should always know that there will be a hurdle coming soon. Those who run too fast and didn't prepare will crash into that first hurdle and their race is over. Once you can see that first hurdle you should begin preparing yourself and when you get there you want to be sure you get over it cleanly/neatly and with a business card in hand. After you clear that first hurdle you have to immediately begin thinking about the next one or you won't have enough time to get ready. Its a long race and the good ones... the really really good ones are looking much further down the track than you are. They know that each hurdle as trivial and meaningless as it may seem has just as much a chance to trip them up as any other. Some artists seem to think that this race is a sprint and that it will be over shortly... but it isn't, and the only thing that is going to get you over all these hurdles is persistence.

And maybe a little air time...

- JD



This shot was taken with my Canon Mark IIDs 24-70mm at F11 and 1/500th of a second with nothing but good old fashion sunlight.

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Livin' Your Dream

Visitors come to Solitude, walk through this village and often think to themselves “How cool it would be to live here!!” Well folks I’m here to answer that question for you and the answer is… just as cool as you think it would be. I’ve been a resident here in the Solitude Village for two winters now and can tell you without a doubt that living here is everything you hoped it would be and more. The people are so incredible and accepting that all it might take is one lift ride to make a new friend for life. My family has owned a condo here in Powderhorn Lodge for about 8 years. But only recently have I begun taking full advantage of this opportunity. I’ve been a photographer for 5 years now and been skiing for 22 of my 24. Naturally I decided to put these two together, and Solitude Mtn. Resort has been the perfect setting to do so. There are the obvious plusses that come from being able to ski for an entire season. Watching my pass cross the 100-day threshold is very exciting and a milestone in this Skibum’s heart. There are the joys of getting that first chair on a fresh powder day and every subsequent face shot. I sometimes like to take a day off to simply relax around the village and grab a leisurely lunch, dip in the hot tub or shoot some pool over at the club. Being able to take a day off is a luxury that most people don’t get on a four-day ski vacation. Not to mention that all the hiking and powder turns definitely have a positive and exciting effect on certain parts of the human form. You want to talk about getting in shape… try hiking between 8,000 and 10,000 feet for 5 months. Although there are many more reasons why living here in the village is so special, these are two main bonuses to living on this mountain that I have personally experienced.

1) You get to know the people.

We all see the Hosts in front of the Stone House, the liftie that bumps your chair, and even the occasional ski patroller making the mountain safer for all. But what you may not notice are the other hardworking individuals that don’t stick out so much. The guy loading up a snowmobile for the Yurt, the cat drivers who provide you with corduroy each and every morning, or those wonderful and quirky locals, some of which live closer to the mountain than I do!! I even had the privilege of hosting the Canyon Poker Tour in my Condo just last week. You may not recognize most of these fine folks but they’re out there. And if you really want to get to know some of them, pop into the Thirsty Squirrel and look for the Jameson, it’s a dead giveaway.

2) You get to know the mountain.

I know each of you reading this remembers a time when you watched someone ski down some slope that you thought was unreachable, that was me. Or those crazy guys you saw hiking up Fantasy Ridge (look up from the top of summit chair), that was me, and some of my friends. These friends of mine are the locals here and often work at the resort… see above. Solitude is full of little hikes and traverses that lead to all things powder. There’s the Gild Line, Shot 22.5, Davenport or Flannigans. If you can manage to befriend one or two of these locals, you’re in. Being able to call/text a certain group of people to know exactly when a rope is going to drop is an invaluable resource. Being able to get the skinny on what’s going on in the backcountry from people who have actually been there, means safer skiing for all. You’ll get to know what EGP means, how to safely find the “Cathedral”… or someone might even let you know where the “Who nose” is, but then again who knows? I’m not telling.

- JD

 

 

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The Real Skibum...

Its come to a point in this world where most of us have "seen it all" but there are a select few of us that have been trying to show you something new. Even if its been done, we're trying to view it from a new perspective. I have found a niche in which I have immersed myself into the mountain/canyon lifestyle. What exactly that lifestyle entails I'm not sure yet but I'll definitely let you know when I figure it out. There is a lot of PBR being drank and poker being played to be sure. There is also the neverending search for an open hot tub to poach. So I've been living up here with the hopes of getting a larger perspective and more encompassing view of this life than just the simple "pow shot" or "cliff huck". After a while you start to hear whispers of that guy who camps at the bottom of USA Bowl in an attempt to forgo rent for a season, or the ski patrol who I've only recently discovered living in his van on a local resort parking lot. These are the people I'm interested in and the photos I want to make. Maybe there are shots of Tanner Hall and Jon Olssen that grace the cover of magazines the world over, but I want to photograph the guy who could care less who's on the cover of what so long as the snow continues to fall along the Wasatch. These are my people. So here's to you guys!! The true Skibums of this world, may your snow be deep, your turns be many, and your PBR never run dry.

James is back...

Arriving back in Utah for the 2008/2009 ski season I'm ready to make some serious images. I learned so much from my time out here last year that this year should be a breeze...HA! Lets just hope that I survive again. All day its been a struggle trying to keep myself under control every time I look out the window at the fresh pow and groomers of Solitude Mtn. Resort. My friends here at the mountain are glad to have me back and I'm even more glad just to be back. This season will not be quite the undertaking that last years trip had been but I'm confident that I can accomplish what I have come out here to do especially with the help of everyone here on the mountain.

I know its cheesy but I always stop by Ski Patrol and make sure they know what color my jacket is this year... still the same lime green as always... Those boys and girls have been the focus of many a photo that I've taken and have been so accommodating to things and projects that I hope to get done. Below is a picture of and quote Marvin told me earlier today when I asked him how the avvy conditions were...


"In a word... Murderous..." -Marvin

UTAH!!!

So I can't even explain to you all just how amazing this trip was for me. I got the chance to drive across the country with one of my best friends a Mr. Joesph McKenney to my place out at Solitude. The trip out there was breathtaking, Nebraska was boring but we came up with the "Hawk" game to pass the time. Driving through Colorado and our short stop in Vail was second to nothing. We got there just as 11" of fresh had fallen. Arriving in Utah to sunny skies and fresh pow we were kids in a candy store. This story is much to long to detail for you all here. But there will be a separate website and link provided once the short story has been written. So keep your eyes peeled.