“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable”
~Chase Jarvis

As part of my leadership with Ignite Steamboat I was able to arrange a live interview with world-renowned photographer Chase Jarvis. We connected via Skype in front of a live audience at the Smokehouse In Steamboat Springs.
Chase discusses his approach to creativity, blogging & being transparent as well as his time in Steamboat getting started.

This interview isn’t so much about “how-to” in photography but rather his approach to creativity, connecting with people and standing for something you believe in.

(note: There are a few minutes where we lost Chase’s video feed – the audio is fine. But hang in there because the video picks up after a few minutes.)

(Can’t see the video? Click here.)

Learn more about Chase Jarvis at www.ChaseJarvis.com

I was super lucky to get a spot on the roof of the Old Town Pub to capture the finish of stage 4 of the USA Cycling Pro Challenge. The energy in downtown Steamboat was OFF THE CHARTS for the finish.
The next day we headed up Rabbit Ears Pass for the next stage. The thousands lining the pass turned the entire mountain into a party!

Gallery

(Click to Zoom)
(click here if you can’t see photos)

Photo Location

Architectural photography has been a focus of mine for some time. It’s challenging & rewarding to create photos of a home that evoke emotion. I was an early adopter of HDR primarily because it solved the problem of cost vs. shelf life. There are times when shooting with lights is necessary. But lighting every room is more expensive and often over-kill for most properties.

Over the past few years I’ve had the privilege to photograph some incredible homes, properties and projects. Here are a few of my favorite interior shots, not one with a single flash.
(click photos to zoom)

There is no doubt this has been the longest mud season in quite some time. Winter just keeps hanging on day after day; more snow, rain & clouds. Our winter wardrobes should have been put away long ago and it’s causing us to go a little stir-crazy.

This month’s wallpaper is a look toward better times ahead. The photo features Sleeping Giant as seen from 20 Mile road on an early spring morning. As luck would have it, a rainbow appeared from out of nowhere to create a truly unique scene.

So download the free pack and decorate your computer and say a few prayers to the weather gods to hurry up and get spring underway.

Each version comes with the option to display a calendar and the pack includes a version suitable for an iPad or iPhone.

What You Get

This pack contains images for these screen sizes:

• 1920 x 1200px
• 1680 x 1050px
• 1280 x 1024px
• iPad Version

[download]Download the May 2011 wallpaper pack for your computer desktop now!

Screen sizes included: 1920×1200, 1680×1050, 1280×1024, iPad, iPhone[/download]

Photo Location

Just took a short family trip to a place that looks like it could be the end of the earth – Moab, UT. With a terrible spring mud-season we were in search of some warmer weather. Family trips often mean photography takes a back seat plus the weather wasn’t so great which made taking great photos a challenge. But sometimes you just have to deal with what you’ve got. These are a few shots from Moab, Canyon Lands and Colorado National Monument.

(click photos to zoom.)

Sun Seeker iPhone App

I did get good use out of a new iPhone app called Sun Seeker. Sun Seeker uses GPS in-part, to display where the sun is, where it rises and where it sets. it has a terrific live view which overlays its data on a live image. On a scouting trip to Mesa Arch I used the app to determine where the sun would rise as indicated by the yellow line below.

Photo Locations

April is that time of year when we start to see dramatic changes around Steamboat. We call it “mud season” and if saw my car you’d know why. Ski season ends, businesses close, snow melts, rivers rise and Aspen trees wake up.

After a long winter town-folk are ready to get out of here and spend some time in the sun. Moab is a favorite place to go so this month’s wallpaper is a shot from the Moab area. This was taken in the Needles District a little south of Moab.

I was fortunate to go on a 4-day back country 4WD trip with the legendary Bill Burke. The trip took us through south-eastern Utah to some amazing Anasazi indian ruins. The last day we emerged into the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park.

If you go to Moab, I highly recommend heading south and spending a day exploring this area.

What You Get

This pack contains images for these screen sizes:

• 1920 x 1200px
• 1680 x 1050px
• 1280 x 1024px
• iPad Version

[download]Download the April 2011 wallpaper pack for your computer desktop now!

Screen sizes included: 1920×1200, 1680×1050, 1280×1024, iPad, iPhone[/download]

Photo Location

It’s the tension between what we know how to do and what’s possible that makes photography so interesting. These videos represent an extreme dedication to the art of photography and the results are simply stunning.

The Dark Side of the Lens

The Chapel

February always seems like the ‘hump’ month of winter for us. The newness of winter is over, the holidays are over and while winter in Steamboat is great and all, we just love the summers.

So this month’s computer wallpaper is a tribute to the long cold Steamboat winter (It’s -25 degrees as I write this). This is a cabin at the fantastic Home Ranch in Clark, just north of Steamboat.

With amazing stars on a cold winter’s night, this photo makes the perfect monochrome desktop to help you focus and get work done. Like all the wallpapers, each size comes with the option to display a pixel perfect calendar or not.

What You Get

This pack contains images for these screen sizes:

• 1920 x 1200px
• 1680 x 1050px
• 1280 x 1024px
• iPad Version
• Each version has the option to display a calendar

[download]Download the February 2011 wallpaper pack for your computer desktop now!

Screen sizes included: 1920×1200, 1680×1050, 1280×1024, iPad, iPhone[/download]

Photo Location

This photo was taken with my iPhone and it’s one of my favorite shots of my daughter & her dog. Does it matter that it was taken with an iPhone?

The number one question I get is “What kind of camera do you use?” Depending on who’s asking I’ll give the honest answer “What ever camera I have with me.” Otherwise it’s a straightforward technical answer that satisfies the person who thinks that photography is produced by a piece of hardware. There was a time when I thought that too.

Truth is, equipment doesn’t matter so much as taking a LOT of pictures, and learning to see the potential in things. It’s being able to see past the bad light, constraints and technical limitations into the potential of what a photo can be. This is precisely why I find the iPhone so interesting.

As a camera the iPhone’s lack of control and abundance of constraints are really interesting to me. Those aspects allow me to focus not on the technical issues at hand but the framing, subject and story a photo can make. Because ultimately, photography is measured more on the emotional effect it evokes rather than the technical merits of the equipment.

iPhone Tools

I try not to go overboard on iPhone photography tools so I keep the list pretty short. Here are a few iPhone photography tools I use consistently:

• Camera+ V2.0 – Super solid app with plenty of editing & sharing options.
• Best Camera – One of the first photography apps but it’s still strong.
• Photoshop Express – Great for simple touch-ups like crops & rotations.
• Magic Shutter – Takes long exposure shots.

iPhone Gallery

(All photos were taken and edited on my iPhone.)

This time of year we find ourselves reflecting on what we’ve accomplished, what changed over the past year and what lies ahead. If you’re anything like me you’ve got a lot of plans. Plans to change things, create things, start a new path. The scary thing is we often don’t know where or how we’re going to land.

So?
If there’s ever been a time to make a jump from where you are or start that new thing it’s now. There’s never been more resources at a lower cost with more potential to make a positive impact than now. Go for it!

Stay on Track
This desktop wallpaper for January 2011 is offered as an inspiration and reminder to just jump! Put this on your screen to keep you in check; are you jumping?

When I took this photo, my buddy Nelson had no idea where or how he was going to land but he ended up fine.

Go for it!

What You Get

This pack contains images for these screen sizes:

• 1920 x 1200px
• 1680 x 1050px
• 1280 x 1024px
• iPad Version
• Each version has the option to display a calendar

[download]Download the January 2011 wallpaper pack for your computer desktop now!

Screen sizes included: 1920×1200, 1680×1050, 1280×1024, iPad, iPhone[/download]

Photo Location