Every summer, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb draws racers, photographers, filmmakers, and die-hard race fans to Colorado Springs for one of the most grueling motorsports events on Earth. First held in 1916, it's the second-oldest motorsport race in America—only the Indianapolis 500 has been running longer. Known as "The Race to the Clouds," this historic event challenges drivers to push their vehicles—and themselves—up a 12.42-mile course that ends at 14,115 feet above sea level. But capturing this race comes with its own intense challenges.
As a filmmaker and photographer, documenting Pikes Peak is an endurance test. This years race was my third year in a row covering the event, and each time presents its own set of challenges and unforgettable moments. Coming from the West Coast, the time zone shift adds another layer—what feels like a 2:30am call time in Colorado is really 1:30am for your body if you're coming from Pacific Time. So you're essentially getting up in the middle of the night every day, hiking at elevation while running on little to no sleep, all while trying to deliver your best work. Call times start around 2:30am. You’re on the mountain before sunrise, often in total darkness, loaded down with gear and moving fast at altitude. And this isn't your average elevation—13,000-14,000 feet is a place most people never get to, let alone hike and work in. The air is thin. Every movement takes more effort. Your heart rate spikes, your breath shortens, and carrying heavy camera gear becomes a full-body workout in the blink of an eye. By 8:30am, the mountain closes, and your track side shooting is done. Then it’s back down to reset and prep for the next day.
Unlike traditional races where cars zoom past every 90 seconds, drivers at Pikes Peak only get to practice in sections—bottom, middle, and top—and only get about three passes up each section per morning, IF everything runs smoothly. Sometimes, if the weather holds and there are no delays, they can squeeze in a fourth run before the mountain opens to the public and the course goes cold. That fragmented nature adds to the storytelling challenge. As a filmmaker, it's a strategic hustle—just like the drivers, we get three or four shots per section if we’re quick enough on foot since we cant drive once the track goes hot. Capturing it right means sprinting between vantage points, timing the light, and landing in the perfect spot for the moment the car screams past. Every frame matters, and sunrise light only lasts so long. For us behind the camera, it’s about piecing together those segments visually and emotionally.
Last year, I co-directed and DP’d a short film with Austin DeWees featuring longtime friend and driver Tom Tang. Tom and I go way back—he was the first person to hire me for a paid shoot, filming Ken Block before the Gymkhana series ever took off. We've evolved side-by-side: he as a driver, me as a filmmaker.
We shot the piece on a RED Komodo-X paired with Atlas anamorphic lenses and OWC media. The week was a self-sufficient, expedition-style production: hiking at high altitude, battling mountain weather, and capturing small moments of light and motion.
One morning stood out—a foggy, rainy ascent in the dark where I almost called it. But just before sunrise, the clouds lifted and the entire sky erupted in pink. I sprinted to a well-known overlook that’s usually packed with photographers and had the whole spot to myself. That still moment became one of my favorite frames I’ve ever captured. I have a deep attraction to making things look different, or experiencing them differently, and to be able to shoot the most popular spot with no one around in the best light was exactly that for me.
This project challenged me in new ways. I wasn’t just part of the team—I was co-leading it. The creative control, the trust, and the ability to tell a story I truly cared about made it one of the most fulfilling shoots of my career.
For fine art photographers, Pikes Peak offers something you can’t get anywhere else: pre-dawn access to the mtn during race week. That access alone makes it a rare opportunity to create landscape images that are virtually impossible to replicate.
📹 Want to see how we pulled it off? Check out the full behind-the-scenes video by OWC: My good friend Brian Walker filmed this for us.
This shoot reminded me why I do what I do: to capture the contrast between chaos and stillness, between adrenaline and silence. For me, the best stories often live in that space.
Whether you're into filmmaking, motorsports, photography—or just love a good behind-the-scenes journey—I hope this gives you a sense of what it’s like to create at 14,000 feet.
Watch the 2024 full film here:
Watch the 2025 film here:
