When I first moved to Tahoe in 2011, I spent every chance I had shooting winter. I was obsessed with how storms reshaped the landscape—how the light would hit fresh powder, how the mountains looked completely different depending on the snowfall, and how the silence of winter held so much energy. Those early days of shooting shaped the way I see winter today.
Over a decade later, I found myself on location filming as Severin van der Meer and Brandon Davis went head-to-head for their shot at Revelstoke. We had to wait out a multi day storm for the right conditions, and the gamble paid off—our patience was rewarded with near-perfect snow, bluebird conditions, and a pristine course. The untouched powder, the shifting light after the storm, and the silence of the sidecountry before the riders dropped in—these are the moments that remind me why I love capturing winter landscapes, both in motion and in stills.
Back on Snow After Three Years
This event was personal for me in ways I didn’t expect. It marked my first time back on snow in nearly three years after recovering from spine surgery. I came into the shoot expecting a low-impact role, assuming I’d take a lift or ride groomed trails to the location. I wasn’t even sure if I’d strap in at all.
Then, on the morning of the scout day, I found out we’d be riding the entire mountain, checking out all the possible locations for the duel. A wave of uncertainty hit—I wasn’t sure how my body would handle it. But I made a deal with myself: if I felt any pain, I’d call it quits and let production know.
Dropping in, I felt incredible. I was able to ski and snowboard nearly pain-free, and somehow, it felt like I hadn’t missed a beat. It wasn’t just another day on the mountain—it was proof that I was on my way back. For a few years, I wasn’t sure I’d ever fully return to shooting or adventuring in the mountains like I used to. But being back in deep winter reminded me of why I love it—not just for the action, but for the quiet moments in between. That sense of stillness, the calm before the storm, the excitement building during, and the untouched backcountry are what inspire many of my fine art prints.
One of the most unique aspects of this shoot wasn’t just the competition—it was the snowcat footage I captured at night in a storm. I flew the drone in some mid storm conditions, documenting PistenBully snowcats carving through deep snow under heavy snowfall, creating some of the my most atmospheric and cinematic shots of the project.
Shooting the snowcats at night in a storm felt like a reminder of the winter storytelling I’ve always been drawn to—the moments before the action, the unseen work that shapes the experience. Some of my favorite fine art prints have come from storms like this, capturing the way the mountains shift in and out of chaos before settling into something pristine. These machines are the unsung heroes of ski resorts around the world, sculpting the terrain into something rideable for those not competing in Natural Selection. The night shots of them working through the storm add a different layer to the storytelling—one that often goes unnoticed but is just as crucial as the action itself.
This wasn’t my first NST Duels shoot. Two years ago, I was behind the lens for Elena Height vs. Enni Rukajarvi’s match-up, another incredible backcountry battle that showcased the precision and skill required for this competition.
NST Duels continues to set the standard for backcountry competition filming, blending raw, natural terrain with high-level snowboarding. But beyond the action, what stays with me are the landscapes—the untouched lines, the way light hits freshly fallen snow, and the silence of the mountains before everything kicks off. Those are the moments I aim to capture in my fine art work.
For the last few years, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever fully return to shooting winter the way I used to. But this trip reminded me why I fell in love with it in the first place. The silence before a storm. The untouched terrain after it clears. The way light moves through the mountains after heavy snowfall. Those are the moments that drew me to winter photography back in 2011, and they’re the same moments that inspire my fine art work today.
