Matt Palmer wins the Transworld Snowboarding Sequence Contest

It's been quite some time since my last post so I thought I would start it up again with a bang.

I've been grinding pretty hard lately trying to create captivating images of snowboarding and skiing. It's a very competitive arena for photographers but can be very rewarding when you get the shot.

Recently, my friend Grant informed me of a photo contest put on by Transworld Snowboarding, one of the leading publications in the action sports industry. At the time, I didn't have a shot worthy to submit and the deadline was only a few days away. I had to get to work fast if I wanted to compete. I pulled it together with the deadline looming and executed a creative sequence that ended up winning the contest. Click on the picture for a link to Transworld.com with an extended caption that describes the photo in more detail. Enjoy!

-Matt

The Lost Coast

The Lost Coast from Matthew Palmer on Vimeo.

At night, the black bears descend from the hills and stalk along the sand. The trail twists and turns, running along ridgelines and dodging the crash of waves on rock. This is no simple stroll along the sea edge, but a wilderness, a hidden trail, a lost coast. My friends and I had a blast, and I hope you enjoy the pictures and please, because life’s a beach, find your own lost coast.

Hope Valley

Family Portraits taken in Hope Valley

The Mountaineer's Route

Check out our ascent of the Mountaineer's Route on Mt. Whitney!

Bodhi

We'd been "chewing" on the idea of getting a dog for over a year now, but adding another furry friend to the household was a decision that required a lot of careful thought and consideration. Raising a puppy is no easy task and you MUST have the time and energy to do it properly. We knew this well which is why it took us over a year to finally make it happen.

Tahoe's "Shoulder" season begins just after labor day and goes until the snow starts falling and the winter resorts open up again. Everything slows down and work is scarce so many people go on vacation or catch up on things that didn't get done during the summer. Our season with Big Blue Adventure was winding down so Heather and I thought this would be the perfect time for us to get our new addition.

Deciding on a breed was a difficult task. Heather and I wanted a medium size dog that was smart, affectionate, agile, and able to walk off leash. These characteristics were important to us due to our Tahoe lifestyle. But most importantly, we needed a dog that would get along with Boone, our roommate's dog, and fit in with the pack that we already have in place. In the end, we decided on an Australian Shepherd.

World meet Bodhi. He is an 8 week old Red Tri colored Australian Shepherd of excellent pedigree. He was born on a ranch just outside Reno to a breeder who specializes in Aussies. Her name is Colleen and if you are interested in getting an Australian Shepherd for either work or show (Bodhi's brother is still available), she is definitely the person to contact. Her number is (775) 843-3223. Heather and I went down to visit him last week, and as I'm sure it happens most of the time, we fell in love instantly! He reminded us of a little bear cub running around the house with his brother. We made arrangements to pick him up a few days later and began preparing our home for his arrival.

We are so excited and will post again with more updates and photos soon. He is sure to be the most photographed dog in the world!

-Matt and Heather

Bonzai Rock

I don't usually go out with the intention of trying to capture great landscape photos very often. People and action tend to be my area of interest when it comes to photography, but occasionally, I get an idea to go shoot something artsy. Bonzai rock has been photographed by thousands of photographers and I just wanted see if I could put my own personal touch on it. This photo was taken at around 8:45pm using roughly a 20 second exposure. I painted the rocks and the water with a powerful dive light to bring out some detail and then softened the overall look using photoshop.

Adventure Sports Week

Adventure Sports Week is an annual event that takes place at Farragut State Park, located just 25 miles north of beautiful Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. Farragut State Park is a great venue for this festival and celebration of multi-sport and adventure. Heather and I made it out for the second half and had a wonderful time working this event. I was able to sneak away on my breaks to take a few photos of the amazing athletes.