Action snowboard photography is right up there as one of the toughest image capture disciplines there is…and probably the worst payed for the level of risk!. However its not the money that motivates those that decide to give up their own riding to capture others…It’s the challenge to procure the best images possible, which in turn is driven by their own passion for snowboarding.
In the first of our PORTFOLIO series we asked senior photographer Greg Roebuck to send us is top picks to date.
Originally from the ‘Naki’, Greg is not only a great photographer, but also a talented rider in his own right (and a past New Zealand body board champ back in the day)
Now based in Seattle, Greg has produced some of our most iconic images to date..heres his choice so far:
Click to Enlarge
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Andy Stern, Front side 3, Glacier Creek, Mt Baker 2010
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm 2.8. – ISO 100- SHUTTER 1/1250- F 6.3
This image was shot early season at a sledspot near Mt Baker.
We had to hike from the trail to get to these pillows and went right past some mountain lion tracks. Usually enough to turn me around, but this day there was a big group and we trekked on. Andy hit this pillow line twice and both images were keepers…mad style!
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Nick Hyne switch stale Mt Baker
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm 2.8 – ISO 100- SHUTTER 1/1250- F 5.6
This image was taken late one evening high on the glacier at Mt Baker.
It was our first time creeping onto the glacier; we had been looking at it for a few days before we got enough guts to creep onto it. This was one of my favorite sessions I can remember, Hyner, RMB and Will J were there and I got bangers of all of them. Nick had been doing some hand plants over this glacier bump, then he switch aired it and we had the money!
One of my favorite images ever
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Will Jackways Stevens Pass, WA 2012
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 300mm 2.8. – ISO 100- SHUTTER 1/1250- F 5.6
Early morning light only lasts an hour or so on the famous “cowboy ridge”
Will got early ups from the marketing team at Stevens who are the best around, thanks Nate and Jules and RIP Chris Rudolph.Will had spotted this drop and we had shot it the previous day, but we were 20 minutes too late and the light had faded. You can just see his landing from the day before, I love this angle, but it doesn’t do the size justice. Will is an amazing rider and this time it really worked. Stevens also used this image for their own advertising this year.
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Kale Stephens Whistler 2010
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm 2.8 – Profoto 7B and Acute b 600-ISO 100 SHUTTER 1/250- F 7.0
Kale is the OG of backcountry jumps and sledding.
I shot this as part a catalogue for VIVO headwear
We shot this at night in the whistler car park after a long day shooting product
Kale has a big personality and an even bigger truck.
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Deni Bevin Mt Baker 2008
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 16-35mm 2.8 – Canon 550 ex x 2 –ISO 100- SHUTTER 1//250- F 5.6
This was a stormy pow day at Baker with Deni B
We rode all day then decided to try shooting in the blizzard.
I remember sitting in the top car park and it was puking! we almost left.
We hiked out of bounds and I set up some lights and underexposed the ambient by 2 stops. Deni was a trooper, we shot about 10 images, and this was my favorite.
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Roland Morley Brown, front 3 bonk, Stevens Pass, WA
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 50mm 1.4 –Profoto 7B and Acute B600 through a Hasselbald 501cm (reversed through the Hasselblad mirror)
It was raining so we had to get creative; this jib is near the Stevens Pass car park.
I shot this through the mirror of my Hasselblad camera in an effort to show a “different angle” It took multiple attempts to frame the image right and have the rider look decent. All while it rained down on us and all my gear got wet!
Once we shot this image, we packed up and left, I was instantly happy.
In the end I never sold this image, but I don’t care because I love this image and RMB is the boss!
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Nick Brown Mt Baker 2012
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm – ISO 100- SHUTTER 1/6000- F 14
This image was taken late on a spring evening high on Mt Baker.
Nick and I had been searching the glacier for features and ended up passing, as the snow was no good. You can’t win them all, snowboarding images can sometimes be hard to get. This was a last resort lifestyle and it came out good.
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Hans Jangaard Stalefish, Schreiber’s Meadows, Mt Baker 2012
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 300mm 2.8. – ISO 100- SHUTTER 1/1600- F 6.3
Schreiber’s is the most well known snowmobiling spot in WA; usually there are sledneckers everywhere. From here you can almost summit Mt Baker which is around 11000 feet. This zone is right above the 1st plateau and these spines get filled in and are gone by January. This day we were lucky enough to get some early season sun and Hans has always had the best style.The snowmobile is a great tool for making it easy.
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Will Jackways tailgrab Stevens pass WA
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm 2.8 – ISO 250- SHUTTER 1/1250- F 5.0
This spot is a short traverse from the ski area at Stevens.
I had shot here before but never had anything published.
Stevens is always greybird, so you have to find definition in the trees.
Will kind of overshot this and landed just out of frame, ending up with a few weeks rest on the couch and a sore knee.
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Will Jackways, Nick Brown, Abby Lockhart, Smithbrook, Stevens Pass 2011
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 16-35mm – ISO 250- SHUTTER 1/600- F 8
This was one of the deepest days of snowmobiling I’ve ever had.
We just had a huge snowfall in the North Cascades and we went to a different spot earlier in the day and did not made it. It was too deep. We all got horribly stuck, turned around, and then decided to come here. The trail to these pillows is barely uphill, and we only just made that. Look at the new snow on the pillows, and how deep the sleds are sitting on the trail. After we got the sleds turned around it was time to sit and reflect on the zone and the session ahead.
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Nate Johnstone Mt Hood meadows 2008
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm 2.8 – Profoto 7B – ISO 50- SHUTTER 1/320- F 11
Its hard to shoot a good image in the heat of summer, the sun is high, and the snow has no contrast/shadows. I went to Hood one summer to shoot with some of the NZ snowboard team who were there training. Nate and a few other strayans were there too. There were all sorts of people hitting this QP, so I was lucky enough to have the coach Tom Wilmot held my light stand each time Nate dropped in.
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Hans Jangaard Alpental WA
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm 2.8 – ISO 100-Profoto 7B- SHUTTER 1/1320- F 8.0
Alpental is only 45 minutes from my house in Seattle, and it has some of the best snow and terrain anywhere. This zone is right beside the road to Alpental ski area area, and there are multiple step-downs in a row. This day while sessioning these step-downs we were lucky to watch Peter Line hitting the zone above us, he’s an Alpental local. Hans and I had turns shooting each other on this spot, a few shots each and we were done.
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Nick Hyne front 1080 hemis, Mt Baker ski area 2009
Canon 1D Mark 3 – 70-200mm 2.8 – ISO 100- SHUTTER 1/1600- F 5.6
This jump spot is super famous and has been hit by a lot of big time pros.
This session was with Hyner, Browner, Spencer Falls and Andy Stern.
We had built for a few hours and I had shot all sorts of angles before I came up with this image. Hyner stomped this 1080 and earned a double page spread in the photo gallery that year. One of my favorites for sure, classic Mt Baker!