Category Archives: Clips
Runner’s World Holland Cover
No matter how many times I get an email with the line, “We’d like to use the attached image as… in our…”, I anxiously scroll down to see what image has been chosen. In our case, it isn’t “just” a photo, it’s a piece of our lives, a memory that is going to be shared and used to hopefully inspire others to get out and have some fun.
Recently, upon receipt of an email from the editor at the Netherlands edition of Runner’s World, I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the image selected for the next cover of a trail running special. It’s me, but not only this, it’s from a day in the mountains that Janine and I remember as quite possibly the best we have ever had together. Rewards come in many forms, but none greater then knowing you are living the life you always dreamed of.
To see the whole story behind this great day, please visit our Mountain Sport site : DolomiteSport : A Masterpiece
_______________________________________
Interested in following what we do, as we do it, via your favorite Social Media:
Also posted in Dolomites, DolomiteSport, Trail Running
Tagged Dolomites, Europe, Mountain Sports, Trail Running
Leave a comment
Celebrating 25 Years in the Outdoor Industry
Patagonia 2009 Calendar Cover
Saying “Yes” to try climbing changed my life. I grew up racing sailboats, but the first day I climbed rocks I was an all new 18 year old. Turns out I had an inner dirtbag that was set free when I discovered the yacht club & topsider free world of the crags. My calling had been answered. Shortly thereafter I had myself a job in the bike department at an REI. I didn’t really know squat about climbing, but I did know bikes, so with an eye on the wall of cams and carabiners, I started my career in the outdoor industry. That was 1987.
Now, 25 years later, many of the same people I knew then, like myself, are still in the industry. A kind of family. By 1991 I was a full fledged dirtbag climber. I lived in my truck, sold espresso while on the road to make some money, dined in the bin aisles of grocery stores and actually wore white lycra (It’s back in, but not for climbing). Suddenly, I even had companies willing to “sponsor” my choice of lifestyle. My duties to them; climb, be a nice guy, make some photos and do some slideshows. One thing led to another and I got really into the making photos part.
The early days, 1998, of Beth Rodden. It later became an ad on the back cover of Climbing Magazine.
In 1997 I was managing my best friend’s Climbing Gym, the Rocknasium, in Davis, California. One day a tiny little girl walked in and tried climbing for the first time. Her parents supported her, she was happy, and, she was very, very good. Her name was Beth Rodden and she would go on to become one of the best climbers on the planet. We became close friends, and it was with Beth that I started to learn how to be a photographer by documenting her career as it took off.
1998 was a turning point, I wasn’t getting any younger and I certainly wasn’t getting rich as a bike racer or climber. I was falling in love with making photos and so decided to go back to school and study photography. I went from being a fulltime athlete, climber and road racer, to living in Santa Barbara, California and going to class. Notice I didn’t say anything about any other classes up until this point… this kind of references that inner dirtbag thing.
At the Brooks Institute of Photography I met Janine. Soon, she too was sucked into the vortex of the Outdoor Industry. She also found herself living in a vehicle. A nice girl from Switzerland, with endless talent who also happened to be an architect, was suddenly getting intimate with my version of American life.
But that American Life turned into this American Dream come true.
Our vision was simple, to live and work precisely in line with what we love; to be outside, in the mountains, as athletes, travelers, and photographers of it all. We wanted to work with companies who made gear we really used and to shoot magazine stories that we’d like to read. This we continue to do, but we have also been owners of a stock agency, consultants, multi-media producers, spokespeople, and product testers & developers. Finally, we started our own online Mountain Sport Athlete website, DolomiteSport, a spinoff of our energy and love for this lifestyle.
25 years later, we both know something about the outdoor industry. It has supported our photo business for 12 years, given us endless opportunities, inspired us, challenged us and it has been the source of countless friends.
The photography that is found in our Portfolio reveals who we are as creative people. But the examples of work found on our Clips page reveals even more. It is the result of how we have combined everything we love; making photos, supporting & working with brands and still being true to our vision which is living and working in line with our passion.
PatitucciPhoto's Published Work Samples : Click to View
________________________________________________________
Interested in following what we do, as we do it, via your favorite Social Media:
Also posted in Climbing, Personal Story, Photo Business
Tagged Photo Business, Photography
5 Comments
Newly Published Trail Running and Backpacking Photos
Runner's World USA Rave Run January 2012
Here are a few examples of some recently published work in American outdoor magazines, all three of of whom we have been working with for a very long time. Both Backpacker and Runner’s World are magazines we started working with back in 1999 and our first days in business. The magazine Trail Runner didn’t come along for another few years but immediately became a great friend, literally, as we have had some great times with the editor Mike Benge while on assignment, including a memorable run across Iceland in 2004, later a feature in the magazine.
The Runner’s World Rave Run (above) was shot in Norway this last winter when we were there for an ice climbing shoot with BD athlete Kurt Astner. While Kurt was off scouting one evening for this shoot, Janine and I went for a very cold run, to which we later returned to make the Rave Run photo. Temps were in the -10C range… Bbrrrr… Ice climbing, ice running, that was the deal, but Norway is truly stunning. You can read about the whole trip at our DolomiteSport site.
Below is the January issue of Backpacker Magazine and features two close Italian friends, Andreas and Alexandra, while hiking a section of the Dolomites Alta Via 2 Trail.
The Dolomites Alta Via 2
Finally, Trail Runner’s current January 2012 issue features their annual calendar with several of our photos.
Interested in following what we do, as we do it, via your favorite Social Media:
PatitucciPhoto Outdoor Industry Mountain Sport Published Work
It’s time again to round up some recent clips of our published work. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see much of where our photography ends up, so the few clips we do get are fun to show off. It also kind of justifies and explains all this traveling we do. One interesting thing to note is how our work is used by these companies. When we started in this business in 1999, everything we shot was for print ads, catalogs, point of purchase, tradeshow, etc… Now, it seems most everything is for web usage, some print ads & POP and lots of tradeshow displays.
Our image above is from the 2012 Runner’s World Germany Calendar we did with our good friend and photographer Lars Schneider. Together we shared the whole project and are excited to see some of our best trail running images printed large and on high quality paper. To see all the images in the calendar, or to purchase (for our European friends) visit: Runner’s World Germany 2012 Kalender
Over the last winter, we were fortunate to be a part of the Gore-Tex Product Testing Team for the new Pro and Active Shells. In addition, we worked with Gore to produce some imagery used to promote these amazing new fabrics.
Every year for as long as we have been living in Europe we have looked forward to the big German outdoor industry calendar’s for all the key mountain sports. We have had many covers but none so beautiful as the Mountain Bike calendar for 2012 featuring one of our most popular images from the Italian Dolomites. It is an image Janine found and made of me riding – so it’s double fun to see our image used big and starring your’s truly.
In the amazing company category are two of our very favorites. Smartwool, above and Patagonia below. We respect both of these brands as companies working to do the right thing. They responsibly manufacture superb products and treat people well. For Smartwool, we shoot much of their advertising work, above are some of the website’s images we have produced. And below is the 2012 Patagonia European Workbook cover featuring Janine running Dolomite trails.
The extremely popular Swiss women’s mountain sport clothing brand Wild Roses has become a company we work closely with. This is a brand that has supported our relationships with their Ambassadors so as to visually demonstrate women mountain sport athletes and professionals living their dreams.
Along with Patagonia and Smartwool, brands we personally rely on and use everyday, is a company we partner with; Deuter Backpacks. Since 2006, Deuter Packs are on every trip we do as we work with them for most of their advertising photography.
________________________________________________________
Interested in following what we do, as we do it, via your favorite Social Media:
Also posted in Photo Business, Photography
1 Comment
John Harlin Swiss Border Project
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of joining American John Harlin for three days, as an assignment for SwissInfo.ch, during his epic project to circumnavigate the entire Swiss Border under his own power. The route is a combination of John’s decision making and the advice of a specialist in cartography, with each day more or less plotted, where to sleep/bivvy, where to re-supply, even where to take a rest day. John is being tracked for live positioning and is posting video and photos along the way.
The entire project, including the interesting question, “Why?”, is : SwissInfo: John Harlin’s Border Stories
John on the Silvretta Glacier. A solar panels sits on his pack for charging mobile devices to keep in communication.
John Harlin and a much deserved ice cream
John started the project last summer but was injured climbing. He returned later in the year for some easier sections that allowed him to use bikes and waterways. With these sections finished, he knew he would return in 2011 for the bulk of the border, the entire southerly section through the Alps. Most efforts in the mountains are measured by thousands of meters gained, for John it is hundreds of thousands of meters gained; 220,000 vertical meters to be precise. And, being Switzerland, it is precise.
The goal of the project is to see and learn about Switzerland in a very unique way. This is a country with four official languages, a rich culture of people living in the mountains, incredibly rugged & complex terrain thanks to the Alps and Jura, and of course what may arguably be the most idyllic landscape in all the world. Yet it also has thriving agriculture and a dairy industry famous for the finest cheeses and chocolates. It is all this that John has set out to see, he just happens to be on the line that contains it all.
Headed for the Dreilanderspitze, up & down. For me, usually a commercial photographer, it is a joy to shoot a journalism story and react to things instead of setting them up.
There was some irony in my joining John in that just last year I became a citizen of Switzerland. I am in love with my new country and hungry to learn everything about it. So, to be assigned this documentary project by SwissInfo.ch, which for ten years has been our favorite news source, was a true honor. And then there was John… quite an amazing character and certainly a new great friend. There we were, two American born guys who love Switzerland, walking along the border, soaking it all in and enjoying every minute. John is still out there, I hope to re-connect again soon.
Arriving to the summit of the Dreilanderspitze separating Austria from Switzerland
Lots of navigation checks are in order. The border typically follows ridges, but which one?
Hut life; Email, post video & pics, blog, wash socks
Meeting locals along the way
What are the odds? We met a Swiss couple walking the border of Switzerland's largest canton, the Graubunden. Lots of stories and route info to share
A nasty big climb to regain the border from the valley below
John happily took my bike for a long descent from Samnaun along the border to where he would begin walking again.
John telling the Border Guards that he is keeping an eye on things
Also posted in Photo Business, Photography
1 Comment
Climbing Magazine Photography
Like so many of the sports we photograph, we are passionate about the subject matter. We not only make images of these sports, but also enthusiastically take part, allowing for great memories of the images produced. So to see our work published is to see great experiences and friends get some attention – perhaps no more so than in our climbing images.
Our latest cover of Climbing Magazine is of one of our closest friends, Steve Elia, from a trip we did together in Chamonix. And the Gallery Image of Christof Ursch comes from just this past spring and a sport climbing trip to San Vito lo Capo, Sicily.
Trail Runner Cover June 2011
Dolomites Trail Running
We are excited to once again have the cover of the June 2011 issue of Trail Runner Magazine. This is our eleventh cover for Trail Runner.
The image was made in the summer of 2009 when we ran the Dolomite’s Alta Via 1 in four days. The image features our great friends Patrizia Taibon and Gabe Luethje cruising by the lens. The Alta Via 1 is the John Muir Trail of the Dolomites and has become a popular running tour utilizing the many huts along the route. For more information about the running tour, the Dolomites and the Alta Via 1, visit our DolomiteSport site’s Running the Alta Via 1 page. Guided and self guided running tours in the Dolomites are offered from our friends at Holimites.com.
To see what we do as we do it, follow us at Twitter : @patitucciphoto
Also posted in Photo Business, Trail Running
Tagged Alta Via 1, Alta Via One, Dolomites, Trail Running
1 Comment
Ueli Steck Mountain Hardwear Website
Ueli Steck’s Himalayan Speed Project
Since our February 2011 photoshoot with Ueli Steck, much has happened surrounding this amazing athlete and alpinist. To have been a part of it, to meet and spend some days living with Ueli, is one of the great things about being a photographer. Sometimes it is our job to show off a product, other times it’s to tell a story or to simply inspire a viewer. Amongst all of this is the potential to create images that one day might have historical significance.
Tommy Caldwell on the Muir Wall
In 2001, I hung from the top of Yosemite’s El Capitan’s Muir Wall and photographed Tommy Caldwell as he free climbed one of the hardest long routes in the world. At the time it was visionary, and part of a period of intense free climbing efforts on one of the most prized walls on the planet. That same week in Yosemite, I attended a slideshow by Tom Frost, who was in his day another visionary climber. As I sat watching the show and listening to his stories, I realized my own great fortune in getting to take part in this process of progressing the sport and ideas around the sport & culture of climbing.
Ten years later, here we are with Ueli Steck. In the days we spent with him (Training with Ueli Steck) he spoke of his plans to climb 8000 meter peaks. Listening to Ueli speak of “speed climbing” was not about records or achievements but about progressing himself as an athlete and climber by moving near his limit freely in the big mountains. He was a man preparing himself at every level to go off and challenge himself. Perhaps this is what has so inspired and captivated us by Ueli, he is on a kind of mythical Hero’s Journey.
To see our images of Ueli being put to use on the Mountain Hardwear website is extremely rewarding. No less are the news reports of what he is now doing in the Himalaya and knowing we had some moments to see him preparing for what is truly an inspiring story with huge historical significance to the sport of climbing.
Ueli Steck’s updates and news can be followed via his Facebook Page, Twitter, or Mountain Hardwear’s Himalaya Speed site.
Also posted in Climbing
Tagged Adventure Sports, alpine climbing, Climbing, Photography
Leave a comment
Connect with us
