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Category Archives: Travel
The Dream Job Schedule
The Tuscan village of Pienza
Outdoor Industry Photographer Life
In addition to being professional photographers, I think it’s safe to say we could be considered professional travelers. In February, after plugging many clients needs into the calendar, we saw that to make everything work we would have to be on the go for seven straight weeks. In the last twelve years we’ve done a lot of back to back trips, but this was ridiculous; Tuscany (post), Norway, Chamonix, Sicily, Switzerland, Italy – in two cases we went straight from airports home to swap bags, then dashed to the next location. Planes, airports, and cars served as editing stations, the iPhone the entire communication platform.
In Montura's new Gore ProShell, Kurt Astner climbing his route White Chocolate. Norway
Our trip to Norway was for W.L. Gore (Gore-Tex) and the Italian clothing company Montura. The goal was to photograph professional climber Kurt Astner climbing some new ice routes in bad weather. The trip also included our own fun, both wandering around the Lyngen Alps and lots of backcountry ski days.
Evening walk along the Norwegian Fjords and scoping ski lines on the other side
A day to ourselves with four laps of fun in the Lyngen Alps
From Norway we flew to Munich, drove three hours home, did laundry, slept a few hours and were in the car headed for Chamonix. The Swiss women’s clothing company Wild Roses had hired us to photograph two of their athletes for three days. The job was to document each of their lives as mother’s and very busy mountain athletes. Esther Larios is a Swiss UIAGM Mountain Guide based in Chamonix and a mother of two. American Nina Silitch, also a great friend and mother of two, is one of the world’s top women ski randonee racers, competing & training fulltime on the World Cup circuit while living in Chamonix. With each of them we spent a full day photographing their day to day routine. Then, the third day we headed into the mountains for a fun day of alpine climbing and skiing work.
Esther Larios and Nina Silitch on Chamonix's Midi Plan Traverse
Nina Silitch
Esther Larios and Nina Silitch in Chamonix
During the Chamonix shoot it became apparent it was crunch time. After the third day shooting skiing and climbing, we were back in the car for the 6 hour drive home. Once there, Groundhog Day; laundry, a bit of sleep, an attempt to edit, then our bell was ringing. Great friends Christof and Evi were outside, the car was packed, we were headed to Sicily for a week of sport climbing. Unlike the other trips, Sicily was our own shoot, both for stock and our DolomiteSport story. AAhhh…. relax a bit, get caught up, deliver some jobs, hang with friends and get a bunch of climbing in.
Christof Ursch at the Castle of Aragon, 7b. San Vito lo Capo, Sicily
With Sicily a wrap, we were back home and awaiting the arrival of our friend Ben Grasseschi from the US. Ben was on his way over to spend two weeks with us, ski touring and shooting more work for Gore. We had news for Ben… while he is from Lake Tahoe, where even now, well into April, they are still skiing winter powder, we in Europe had a mostly ski free winter. As photographers, we need blower powder, untracked lines and interesting weather. For Ben, and for much of the winter, we had very little snow and lots of splitter blue sky. We had the ingredients for some fun, but not to get a very specific photoshoot accomplished. Together with Ben and Italian friend Andrea Gabrielli we headed for Switzerland’s Piz Bernina Group for a multi-day ski tour. Then the very day we skied out of the Bernina, we drove to the Ortler Group and skied straight into another hut to give it a go for a few days. More hardpack snow, blue sky and carved up lines, but amongst it all – some turns, some laughs and loads of great food.
Andrea Gabrielli skiing amongst crevasses in the Piz Bernina Group
Looking back to now it was, as has been our entire career, a phenomenal experience. Great memories, lessons learned, new friends and of course lots of photos. The dream job is indeed dreamy.
Follow us on Twitter to see what we do as we do it : @patitucciphoto
Also posted in Photo Business, Photography
Tagged Adventure Sports, Europe, Photography, Photoshoots, Travel, Travel Photography
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Vietnam Travel Photography
Travel Photography
On the first day of my photography school, I had to stand up in class, introduce myself, and explain what kind of a photographer I dreamt of being. To this, I proudly stated, “I want to shoot for the The National Geographic”. Later, I would learn that three years prior to my own announcement, a Swiss girl named Janine had done the same thing. Now, 14 years since that time, neither one of us are Geographic shooters. But, we did meet while applying for a NGS internship and we did shoot numerous assignments for the now defunct National Geographic Adventure. Maybe it is all for the best.
As professional Mountain Sport photographers, we know that having to shoot what you love instead of always just wanting to shoot what you love, sometimes turns it into, well, work. So, each fall we like to take a break from the mountains and go do what we enjoy most about photography, diving into another culture, wandering around, and photographing all the details and scenarios that we stumble upon. Not for work, but for fun.
Vietnam and Cambodia were this year’s destination. There we found a Southeast Asia in a frantic state of development where first world desires are colliding with third world traditions. As so often happens, it is the third world which provides all the color and character.
While shooting in this style we study life, both external and internal, in the hopes of finding beauty within chaos. I tend to focus on segments of the overall while Janine likes to pull back and show the larger picture.
To wake in the pre-dawn darkness and hop onto our rented motorbike, then to buzz along the coastline towards a chaotic fish market, this is our personal little National Geographic assignment.
This bucket is in the photo at the top of the post and was Dan's honing in on details while Janine preferred the overall scene, above.
The fish market, I knew this was going to produce a cool photo while walking towards the scene
Going a little tighter, suddenly it is an interesting image
Janine Patitucci photographing in Vietnam
Dan Patitucci making a discovery
Croatia Travel Photos
Janine and I just returned from almost two weeks traveling in Croatia. For both of us it was our first time there and we found it an absolute joy. It is Europe without the masses, where one can get some breathing room, escape, and find slices of perfection. We loved it.
With no schedule we moved about as we pleased; climbing perfect limestone in Paklenica National Park, cycling along the intricate and stunning coastline, island hopping and of course making some fun snaps. Then there was Dubrovnik… For photos, getting lost, and meeting new friends in the various piazza’s each evening for outdoor World Cup viewing on massive monitors, Dubrovnik is truly a special place.
Nearly two weeks freedom exploring a great country - 10 Big Photos here: Croatia Photography
Photo of the Day: The Airport Bivvy
SP Parker, Susie Sutphin, Janine Patitucci and Todd Bibler find the perfect airport bivouac
This week’s Photo of the Day is purely for fun.
When you travel a lot, are an outdoor type and don’t mind what people think of you – it is entirely normal to do odd things. Like setting up camp in the San Francisco airport after a missed connection while returning home from Canada’s Fairy Meadows. Note, we tried to establish a boundary/privacy screen with our ski bags.
The quote of the night, at 2 a.m., was Todd Bibler’s. As we lay trying to pass out, with speakers blasting, “The red zone is for emergency vehicles, the blue zone for dropping off, blah blah blah”, Todd uttered, “Think we need to set an alarm?” I giggled myself to sleep.
2009 L'Eroica Photos
Simply put, I love bikes.
The culture of cycling is a large reason I have chosen to live in Italy, for the roots run deep and rich.
This past weekend we headed south to Tuscany to photograph the lifestyle around the 2009 L’Eroica. An event celebrating the culture of bike racing and all things that we humans have done with the bicycle. Ironically, in addition to the event I was able to also enjoy the town hosting it, Gaiole in Chianti, where I spent 6 months living on a ranch in 1997. What a joy to be able to play with photography, where I fell in love with photography.
For additional L’Eroica information, visit our DolomiteSport site’s similar page
Also posted in Cycling, Life in Italy, Photography
Tagged Bike Culture, Cycling, Europe, Italy, road biking, Tuscany
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Photo of the Day and Clip Combo
This weeks Photo of the Day is also a new Clip. Mountain Travel Sobek, one of the world’s leading adventure travel companies is using an image of our’s for their 2010 catalog. The image is one we made in 2004 and is of Janine sitting on a small dock at a lake above Zermatt, Switzerland. The Matterhorn is in the distance.
Making the photo was not straightforward and only exists due to a bit of perseverance. Once a week, all summer, there is a sunrise breakfast at a tram station high above Zermatt. The tram leaves very early in the morning’s pre-dawn darkness. We remember walking through Zermatt’s silent streets, convinced we were wasting our time thanks to skies absent of stars – just thick with clouds. But, we were up and thought we might as well give it a try. In the cabin were several other photographers with their big tripods and towering LowePro backpacks. The tram made an intermediate stop and out the photographers went, greeted by thick grey skies.
We all marched to the lake where we were greeted by black, still waters, no view and clouds swirling about the peaks. The sun would be up in a few minutes but it seemed unlikely that we would see it. As a photographer this is part of the game. More often than not you get weather not to order. In the Alps it happens so often that we sort of accept it. The cussing still occurs but once finished we typically fall into a state of relaxation and sort of enjoy the cancelled work day. And so this particular morning we sat and watched as the other photographers took a few token shots before wandering off in disgust. We remained.
What occurred in the next few minutes was something of a gift – within minutes the skies cleared, the peaks came out and we had our opportunity. Now, all alone we were free to run around and compose as we pleased. Lesson learned.
Also posted in Clips, Photo of the Week, Photography
Tagged Photography, Switzerland, Travel
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Photo of the Day: India Hot Air Balloon
Today is installment number one of our Photo of the Day category. A quick hit on a random photo from our archives. For me it is fun to do a quick scroll through and see what image catches my attention, no doubt something with a fun sidenote.
First up, a hot air balloon rising above a crowd in India.
Last year, along with a group of other pro photographers, we shot the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan, India. A massive gathering of camel traders, nomads, and gypsies. The event has become something of a tourist attraction in the middle of the Rajasthan desert. Everything seemed more or less Indian while we were there until, one dusty morning, we saw a hot air balloon rise over the desert. Few visuals come as a surprise in India, yet this was actually a bit odd, we would have to investigate.
When shooting in these kinds of places, the ideal time to be out is at dawn. So, we rose in the darkness and headed for the launch pad of the balloon. There is nothing in this world like stepping onto the streets of India, at anytime of the day, but especially at dawn. At this hour there is a gentleness to the chaos, the intensity is dulled by the cooler air, and the traveler can feel as if they blend in a bit more. It is our favorite time of day to wander and see what we find.
To see more images from our documentary project at the Pushkar Camel Fair, visit our book’s site at Gurus, Gods and Camels.
Also posted in Photo of the Week, Photography
Tagged Documentary, India, Photography, Travel
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Iceland Quick Summary
10 days shooting in Iceland is a wrap and now we find ourselves soaking up some much needed sun in the Italian Dolomites.
Iceland Summary:
Wet, windy, always light (yet cloudy dark), cuisine challenged, full of fun, friendly people, and in all likelihood, home to the single most beautiful & unique landscape we have seen.
Overall, Iceland gets a 9+ (would be a 10 but for a horrific seafood experience) as a destination. The time is now to go as they are in recovery mode from their economic woes. Tourism is much cheaper than it used to be. This was our third time there and expenses are much less than they used to be. Put Iceland on your priority list and go see what we have been talking about.
We overheard a fishing guide tell some clients, “You may not always catch fish in Iceland, but you’ll always catch a cold”. The same is true for photographers and friends. Colds were a popular souvenir, but well worth it.
Much more info will come later, including a full trip report of the Laugavegur Tour over at DolomiteSport. For now, we’d like to provide a quick glimpse of some early images we have been happy with. Many more will be posted in the coming week on this site.
Enjoy,
Dan & Janine Patitucci
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