Corey Rich Photography

Rich Clarkson, Friend & Mentor - NPR

American Track legend Jim Ryun trains at Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO. ©Rich Clarkson (A signed print of the image above hangs proudly in my home)

No summary of photography in America is complete without the name Rich Clarkson. A prolific photographer from the early days of Sports Illustrated and the former Director of Photography for National Geographic, Rich has certainly left his mark on the printed pages of history. Though, possibly more storied than his own career, are those that he helped to grow. An impressive list of award winning photographers including Jim Richardson, David Alan Harvey, Brian Lanker and Chris Johns, to name a few, point to Rich as their inspiration and mentor. I feel very honored to be among those that have benefited from his experience, wisdom and generosity. Over almost the last decade, I've had the opportunity to work alongside Rich and his staff, teaching some of the workshops offered by Rich Clarkson and Associates.

As part of their ongoing series, The Picture Show, NPR joined a reunion, assembled in Rich's honor, of former journalists from the Topeka Capital-Journal. This is where it all started for Rich and so many others under his guidance. Tales from these early days are but a few in his mental archive. His time and experience have helped him to become one of the finest story tellers in the industry. Whether before a large crowd in an auditorium, or leading court at a bar with martini in hand, Rich always commands attention.

Don't miss your own opportunity to study with one of the true legends of the craft. Join Rich and the rest of the staff at the Adventure Photography Workshop, September 26 - October 1, 2010 in Jackson Hole, WY. More details to come!

UPDATE - LA Talk Radio - Interview

If you're at a computer on Saturday and are looking for a fun listen, tune in online to LA Talk Radio Channel 1. I'm this week's guest on "Hard Knocks with the Averys", airing at 2 pm PST. Past guests have included Mario Andretti and pro skateboarding legend Christian Hosoi. I'll be talking with Rick Avery and his sons Brian and Mike, three of Hollywood's top stunt men. There's sure to be some great conversation on a life filled with adventure.

UPDATE

Just in case you missed the broadcast, I have uploaded the audio from Saturday's show. I had a great conversation with the crew of Hard Knocks about cameras, rock climbing and of course, burritos. Click the link below or visit the Hard Knocks site to listen to the show.

Corey Rich on Hard Knocks

Lowepro – Product Catalog

Alongside fellow Aurora photographers Michael Clark, Andrew Kornylak and Peter McBride, Lowepro has included me in their newest product catalog. I will jump at any opportunity to talk about all of the great features of Lowepro camera bags and luggage. Much of the well-deserved credit goes to Lowepro VP of Design, Pete Hill and his amazing team. Every photographer carrying a Lowepro bag today travels a bit easier as a result of their ongoing desire to design the perfect bag. Knowing that perfect means different things to different people, the designers work with an open ear and well trained eyes, always happy to hear suggestions. I can't imagine trying to do my job without this gear.

Read more on Pete's work as part of the Lowepro-Aurora Photos Design Council.

Heavenly Mountain Resort - Behind the Scenes

Every photo shoot takes careful thought and planning. Add a helicopter to the mix and that effort doubles. Timing becomes even more critical and clear communication is essential. Once I’m on the ground and look through the set of images, it becomes immediately apparent that it’s well worth the effort.

In the hopes of continually pushing the limits of my work for Heavenly Mountain Resort, my team just pulled together another beautifully executed heli shoot. With the cooperation of Mountain Ops, a seasoned pilot on hold and 12 amazing athletes geared up and ready to rip, we watched the weather, waited for the perfect moment and went for it. We were treated to blue skies above and fresh snow below. The winds picked up later in the morning, forcing an early landing, but not before we captured some amazing images.

You’ll have to wait until next season to see any of the images, but in the mean time, check out this behind the scenes video shot by Heavenly videographer, Dane Henry. A talented eye and a great friend, Dane and I have many opportunities to work together on some great projects. Check out more of his video work on the Heavenly site.

Aurora Photos - 2009 Photographers Meeting Recap

As a look back at 2009, Aurora Photos has posted a video recap of our annual photographers meeting in Sebago, ME.

As some of you may know, I am part owner of Aurora Photos. While watching the video, I was reminded of the amazing spirit created by the contributors and staff.  For those of you who are Aurora contributors and have not made it to past meetings, I strongly encourage you to make it this fall. I know this is far out but it is worth getting on your radar.

In addition to a great time spent with fellow photographers and the inside tips shared by the Aurora staff, attendees are treated to an A-List of special guests. Past speakers have included MediaStorm founder Brian Storm, National Geographic Senior Photo Editor Sadie Quarrier, renowned photographer and former Director of Photography at the National Geographic Rich Clarkson and photographer/rock climbing pioneer Tom Frost.

Much of the credit for the continued success of the annual meeting goes to Lowepro and their support of Aurora Photos. This is a great continuation of my personal connection to Lowepro, as I’ve been using their gear since I was a freshman in college.  Many thanks go out to them for all they have done.

Click here to watch the video. Hope to see you at this year’s meeting!

Nikon / Digital Photo Pro - Print Ad

"Inside the Photographer's Studio", a series of Nikon ads profiling photographers at work has recently taken a look into my "studio". As is often the case for me, the studio featured here exists on the side of a rock wall.

Aside from my review of the amazing Nikon D300S, the ad touches on my source for philosophies on life/work (Willie Nelson), my favorite photographer (Tom Frost) and features a photo of publisher, athlete, belayer to the stars and one of my best friends (the recently engaged Chris McNamara). Click here to read the full interview and to see a gallery of my images from some recent assignments, all shot with the D300S.

Red Bull Illume - 2010 Photo Competition

After a very successful inaugural year in 2007, Red Bull Illume is back in 2010! Red Bull has put this together to showcase the world’s most outstanding adventure sports images, as well as celebrate the passion, thrilling lifestyle and culture behind the shots. The photographers that brave the planet’s harshest terrains to freeze those precious moments in time will be honored.

A cool video has been posted to the Illume site to help build the excitement for this year's competition. Check it out here. Included in the video is my winning photo from 2007 of Chris Sharma.

On January 26th, I will be in Las Vegas on behalf of Red Bull at the Caramel Lounge in the Bellagio to promote Illume . If you have have any interest in photos, music, dancing and drinks, you will not want to miss this!

Illume is a great opportunity for photographers.The submissions deadline is February 28, 2010. Click here for all the details.

*UPDATE* - Shortly after posting the above, I boarded a plane, having just spent 4 weeks in Argentina. On assignment for Red Bull, I documented David Lama's attempt to free climb Cerro Torre. Now on my way back to Tahoe, I sit in an airport in Buenos Aires, drinking a Red Bull, getting ready for the next 20 hours of travel. This stuff is great!

PDNedu - Interview

I was recently interviewed by PDNedu to talk about my use of industry networks and social media to stay in touch with colleagues and glean industry information. I was interviewed along with Joe McNally, Doug Menuez, Chase Jarvis, Lacey Ann Johnson, Steve Simon, Darcy Padilla and Ami Vitale. Please see below for the full text of my contribution.

"My photography friends are my most valuable resource network (these include college buddies, past instructors, colleagues, mentors and even clients). I guess you could call me a little old-fashioned, but when I really need an answer to a pressing photo-related question, I still pick up my iPhone and begin dialing. One of the beauties of this job, being a professional photographer, is that our lives and our work blend seamlessly together, so I feel comfortable calling any of the members of my "photo family" any day of the week, day or night; and I expect the same from them.

I also rely heavily on my agency as a resource network. I am both a contributing photographer and principal at Aurora Photos, and one of the things that we pride ourselves on at Aurora is that we are a family of photographers. We are a small company and have a very close-knit group of contributors and staff. Many of us are connected through the typical social networking tools: LinkedIn, Facebook, Lightstalkers, Sportsshooter, and of course we exchange regular email. Aurora Photos hosts an Annual Photographers Meeting in Maine each fall for our contributors and staff. It is an extraordinary event because the attendees are all working professionals (both photographers and editors, plus the Aurora staff) and this event always serves as an incredible motivational gathering and a live social networking event. It is sort of an Eddie Adams Workshop exclusively for pros."

Dean Potter's Wingsuit World Record - Nikon Ad

One of the great privileges of my job is having the opportunity to watch world class athletes like Dean Potter redefine the limits of the human body. For years, Dean has pushed the envelope in rock climbing and BASE jumping. What he has done now with a wingsuit is, in a word, radical. He has proven that humans can indeed fly.

Last month, while on assignment in Zurich, I made a quick side trip to the Eiger to reconnect with Dean and document a new world record. Regarded as one of the planet’s premiere jump sites, the Eiger was the perfect location for Dean’s record setting flight. Taking to the sky from a rock outcropping just below the Eiger’s 13,025 ft. peak, equipped with only a nylon wingsuit and a lightweight parachute, Potter flew over 9,000 vertical feet and nearly 3.5 miles forward in horizontal distance. While Dean stepped into thin air, I was behind a camera within the relative “safety” of a helicopter (which the pilot sent into a spin in effort to follow the action).

The story of Dean’s new record, as well as details of my work with the brand new Nikon D300s have become the subject of a the new ad featured above, running exclusively in PDN.

 

PDN - Interview

Nine months ago, I read a short story in Time magazine which extolled the virtues of the new Nikon D90 – a DSLR with the ability to capture HD video. I immediately called Nikon. I wanted to see this for myself.

Later that week, carrying no more than a camera body and a few lenses, my Studio Director, Blaine Deutsch and I set off to shoot a test piece – a look behind the scenes at Corey Rich Photography. After the first take, I quickly realized the amazing potential in this new camera. The image quality is phenomenal. The look of a million dollar production from a camera that costs less than $900.

Since that day, this camera has been used much more as we change the way we approach assignments. It’s amazing to think that we now can now capture the assets of a print campaign and a TV spot with a single camera.

Click here to read my interview with PDN about the HD capable DSLRs and be sure to check out Blaine’s video debut. Who knew he’d be getting this much fan mail!