Smugmug video with Kevin Winzeler

My website partner, Smugmug, recently dialed up this little promo video.  I jumped at the chance to participate as their Sports and Active Lifestyle Photographer of choice and to have featured a recent cycling shoot here in the Wasatch mountains of Utah. For nearly four years, I have been a customer of theirs and have recommended their Pro service to someone on almost a weekly basis.  Amazing work on this piece Anton lorimer and team!    (In full disclosure, there was no pay for this). 

Outdoor Photography Expo - Salt Lake City Wrapped!

Thank you to all who attended my seminar on Photography Story telling & Lighting at last weeks Outdoor Photography Expo in my hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah.  We had 95% of the audience stay after the session ended for an additional half hour.  It was awesome hanging out with such an enthusiastic group of photographers, so thank you for coming out!

A special thanks also to the folks at PDN for making this happen in Salt Lake City!  Great job.  Also, thank you to my assistants as well as our volunteer athlete, Chris for putting in a solid 45 minute work-out during our live demo!

For those that missed the event, but would be interested in hearing what was talked about, I may present again locally (Utah) if there's enough interest.  Hit "Like" on my facebook page and tell me if you're interested.


Thanks,
Kevin Winzeler
Sports and Active Lifestyle Photographer

Presenting @ 2011 PDN Outdoor Photo Expo! Topic: Story telling, Lighting and Adobe Lightroom

If you are even remotely interested in photography, adventure or the outdoors, then you best be in attendance at the first ever PDN Outdoor Photo Expo.  I received a call a few months back and was asked to present a 2 hour seminar on the topic of my choice.  I was game!  So, here are the details:

Topic: SHOOTING + LIGHTING

Lighting and Storytelling: Natural Light, Strobes & Adobe Lightroom [FA1]
Kevin Winzeler
Sponsored by Adobe

In this session, award-winning photographer Kevin Winzeler will take you behind the scenes and discuss lighting as a powerful story telling element. Light is the essence of photography and it will communicate radically different emotions and story lines based on it's use. By building your lighting knowledge and arsenal, you'll be better equipped to shoot the personal work that inspires you and deliver exceptional results to the clients that hire you. We'll discuss the nuances of lighting by utilizing both the natural light around you (reflecting, diffusing, shaping) as well as introducing artificial light (both small and large strobes) when necessary. Lastly, we'll discuss the use of Adobe Lightroom in your workflow to select and complete the perfect image. Bring your questions for a Q&A at the end. All levels.

Date: Friday, Aug. 5th from 8-10am.
Location: Hilton Salt Lake City Center
Register here: http://www.outdoorphotoexpo.com/ope/

Okay, here's what I need from you!   If you are coming or tuning in via the web or at all interested in storytelling, lighting or lightroom, then what do you want to learn about during my session??  Let's hear it!   Send me some questions here, on my FB page or tweet it.   I'll pull from here for my Q&A at the end as well.

I do promise you'll see some brand spankin' new work as well as a LIVE lighting demo (shhhh).  I'm stoked to share as much as possible within the two hour time limit.  Come enjoy!

Thanks,
Kevin

Scouting near Interstate 15. Utah.

A few photographs from the evenings scouting trip.  The full-moon rise was unexpected and enjoyable; a wonderful evening to browse the local stomping ground.

Kevin
Sports & Active Lifestyle Photographer

A Portfolio Review - Photographers

A couple of weeks back, I organized a portfolio review for a few photographers.  The goal was to get some critical feedback and improve our respective portfolios.  Work was done. Good times were had. Thanks for the feedback gents. Check out the 60 second time lapse footage below...along with some imagery at the end.

-Kevin Winzeler  

Active Lifestyle and Sports photographer

IS EXERCISE FUN? (Sports and Active lifestyle photography & Film)

Quick question for you today:  IS EXERCISE FUN?

I'm really curious what ya'll think, so please answer the following in the comments below:

Is Exercise fun?
1) Yes or No?
2) What you do for exercise and what have tried before?
3) Why is it or isn't it fun for you?


Let's hear it!

Kevin Winzeler
Sports, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor Photographer

Smile today. Celebrating active fitness and active lifestyles. Photography and Film

There's something contagious about smiles.  Even when your day is on the fritz and life's overwhelming, a smile can change the way we feel in an instant.  The beauty of the still photograph over any other medium, including film, is the ability to capture an authentic moment and lock it away in time.  Genuine smiles are fantastic moments in life.  We need more of them!  I mean, who can honestly look at someone full of smiles and not break out into a smile themselves? C'mon at least a smirk!?  Smiley people rock!

- Kevin Winzeler

Photographer | Filmaker 

Active lifestyles. Sports. Outdoors

Get OUTside of your comfort zone and try something new. Photographing in Zion National Park, Utah

When's the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?  The feeling of fear that grips all of us the first time we step into unfamiliar territory is both terrifying and exhilarating, but the rewards are well worth it and it's amazing how much fun trying something new can be!

Last Fall, I photographed a group of business executives during an epic canyoneering trip in Zion National park, Utah.  In a short seven mile span, these corporate folks experienced (for the first time) the vacuum packed feeling of putting on a dry suit followed by a neck deep plunge into frigid 48 degree water.  Next came a series of seven rappels and slot canyon maneuvering (squeezing some not-so-slender bodies through some rather slender spaces).  

At the end of the day, these folks were all smiles and ready for more; having left the world and comfort of iphone checking and business transacting and into activity, the outdoors and the rush of a life changing experience.  Excellent stuff!

So, what are you going to do this week OUTside of your comfort zone? 

-Kevin Winzeler

Active. Lifestyle. Outdoors. Photography.

Tell good stories. Forget the gear.

At times we forget that it's the stories (not the gear) that inspire thought, provoke action and rekindle love.  Well told stories through both photograph and film open our eyes and hearts to the possibilities around.  New gear inspires us to spend money. :)

Thanks to DP and film maker Shane Hurlbut for this reminder - "Story is what matters most, not the tools.  When I read a script for the first, second and third time I do not think about my responsibilities as a filmmaker, they are always at the back of my mind but not the go to reflex. I love experimenting with new technology. It’s like being a pioneer such as Lewis and Clarke, navigating the uncharted waters, or being the first man on the moon. But this is only a means to an end. You are trying to tell a story with images that enable people from around the world to share in that experience."  More of Shane's post here

-Kevin Winzeler
Commercial Photographer and Film maker

Mauna Kea - The Big Island of Hawaii - Photography and Film

Hey folks - I'm on the road again this week heading to Boulder, Colorado for a trail running photo shoot, but had to get a little Hawaii footage up as a quick preview from last months trip. 

This footage was primarily shot near 14,000 feet atop the world famous Mauna Kea.   Yes, high elevation and snow both exist in Hawaii!  My primary purpose on the big island was to knock out a bunch of epic time lapse shots of Mauna Kea, telescopes, star trails, the Milky Way and more.  As luck would have it, I had five days planned for the shoot and was skunked the first four out of five days!  (All this on a mountain that boasts clear skies about 95% of the year)  Thick cloud layers continuously gathered and vog, snow, rain and sleet pounded the top of the mountain for the first four days.  I was a bit stressed to say the least.  On the final day and night, the skies cleared and I snagged the resulting footage.  For one nights work, I was pretty pleased with the results.

*As a little warning to those visiting and shooting Mauna Kea; when you blast up the mountain from Sea level to 14,000 ft. without taking the recommended time to acclamate at the visitor center, you will get altitude sickness!   Coming from Utah, where I regularly spend time at 10,000 feet +, I thought I would be the exception to the rule, but the big Mauna Kea threw her wrath my way with a massive headache, insane amount of nausia and barely enough strength to lift my camera bag into the rental car; seriously crazy stuff! I barely held it together as I composed two time lapse shots, started my intervalometer and rolled down the winding road back to 8,000 feet to recover and get some rest for the night. My cameras survived and so did I.

More Hawaii photography to come...this is just a test clip

-Kevin Winzeler

commercial photographer and film maker

Technical info:

Equipement:
Time lapse shots were taken on two 5D Mark II's with an intervalometer. File type: Raw
Lenses: 16-35mm f/2.8 @ f/2.8, 15mm Fisheye f/2.8 @ f/2.8
Support: Sachtler Cine DSLR Head and CF75 legs (shown above)
Other:
-Glidecam HD2000
-RRS - Plates and QR clamps
Packs: Clik Elite

Post-processing:

-Adobe Lightroom 3 (Import and batch processing of all frames)
-Adobe After Effects CS5 (clip assembly and key frames at 16 bits and export to ProRes)
-Adobe Premiere CS5 (cut sequence together)

Today's Message - Make time for the most important stuff!

In the midst of creating that epic photograph, tweaking, your marketing plan, blogging, Facebook'ing, adventuring, directing, and whatever else you devote your 24/7 to, remember to make time for the most important things in life!  Last week's post about my good friend Daniel and his paralyzing accident was a stark reminder about what those important things consist of for me.   I'm grateful today for an amazing family, wife and kids, genuine friends, and the lens of faith that brings proper perspective and balance to it all.  

-Kevin Winzeler

Husband, Father, Friend, Photographer

Comic by xkcd

Need your help! Athlete and friend, Daniel Velasco seriously injured in Paragliding accident.

Hey folks,
I write today with a heavy heart and ask for your faith, prayers and financial support for a good friend!  Last week, I received an email that stopped me in my tracks and made all the things I had planned for the day completely insignificant.  My mind started spinning and I could barely focus on the photo shoot I was about to undertake.  I learned that an amazing athlete and good friend, Daniel Velasco, had suffered a severe spinal cord injury as a result of a paragliding accident and may not walk again.  We need to raise money as Daniel does not have medical insurance and has a long road to recovery.  Read more and donate here: http://www.kauailovesyou.com/kauailovesyou/Daniel_Velasco_Fund.html

It was just over a year ago that I met one of the coolest guys I've come to know as I was recruiting athletes/models for a trail running shoot in Kauai, HI.  Daniels girlfriend had seen a local ad posted about the shoot and responded with a recommendation that I use Daniel.  The next day I was on the phone from Utah talking to a guy I hadn't met, but could tell he was going to be the perfect athlete to work with.  Not only that, but he offered this random haole photographer from Utah (me) a tour of all the best trail running locations once I arrived and anything else I needed while on his home island.  This guy was awesome, I thought to myself as I hung up the phone!  Upon arriving in Kauai and meeting up with Daniel the next morning I was amazed at how generous he was once again to a complete stranger; his smile and zest for life were contagious and I felt like I had know him all of my life, like two old friends back together to hang out for a week of awesome action and fun.  Our photo shoot carried out the next day and like many shoots required the 4:00am start time to shoot sunrise and a subsequent 12 hour day of shooting and non-stop running to follow.  My classic, "one more lap" was echoed throughout the day as we moved back and forth all over the Naapali coast trail probably putting in 12-15 miles of running.  He was unstoppable, never tired, had the form of a champion and the best attitude of any athlete I've ever worked with.  We created some killer images that day for my client and as a bonus Trail Runner Magazine put one of our shots on their Fall, 2010 Cover.  We were both stoked!  Shaka!  We've stayed in touch since the shoot even talking just the few days before his accident about how awesome it is to ride, run, surf and play outside.  In addition to his trail running prowess, Daniel is an awesome triathlete (one of Kauai's best), mountain biker and surfer.   He enjoys kite boarding and para gliding among other outdoor activities.  The guy's passion is contagious and he lives and breathes exercise, activity and the outdoors; which makes this accident even more devastating.

So, I'm writing to share a story that is close to me and to ask for your help!  Please help in any way you can.  Again, Daniel did not have insurance at the time of his accident and needs financial support!


1) Donate anything you can here.
2) Your prayers and faith will also be a tremendous blessing to Daniel as we have hope for a miraculous recovery!
3) Drop a quick email to offer encouragement here.  DanielVelasco@yahoo.com
4) Share this link via Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.  Let's raise some money for Daniel!

DANIEL - We love you buddy!  Hang in there! If there's anyone that can get back on their feet, it's you!  Stay strong and keep smiling brightly.

Creating long exposures in mid-day sun. Photographing in Kauai (Tiffin IR ND Filters)

Location: Kauai, HI (Hanalei bay pier)

Photographing land and seascapes in Kauai is an epic experience and the Hanalei bay pier is just one location to check out when you visit.  On my recent trip to the islands, I was primarily shooting film and video for a commercial project I'm working on.  Of course, the beauty of filming on DSLR's (the primary tool for this project), is that there's always the opportunity to shoot a photograph without much of a set-up change.  Such was the case for this shot.

Let's talk shop for a minute - there are two things you might pick up on in this image:

1) There's direct sunlight hitting the pier.

2) The water is at a complete standstill.

The truth is that this image was taken on one of the best surf days of the year in Kauai.  There was a 20-30 foot swell that followed the disastrous Japan Tsunami all the way to the islands (fortunately doing little damage to the islands) and the tow-in surfers were out in spades getting in on the swell.  The large sets were breaking well outside of this frame, but there was a decent little break all the way to the beach.  

So how do we expose for long periods of time with that much light and create the effect of a sea of glass? ND filters to the rescue!  I pushed this exposure to 30 seconds and f/22 using one of my favorite tools, a 77mm Tiffin, 7-stop (2.1), IRND filter.  A 7 stop filter is an awesome tool for pushing your seascape photography into a different realm.  All of the sudden you can start experimenting with longer exposures at high noon on a bluebird day!  

For more info on the filters I use and why:

I hate to carry more gear than needed, especially when traveling, so I have one set of filters that I use for both Video and photography - Tiffin IR-ND series filters - 7 Filters total (1-7 stops).  I won't go anywhere without these babies.  This is the first filter specifically designed to shoot video on DSLR's and produce the best image (no IR contamination) bar none.  They rule for photographs in the same way.  Check Shane Hurlbut's Tiffin IR ND Filter test, for an industry leading opinion if you have any questions.  They're a bit spendy, but well worth it. 

Video Note:  [Why you need ND filters for filming:  As many of you do, I shoot a lot of film/video in addition to my photographic work and ND filters are one of the most important tools to create a shallow depth of field in brightly lit situations for film.  Shooting video on a DSLR (or any camera) means that your shutter speed is a constant (e.g. 1/50th of a second for 24p footage) and thus the only way to shoot at say f/2.8 or wider in bright light is to pull out the ND's.  You can't bump your shutter up to 1/5,000 of a second anymore.]

-Kevin Winzeler

Active lifestyle, sport and commercial photographer

CarboRocket - Winner of the Photo Shoot Giveaway

And the winner is....CarboRocket!

As many of you know, we had a plethora of great entries into the photo shoot giveaway.  I'm pleased to announce that after much deliberation and research into each of these organizations, we've come to a decision on the winning company for the photo shoot.  Congratulations to founder and owner Brad Keyes and CarboRocket! We look forward to creating some epic imagery for your company Brad.

For those unfamiliar with this company (as I was), just take a quick read of Brad's story and you'll become quite curious about who this guy is and what this little company is all about.  I was rolling on the ground laughing after the first paragraph:   In his words: "I'm kind of a wimp. My wife hates to admit it but she's married to a delicate man. Sure, I like to punish myself on day long rides and can be found racing my mountain bike nearly every weekend all summer long. I like to think I'm tough. I'm not." -- finish the story here


I conversed with Brad via email multiple times during the decision process and was really impressed with his vision, love and passion for the outdoors and desire to help people get out there and live an active lifestyle.  As I told Brad, I also have a soft spot for anyone that takes a risk by going out on their own and doing what they love which he as done with this company.   In a brutally competitive market (think Gatorade, Energy Drinks, Hammer, Powerbar, etc.), he's serving up a product that is getting rave reviews and helping both the elite athlete as well as the average Joe (me) stay hydrated and refueled from a product filled with natural ingredients and not a bunch of sugar and chemical non-sense.  He mentioned the company is at a tipping point where if they can pick up a few key distributors there's potential to reach thousands of retailers nation-wide.  We hope photo shoot will get you on your way to landing those big distributors Brad!

As this blog entry goes live, we'll be informing CarboRocket of the good news!  For all the Photographers out there interested in the BTS goods, we'll also be taking you behind the scenes showing you the photo shoot from pre-production to the big day, so stick with us for some fun times ahead.

GIVEAWAY DAY 4 - Shimano XTR Pedals, Tech4o Watch, Clik Pack

LAST GIVEAWAY DAY: Get your fitness on!!!

*PLEASE NOTE! - To WIN, first nominate a company and then share this idea (link) with at least 10 PEOPLE you know (Facebook, Email, Etc.).  In the spirit of Thanksgiving :)

FIRST NAME DRAWN: -New 2011 Shimano PD-M980 XTR Pedals ($200)

SECOND NAME DRAWN: Clik Compact Sport Pack ($150)

THIRD NAME DRAWN: Tech4o Accelerator Carbon Watch ($70)

Here's how you win:

1) Think of a start-up company or non-profit organization in the fitness, outdoor or sports industry for the Grand Prize Giveaway - A fully paid, commercial Photo Shoot.

2) Write their name in the comments section and share this link with at least 10 more people (Facebook, Email, etc.)

3) Win cool gear!

More details (below):

Here's the scoop:  We want to help a new company or non-profit successfully get their name and product out into the marketplace by giving away a full blown commercial photo shoot - for free!  This will include everything from a preproduction phone call with the owners, directors or creative department to a full day of shooting with models and all the equipment necessary and lastly all post-production required to tie the shoot together.   I'm extremely excited to help a deserving organization out!

Now, In addition to this grand prize, we are doing a daily give-away just for nominating a company you think deserves this opportunity.  You can't nominate your own company (but a friend can).  To win, enter a new company name (no repeats  please).  The drawing will be at random at the end today at 10:00pm MST (12:00pm EST).  Please think of an organization or individual that is really deserving and fits the criteria mentioned above.   If they don't have a website or information, please tell us a little bit about them.

For anyone interested in getting involved either giving away something this week or participating in the shoot, please email me (info (at) kevinwinzeler.com) with details.  I would love to see a Creative & art directors, models, assistants donate their time for this project.

Huge thanks to the Shimano, Clik and Tech4o

GIVEAWAY DAY 3 - Adobe Photoshop CS5, Lastolite, Tiffen, Smugmug

TODAY's GIVEAWAY: Over $1100 worth of goods!!

*PLEASE NOTE TODAY's RULE CHANGE! - In addion to nominating a company, you must share this link with at least 10 PEOPLE you know (Facebook, Email, Etc.).  In the spirit of Thanksgiving :)

FIRST NAME DRAWN: -Full license of Adobe Photoshop CS5 ($699)

SECOND NAME DRAWN: Tiffen Dfx Software & Lastolite Triflip Kit LR3696 ($300)

THIRD NAME DRAWN: Smugmug Pro Account ($150)

Huge thanks to the Tiffen, Bogen and Smugmug