Ski Racing Group»2020-21 Ski Season Group»Alyeska Cup

This group will hold a gallery for each of the races in the series.

The Ski Race Photo FAQs explain some basics about why I photograph ski racing and my goals. The FAQs discuss why there are more images of some racers than others. (Sometimes it is a matter of luck: I miss someone completely if the camera autofocus freezes or I have to change cards or batteries or the viewfinder fogs up at a crucial moment.) Sometimes it is by choice. Although I shoot a lot of frames (maybe 30) per racer per run, I try to upload only technically good images (properly focused) that also show some level of racing competency. Sometimes I show an entire sequence, when the racer is doing something, or when things suddenly go south.

Some people have been interested in how I select images to send the newspaper. I usually send two photos, one woman and one man, to the ADN after each day of racing. I rarely send three, with an explanation. I don’t always include a photo of the outright winner. There are various considerations; nothing is hard and fast. It is a subjective conglomeration of factors. I’m looking for variety, the same things the Sports and Photo editors want. They don’t want the same racer every race, or identical crush-the-gate shots. I also consider how often a racer has been depicted, how many more seasons a racer might have (U19s who haven’t been depicted before are favored), how dynamic and athletic the image is. And there are other imponderables. If I’ve seen a racer training hard or striving for season-after-season, that might count. Educating the public can matter: a particular move (hand on snow), a cool transition between gates, a great start. Whatever. Fans of particular racers can be disappointed, of course. We don’t get as much photo coverage now as we used to, despite the best efforts of the Sports staff. That’s partly why I upload a variety of photos after races: to depict effort and excellence and success and, sometimes, what can go wrong.