Fall Preview

Seems I got the cover of Kiteboarding magazine, a full page ad in Outside as well as a full page ad in Skiing magazine thanks to Native.

Keep your eyes peeled for the launch of Native Eyewear's campaign soon. A crazy week shooting here in August with great people. The stuff should be dynamite.

Native Crew Selected

I've been selected as part of a local team to tell the story of Hood River for an upcoming ad campaign for Native Eyewear. I have to say a big thanks to everyone who voiced their support of me to Native and their agency ThinkMotive. I am super excited to participate in the sharing of this amazing place and the incredible people here.

I am also stoked to work with a diverse and talented group of writers, specifically Temira Wagonfeld and Phineas England.

In the next few weeks we'll be asking the locals to assist in the effort by helping identify places of interest, incredible local businesses, the special hangouts and adventure zones deserving recognition. It wouldn't be totally fair to just do it ourselves. This project is about involving the community too.

We'll be seeking local top athletes in all sports to profile (bike, ski, windsurf, skate, kite, climb, kayak), as well as looking for the unsung local who breathes Hood River in their daily lifestyle. Artists, musicians, surfboard shapers, brewmasters, who ever they may be.

I'll also be seeking input for any local events between the shoot dates of August 18-21 worthy of recognition (like Post and Pint), and especially the local organizations that are working to make the community better (such as The Slider Project, Gorge Freeride Association, Columbia River Keepers).

But most importantly I'll need feedback regarding the stories and tales of the Hood. The unique the bizarre, the legendary stuff of Hood River's past. That lore deserves to be documented and shared.

We all know this place is special. I want to hear why it is from you. You can do this by emailing me directly (lance@ionimagery.com), calling me (503.544.6387) or just stopping me on the street.

You can also do it by clicking this link and posting your suggestion on the Tales from the Hood Facebook page. There the Native peeps will be giving away sunglasses. I think it's a weekly give away, I also think the more you post the better your chances to win are.

Thanks again everyone for the support.

Gitty Up

Another sneak look at the Slingshot Team shoot. Here Alex Fox get's his cowboy on.

Sneak Peek- Slingshot 2012 shoot

Triple 14 hour days- the Slingshot shoot going on right now is a brutal one. I am so stoked on the results however... the talent, locations, personalities make doing my job a total dream.

We had some pretty cool clouds late into the evening our first day... the results were pretty dramatic. In this shot Eric Reinstra rips a fat railey in far eastern gorge secret spot.

Slingshot Peek- SUP

A sneak peak at the new ad and line of Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP) developed by Slingshot Sports. The ad will be featured this month in Standup Journal, and marks their official launch into the market.

Slingshot creative director Gary Huck really wanted something edgier than the traditional SUP photograph to set the stage for the company's move. Their brand has long strived to be an innovator in kite, wake, and surfboard design. There is no doubt they will change the way SUP's are perceived, built and used.

A big part of that comes from the fact they are bringing their development and manufacturing back to the United States.

Taking a fresh look at the status quo and aiming to do something different is always a tremendous personal motivator. I was stoked to be asked to be apart of it and am looking forward to developing their image further.

adidas originals

Packing gear and headed to Portland for a couple days where I'll be on location shooting for adidas originals. Their retro line blurs 70's-80's designs with a urban soulful vibe. I totally dig it... they've worked hard to craft their brand with texture 'n grit, and it totally shows.

They've been great clients to work with in the past. A lot of fun.

Will post up some images as the shoot progresses if things are a manageable chaos. Somehow things always work a little better for me when the unknown shows up in a shoot. I wouldn't want to be a part of something completely controlled and sterile as there's nothing real about that.

Chaos ultimately rules anyways... submitting to it is very liberating experience. My mantra- hold on for the ride.

A peek at the streets of adidas originals.

Patagonia Catalog

An honor and lifelong dream for me to find my work included in the Summer 2011 Patagonia catalog. Jane, Suz, Jenning, and Andrew at Patagonia have made their seasonal mailer something everyone looks forward to no matter what aspect of nature or sport they are into.

Through their hard work sourcing imagery, stories and the pertinent environmental issues of the hour, their edit and resulting catalogs are much more than a consumer purchasing resource. It is a uplifting and positive look at what drives the passion behind Patagonia and the reason they exist.


caption information-
Australian Dano See smacks a September lip on the Central Oregon Coast. The first winter swell of the season had everyone scrambling as clean wind and massive waves rolled into the south jetty of Newport.

Taking a break between kite sessions I saw a helicopter buzz over the beach. A couple phone calls later I found myself strapping in to a cockpit with an old timer named Wally who was absent mindedly preparing to pilot our toy of a helicopter out over the pacific ocean in winds gusting over 40 mph.

I've flown in helicopters in Valdez and the Alps persuing mountains, but never hanging out with my feet on the skid shooting friends smack double overhead swell. Still wet and salty from my session in the waves, the change of perspective from being to seeing rider and kite in motion- working together, has never before been more evident.

This shot is representative of an epiphany. There is so much more at work than just the body, board, wave relationship in kiting. A true kiter moves the kite as an extension of them self. The wave a canvas... a perfect moment shared with the elements of nature.

Sneak Peek- Slingshot

There's a new creative mind over at Slingshot. Art Director Gary Huck is redefining the brand. I've seen several of the new comps coming out and they all are amazing.

Here's a peek at the next Ruben ad using photography we captured this past summer.

Dakine Kiter- Eric Rienstra

Latest issue of SBC Kiteboard features a new ad with Dakine.

I'd been eyeing this angle on Mt Hood for a little while. The spot needed morning light and heavy wind to work due to a large wind shadow at the launch. I texted Eric from my bed early after listening to the wind chimes hammer all night, I was surprised to hear my phone ring 5 minutes later. Eric isn't known to be a morning person... but you can always count on his stoke to get out and ride no matter what.


Grabbing gear and meeting up we realized, of course... that neither of us had a working pump. As precious morning light tick'ed away we ripped over to a friend's garage, breaking in to root through some old gear. We found a pump only after it looked like we had totally botched the setup.

The launch itself required a bit of a trek. Passing barbed wire, train track, fecal ponds and blackberry bushes- the beach was one to earn. Made that much more difficult barefoot.

With one sketch launch zone and mega gusty conditions Eric made it happen. We ended shooting sun up to sun down that day. Covering nearly 50 miles of the Gorge. The entire time Eric was at it charging... stoked.

Keen Kayaker- Simon Hirter

Hybridlife clip from Keen featuring the photography I shot with Simon Hirther, a fantastic athlete who lives in Interlaken Switzerland.

Simon is a positive spirit and activist for nature. I greatly enjoyed our time together and the late night discussions about the evolution of human consciousness, what environmentalism means and the healing power that nature has.

Heavy thoughts shared in the deep forest and mountains of the Swiss Alps- truly a magical and powerful place of inspiration.