Powder Day In Black and White

Powder Day In Black and White

I visited A-Basin Ski Resort in May. There was a storm the night before and I knew that if I wanted to squeeze in one last powder day this year, that this day would be it.

I brought my Fuji X100F along with me and my intention was to ski and also to photograph. 

The morning was beautiful with scattered clouds overhead and four inches of fresh snow blanketing the mountain. 

The quality of light in the high alpines on an early morning is wonderful. There’s a softness to it. 

This time of year, Colorado Springs has that same feeling. You might notice that you’re getting up earlier, even before sunrise, and when you go outside, there is a kind of light you haven’t seen since last year at this time.

I waited in line with my camera and when I got on the first chairlift of the day, started to take pictures.

As skiers descend they made patterns in the snow. Long, smooth lines on a canvas of white that I photographed as they went underneath my chair.

Riding a chairlift is a spectator sport on a day like this one. And once at the top, it’s your turn to paint the canvas. I made it a point to ski underneath the lift and photograph my own art work.

Later in the day I ascended the East Wall, a steep area marked by a ring of cliffs and chutes you can ski down. It was the last run of the day. On my way up a ski patrol passed by making graceful turns and hollered out, “Happy May!”

Skiier descends the East Wall of Abasin

Happy May indeed. Only in Colorado can you have an experience like this. Here are some pictures from that morning. I made them black and white. Black and white gives the photographs a certain lyrical quality.

Back to blog