Generally Chill, Frequently Stoked

Tim Kemple with a slam dunk

#AirKemple

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Solid week in Sedona.

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I don’t usually post stories behind my images, but I was recently asked by the guys at Light if I’d be interested in blogging about one of my favorite images for them to share on their Vantage Photography Blog. If you haven’t heard about their revolutionary L16 camera, I definitely suggest you check it out. It’s basically a  compact camera, the size of an iphone, with 16 different lenses on it that can make up for a wide range of focal lengths and some enormous file resolution. I can’t wait to try one out for myself.

So the story behind this image… This was taken toward the end of a 2-week project, titled “Slacklust: Coast to Crest” where I circled California in a van with 3 other athletes. We spent those two weeks climbing, hiking, and highlining in the most notable places we could visit. 

The point of the trip was to showcase the drastically diverse California landscapes that lend themselves to some of the best recreation in the states. We dealt with rain, snow, sleet, and sun. Deserts, mountains, rugged coastline, and open prairies. Some of the locations included Bishop, Joshua Tree, Big Sur, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

This image was taken in Big Sur. We set out early in the morning to rig the highline in pouring rain and heavy clouds. The whole day was a bit miserable and definitely wasn’t helping me make the image I had expected. 

We trudged through and got the line rigged, all getting a chance to session on it. After all, there’s not much else to do on the coast in the rain. Figured we’d make the best of it.

We were almost ready to de-rig the line and the sun miraculously shot through the clouds, bathing everything in soft, diffused golden light. I grabbed my 5d Mark III and a 16-35 and 24-105 and started booking it through the hillside covered in poison oak, which I luckily didn’t catch.

Since I packed the minimal amount of gear with me, I circled the entire bridge, from back in the canyon, to off on the rocky coastline as fast as possible. We had about an hour of the beautiful light before it disappeared and I managed to make this shot, which ended up becoming one of my favorites from the year.

The lesson to I learned from it all was that you should never let bad weather dampen your plans outdoors. It may not be comfortable, but weather almost always leads to the most dramatic light and landscapes. It can definitely be a hit or a miss, but when it’s a hit, it’s be a grand slam.

Hope you guys dig the image and thanks for reading!

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Victor Ramirez about to top out Paddy’s Pub in DTLA

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Weighing in at 220′ long at almost 10,000′ elevation, the Eichorn Pinnacle to Cathedral highline is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen.

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Always a pleasure to time in Joshua Tree. Had a blast being out there last week for a friend’s birthday. 

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Fun week at Copper Mountain shooting for Zeal Optics

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Bishop Part III

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Bishop Part 2

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Bishop Part 1

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Welcome to The Winds - Wyoming

Triathlete Lesley Smith for JayBird Sport

Triathlete Lesley Smith trains for an upcoming race near Coot Lake in Boulder, CO - Shot for JayBird Sport