The Edge

PNH, Chugach Mountains, Cordova, Alaska

Athlete: Kent Kreitler

Camera: Nikon F5

The story:  "Warren Miller had charged us to translate Alaska in a new way. On the long flight up, Tom Day and I broke it down. If the goal was to capture a fresh new perspective, at the very least we had to have a comfortable understanding of the "predictable" way. OK, the classic Alaskan adventure shot shows scale. Vastness, large peaks going on forever, often with tiny charging people in the frame to give perspective. We have all seen it - it is about scale. So, what is the opposite of arms spread wide? Perhaps a tiny slice, the microcosmic view.

Looking around, I realized that my crew had spent at least a decade playing with helicopters, cameras and boards in these mountains. Why do we keep coming back? Simply because of how amazing it feels to do what we do. The first part of my plan was to try and isolate the smallest possible slice of what we do, while translating the magical skiing Alaska is all about.

I then decided to take it one step further. If there is one other consistent characteristic that defines how we shoot in the Chugach, it is the massive volume of light that determines our days. On a "grey bird" day the light is flat and my pictures lack definition. Those are the days when I leave my heavy camera pack in the bird and make free turns. The contrast of strong, clean light is key to making my images sing. Most pros save their heli pennies for days when both light and conditions are ideal. So, if a lot of light is predictable, then how little light do I need to still make it work?

Tom and I worked our way down the spine. It was after 8:00 PM and the light was incredible. Looking for a safe spot to set up a cross angle on the adjacent spine, I inched my way down, stopped, looked left and saw the perfect frame. I saw a tight geometric composition, two triangles of blue with crimson light reflecting off the cold blue snow. A zip of light, the last rays of the day, made the triangles vibrate and shimmer. I was transformed by its simplicity. The frame held me in its power, turning on when Kent activated the magic slope."