I have been photographing Wyatt and his family for some time now; he is the last Nickel son to graduate this coming May. Over the years, I have photographed his brother, Matt, on his snowboard, and Hayden on the golf course, so it seemed fitting that Wyatt and I would take advantage of whatever late-season snow was still around, to get in jumps over at Sierra at Tahoe.
I’m a BIG fan of Senior sessions that capture the personality and vitality of the guy or girl I’m photographing. You’re only a Senior once, at your physical peak and with so much energy for life ahead of you, which is why sessions that include sports are a favorite of mine — they really bring that out. As a photographer, I also appreciate the opportunity to put my equipment through its paces. In this case, I’d just recently purchased the new Nikon D4 camera which shoots at 11 frames per second and has unmatched tracking speed for photos that freeze action with tack-sharp focus. (Insert giddy photographer giggle here.) Yep, I was having fun.
Wyatt was a good sport for the session, picking up as much speed as he could in the slushy conditions to get in a jump or two, and even despite attacking the slopes more gingerly than he said he normally would, due to a recent knee injury. If he was holding back, I certainly didn’t see it!
Special thanks to my first-world sherpa, Kim Little, for assisting me on this session and also to the S.A.T. Ski Patrol, for letting us slip by the fence to take one last run down the snow park on Bashful.
