Lunch Break Photography

Lunch Break Photography

     So far, most but not all, of the time I have spent in Jackson has been under a blanket of cloud cover. In the mornings the clouds hover closely overhead like a room with a low ceiling. They block out most of the sun, if not all, which paints the landscape dull shades of gray, resembling that of a scene from a Alfred Hitchcock movie. Giant black crows and all. The absence of sunlight and those iconic mountains leaves a person itching to escape the fog to soak up some vitamin D and a glimpse of the mountain range. Today I got my fix during my lunch break when a coworker invited me to join him on a quick photography excursion on top of Teton Pass. With the promise of rays and a possible great view I quickly accepted his offer and we headed towards the clouds. After only a couple of minutes we had busted through the cloud layer and found ourselves scrambling to find our sunglasses...and polarizing filters. The pass provided many great picture opportunities as once could look across the valley to the range of mountains on the other side, including the Sleeping Indian. With the valley floor looking like a bowl of cloud soup, I was able to take some interesting photos. After shooting a good amount of images, we returned to TGR in high spirits from the sun supplement and great landscape. Enjoy the pictures!

Teton Sunset

Teton Sunset

     Finally. Between cloud cover and late evenings at TGR, I was never able to take any sunset photos of the Grand Teton. But this evening I was able to duck out of the office early enough to drive to a location that I had previously scoped out, and set up my camera just in time for a spectacular sunset over the range. That peak is quite photogenic if I do say so myself! Enjoy!

Teton Stars

Teton Stars

    Now if you didn't know already, Jackson is quite a beautiful place. So what should you do if you find yourself living here for several months? You photograph the killer scenery and post it online for all of your envious friends and family. The photos below I took last night north of Jackson. That gnarly looking peak in the images is the Grand Teton. To take these photos I had to deal with -12 degree temperatures which after just a few 30 second exposures, my toes and fingers were ready for defrosting. For the next several pictures I actually re positioned my car and tripod so that I could take photos from the comfort and warmth of my drivers seat. The one little tool that made this setup possible was my new app, DSLR Controller. This fancy app allows you to connect and control your camera via USB. I highly suggest getting the app if you like to take either photos are video with your DSLR. It has all of the features and settings that your camera has and also allows your phone screen to be a large viewing screen for framing and focusing shots but also reviewing photos. Its pretty slick. 

     Anyway I hope that you enjoy the stars over the Grand Tet' as much as I did!

Jackson Tracks

Jackson Tracks

     Whenever I find myself on a journey, which might encompass a multiple day drive or just a short stroll, I am accompanied by my music. A combination of my phone music library, Spotify, KEXP and KCRW radio, and what is given to me from my brothers creates a soundtrack for whatever adventure I am on. Music has always been a large piece of my life, since the days of getting rides from my older brother to school where we listened to iconic jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. 

     The "Green Monster" was the nickname of my brother's Chevy Suburban which was named for it's likeliness to the historical and prodigious wall found within the confines of Fenway Park. This four wheeled green beast had only the bare necessities, a large bench seat, steering wheel and controls, and a custom sound system. Resting upon the bare floor of the cab between the driver and passenger was a single speaker fashioned into a particle board box that had the craftsmanship of a boy scout birdhouse. The speaker cables ran directly out of the side of the unfinished box into the tape player, which was attached to the bottom of the dash with a similar aesthetic quality. But what the speaker lacked in looks, it made up in sound...sort of. I remember staring at the naked speaker, which was directed straight out of the top of the box, as bounced and vibrated, blasting Duke Ellington. The sound quality was what you could have expected out of a makeshift sound system of this grade, but it didn't matter, because the speaker had made its home in a environment that catered to its style. As the colorful tones of Louis Armstrong's trumpet flowed from the speaker they filled the cab like the warm summer air that poured in through the open windows. I can almost remember every little detail of those rides to school, and most of that I attribute to the music that we often listened to. To this day when I hear one of those classic jazz songs, I find myself taken back to those memories where I sat on the end of that enveloping carpet covered bench seat next to my brother on my way to school.

   If that didn't help paint you a picture of how music has always been a trademark of my memories, then I'm not sure what will. So for those of you who are still with me, I present to you a playlist of tunes that I find myself listening to often during my time in Jackson. I hope that even if you don't understand their symbolism in context to my adventures (some are featured in my video series), that you can at least just simply enjoy some of my favorite tracks.  

  

Episode Two - Night Ride

Episode Two - Night Ride

     Today while at work I heard through the grapevine that Snow KIng Resort was offering free skiing tonight from 4 til 7pm. Since I have somewhat endorsed the life of a ski bum, I couldn't pass up this opportunity. So shortly after work I headed back to Jackson through the day's accumulation. 4-6 inches had fallen during the day making the stoke high for just a few free turns through the fresh that night. After making my way across town I headed for the ticket office to pick up my free ticket and then on to the end of the seemingly endless line of local ski junkies. At first I was not sure whether I would actually make it to the lift before they closed, but to my disbelief I was able to make it twice.

     The quick runs were all that I needed to set my spirits high, but a lift ride with another northeast Colorado native was a added bonus. During my second bump to the top I sat next to two other people on a three person chair. Shortly after we had boarded our chair I started the standard lift conversation with the woman on skis next to me. We had only just finished discussing the nice fresh turns when she asked me where I was from, to which I replied, "Oh, just a real small farm town in northeast Colorado." On most occasions I don't even bother to mention the name of my home town, for the fact that the majority of people have no clue about that part of the elevated tundra. But for some reason this time I did, which to my surprise she knew exactly where that was. She then preceded to tell me that she also grew up on the high plains of Colorado, only a few miles from where I called home. We were both pleasantly surprised and spent the rest of our lift ride together chatting about the trademarks of farm life, the pungent smell of Greeley, and just how we had made our way to Jackson Wyoming. And who would have guessed it was for the joy of the mountains. Figures.

Chasing Gravity: Episode Two - Night Ride from Ryan Dee on Vimeo.

Post Work Skate

Post Work Skate.

  The company parking lot can get pretty crazy during the day, making it hard to find parking spaces. Sure enough, after a job interview in Jackson, I returned to find the parking lot without a space to spare. After driving around and finding all of the tow zones in Wilson I finally settled on parking my car next to a park a couple blocks from work. Later that evening I returned to my car only to find that I had parked next to a ice rink that was well lit for night play. There were several people on the ice already so I thought it to be a perfect opportunity to take some pictures. Once I got closer to the ice I realized that a couple of the guys on the ice were in fact coworkers. I than begin kicking myself for leaving my hockey gear back in Colorado. I figured my camera would have to do for the night. I hope you enjoy the photos!

Episode One - The Arrival

Episode One - The Arrival.

   Day one done. My commute to Jackson started at 7:30am as I left my home in northeast Colorado. I was set in for a long 10 hour drive that would take me through some of the most "scenic" places in Wyoming, like Rock Springs. Upon entering Wyoming I was greeted by it's trademark trailer tipping wind. With 50+ mph wind gusts near Laramie, I found the road littered with the carnage of light trailer travel. Semis, RV campers, and stray trailers accented the highway across the barren landscape. Needless to say, I was glad I fit everything I needed into my car so I didn't need to bring a trailer!
   Once out of the wind it was smooth sailing all the way up to Jackson, with only a couple stops to move around and return blood flow to my extremities. Near Jackson I was welcomed by a sunset that highlighted the Teton range as they exposed their peaks above a low cloud layer. The most surprising view came about 10 miles or so outside of town. Coming around a bend, before the road dipped into a valley, the sun was setting over the mountains to the west of me. The valley was inhabited by a herd of horses that were shrouded by a thick layer of fog that had made it's way across the pasture floor. As I drove into the fog, the sunset illuminated the top of the fog layer turning the lake of blue haze into a brilliant lake of fire. It was pretty spectacular.
   I continued weaving through the feet of the Teton's until I finally reached my destination just after dark. Once in town I quickly made my way to my new home for the next several months and unloaded all my gear. With my car's load significantly lightened I decided to familiarize myself with my surroundings.....and also dinner. Downtown Jackson was a bustling center with tourists and skiers fresh off the gondola, all searching for a good place to get some grub. Most of which found their way to the legendary Cowboy Bar. After my journey downtown I retired to my room to rest up after a long day, but more importantly for my first day working for my dream company, Teton Gravity Research.
   The following morning I made my way through low cloud cover to Wilson Wyoming for my first day at TGR as their graphic design intern. Finding the building was easy enough since it is located in a small town that reminds me a lot of Paoli Colorado. I was quickly given a full tour of the TGR headquarters, meeting all of the other TGR crew members; including the founders, Steve and Todd, which I do admit was pretty cool. As soon as the tour was concluded though I was put right to work, designing web graphics to advertise several of TGR's films. I have a feeling that I will keep pretty busy and I have no problem with that, since I am "living the dream" working for Teton Gravity Research.

   Below is my first episode of Chasing Gravity! Enjoy!


Episode One - The Arrival from Ryan Dee on Vimeo.

The Intro

THE INTRO.

   Here is my pilot intro for my Chasing Gravity video series. Enjoy!



Chasing Gravity Pilot Intro from Ryan Dee on Vimeo.

Welcome

WELCOME.

   This is Chasing Gravity. These are my stories and adventures from my time in Jackson Wyoming working for my dream company, Teton Gravity Research. This blog will serve as my journal and video diary for the next five months. Through a video series and many journal entries I will be showcasing my time as I spend it working as a graphic designer and hitting the slopes. Now much of it will show me having as much fun as humanly possible. So if you hate fun, this is a good place to turn back. Otherwise, I hope you get some enjoyment from my adventures!