Blog Notes, Dom's boring stories

It's been a while since I get in touch with my blog. The end of the shooting season is the worst. You have a bunch of thing to do, but there is no rush so you slow down and then nothing is really going forward…It's exactly what happened to me. I've been sleeping, biking, sleeping, swiming, sleeping, sleeping… Fortunately I had the opportunity to go to Les Rencontres d'Arles, the best photo festival ever! It gave me a good reason to take a nap under a tree in between two exibition by 35°C… As soon as I realized it was time to speed up again, problems showed up. As a couple of magazine asked for some pictures, my server broke down right after I instaled my new computer. Then a couple of shooting arrived too with a couple of administration stuff which are of course very important…Now I'm again in the rush, but alone in my rush considering most of europe is on vaccation…Summer in Europe is nothing else than doing le tour de france on a stationary bike…quiet frustrating. A book is on it's way as well as an exhibit and a couple of article, but for now the only thing I have to show is the Portfolio the Red Bull Photofiles is runing on my work

My latest trip in Brazil was just amazing. Some of the best athletes (both in terms of their athletic capabilities and personalities), a astonishing surroundings and an environemental project which made me more usefull than ordinary. Everything was perfect in a magic world, until my natural black cat habit came back on stage. to make it short I will sum it up in short sentences.

this happened from may 24th until May 27th, it is not a fiction, this is the truth

-I'm in itacaré 2 hours flight and one more hour by car from Sao Paulo.

-I lost my passport, credit carsd etc…

-l looked for it everywhere twice and even called a psychic friend of mine…I don't believe in it, but she knows too much, it's scary.

-The police, all over the country, was on strike and I couldn't get a police statement as a proof for the loss of my passport.

-The French consulate in Sao Paulo didn't give a shit and told me that I needed this paper in order to get a new passport, even if I had to wait for a couple of months until the police strike was over.

-By miracle a cousin of mine has a house in Itacaré and some of his very good friends. He was not there but gave me all their phone numbers, including the number of the French consul.

-They all helped me out, but with no success

-My friends collected cash for me, one of them even wanted to give me her mother's credit card, I finally just had two full credit card numbers written on my hand.

-They also took all my luggage, including my camera back pack, a ski bag full of heavy tripods and a big pelicase with heavy strobes, in order to be lighter.

-The flight company didn't want to let me go to Sao Paulo with just a copy of my passport (which I had in my computer).

-They were still helpfull and didn't charge me for the flight I missed and kept a seat for me until I had a police statement to let me go back to Sao Paulo.

-a taxi driver decided to help me and jumped into my car (passenger seat). He knew somebody to make those papers for only(!) 100 real around 50 euros.

-it was a little computer shop at the edge of the favelas.

-all the discussion was in Portuguese.

-I don't speak portuguese.

-it was raining hard an the credit card numbers wer disappearing.

-Everything worked out, I was ready to take the next flight.

- The car rental company found my wallet in the car with all my documents.

-I don't believe in psychics.

-My psychic friend told my wife that the last restaurant where I was had red walls, our house had blue walls and big windows and also that I used to hide my wallet underneath the clothes or in a box with all my cables. She also said the wallet was in the car from the start. She was right about everything...but at the time I had checked the car and hadn't seen the wallet.

-All my credit cards were cancelled now and my passport had been declared stolen...

-I finally made it to Sao Paulo , but there weren't any more flights before a couple of days.

-There were no more hotels availlable 30 km around the airport.

-I have a friend who is living at his new girlfriend's parents' home with his daughter. I showed up in the middle of the night as the taxi driver got lost. It was the american idole final…I slept there.

-There were no more planes to go back home, I had to by a new ticket in Business class.

-After 4 attempts to pay my plane ticket , cancelled by the travel agency because of overbooking I decided to look for a hotel.

-Last call from the travel agency who asked me to try to catch the next plane. They called me back to confirm it as I was 10 minutes from the airport with no more money to pay anything else, like a hotel or even a way back to my friend's house.

-My friend had his credit card locked, I gave him my last cash before jumping in the cab.

-The federal police was checking all passengers, and scanning all passports... Mine was supposed to be a stolen one for them now.

-The scan machine wasn't working so the customs officer entered the number manually.

-Buen viaje mister Daher, they didn't get the information yet, I would be back home the next day…or maybe the day after, since air traffic controllers were on strike in France.

Thanks to all those who helped me out.

PS : I also broke my 15mm fish eye, my 1.4 extender and my cobra flash…

As the oil platform accident is killing the ocean, I'm working on a surf event, the Swatch Girls Pro in south west french coast. ASP wanted me to set up a studio for a "fashion shoot" without thinking that I'm more an action photographer? But I've done it. The girls were really cool but I've to say that I've been really impressed to shoot some of the best surf athletes in the world. I guess some of her were too but we manage to work together and to make it happen. I'm kind of proud of the result and especially because I learn a lot doing this, drawing my flash set up on a paper in order to organise the light with 3 flahes, a big light box in the front one in the back and a little one to gently light the hair.

This week is the latest ski week in the alps. Most of the ski resort are closing next week end. Unfortunately it doesn't seems the winter is over and it's cold and snowy. I still have two more days on the snow to finish Eider winter gear catalog. After that I'm going strait to the French southern west coast for the Swatch Girl Pro, a surf competition and from there directly to Itacaré in Brasil. There it will be more an environemental program called breathe foundation that I will try to support with my pictures. Swatch is helping me out to go and stay there, with some of their athletes who are involved in the project too. Here is a little movie from my latest surfing experience, it was during my remote control helicopter project. Thanks to Helicam international, Tim Boal, Liv Sansoz, Matt Gerdes and Maria Daher.

I already said that traveling all the time with the same compagny is really helpfull. You earn miles, you have free drinks and magazine at the lounge during connection and thanks to them they manage to give me flight back on the 23rd instead of the 27th, because I'm a "gold" member (means I gave some much money to them that they see me as a gold mine…). But on the other hand I was the only one to travel with Air France and the 6 others people who where with me took their flight ticket with Lufthansa. In the end they are (unfortunately? maybe but not sure) all back home and I'm still enjoying the great town of Seattle (Fortunately? maybe but not sure). I will not complain, I've a couple of friends here who are not here (but at least I can stay at their place) and over all I met Super man who's leaving today as the sky is reopen now…

In a couple of hours I'll quit Switzerland for 15 days in northern Canada. Swatch and Red Bull are giving us the possibily to go and stay in one of the most exciting place in a world if you like powder and…powder.We will be in Tulsequah, a lodge in the middle of the mountain where you can only come by the air. There, we will have no communication tool, no internet, no phone a total new experience for all of us, but finaly nothing very exceptionnal, just a more normale life. Us it's 4 of the best skier in the world, Phil Meier, Richard Permin, Kaj Zachrisson and Svere Liliquist. We will live an amazing dream, maybe the ultimate dream for a skier. This will be the end of an exhausting ski season, where I've been traveling the world to follow my useless passion of skiing and shooting pictures. Of course it was a lot of pleasure but also some stress, like seing your friend tumbling over rocks and cliff in a 50° face, or seing a whole face coming down in a huge avalanche and last but not least doubting about myself while shooting and be freak out of waisting my first job for Land Rover. It was yesterday. I arrived in late at my appointement. I'm never in late for a job! I had to cancel an heli day with Aurelien Ducroz, so a big opportunity to come back with some great shot. But this shooting for Land Rover, was kind of new for me and nothing is better than a challenge. Actualy it was really harder than what I thought but I finaly made it and I'm happy about the result. I'll be back on my blog after my Canadian trip, with, I'm sure, a lot to tell…

Last couple of days I ran from one place to the other and from one peak to the next one, with my best friend, the F...k..g camera bag, on my back. As you run in every direction, you sometimes run for nothing, I'm not bad doing that…but at least I get some unexpected shot, so it worth it…and if not, don't tell me! Last friday the FWT final in Verbier is launch. I plan to come earlier to help them out with a couple of pictures. After the press conferance, the traditionnal bib draw and a safety training with some of the latest product and innovation I wanted to catch up two brothers who are living in a tent at the bottom of the Verbier extreme mountain, the bec des Rosses. They spent 3 weeks every year in order to forbid the access to the top of the mountain and then to keep it untouch for the DDay.

Those guys are wild and doesn't want people to know who are they and what are they doing here. They are spending most of their time smoking weed and enjoying some tea and grappa, for a little amount of money, obviously not declared. I thought I can jump into the last cable car of the day and then join them for a sunset picture session with them. But due to an high avalanche danger, the ski patrols closed the two last lift which where suppose to bring me there. So I waited two hours, to let the patrols bomb those dangerous part and then I skined up and reach the tent. But the guys were not there, seems they are actually not staying here during the night, so I broke the mythe and went back home with a picture of an empty tent…

The day after, as we get up it was lightly snowing and we all thought the contest will be cancelled. But we all took our position. I was supposed to be heli droped at the top of the womans face with Christophe Margot (you don't know who's Margot? click here ), but I saw Julia Mancuso (gold medal in Vancouver) going on her own to the top of the face, for her first experience in big mountain skiing. So I skip the heli and follow her. Usually I'm in shape and I've no problem to hike and shoot in the same time, but with my 30 kilos back pack (2 cameras, 6 lenses, all the safety gear and my skis on it) and obviously a very good athlete, I've been in trouble doing it. As I arrived at the top my friend Christophe was not there and I realize that I'll be alone to cover the two start. Once again I run from one to the other half slinding on my ass, half jumping above the rocks' ridge, the mountain guide in charge of the safety was really scared. Actually, I didn't know I was the only photographer (on five) to cover the girl side. The weather forecast was not very good and the organizer decide to focus more on the male sides. Then the heli droped me to the top of the male face, once again I ran to find my position on the ridge above the whole face, a little bit scary but fine. Also I have an apple a Mars and a red Bull energy shot with me…so not much than a tourist who's going to hike in the snow for the first time. After a couple of guys, the cloud and the snow stop the competition. I hear my name in the radio asking me to pick up the cameraman tape and to go down by feet to bring them back the tape…I was more than pist off, imagine to climb down the 500 meters vertical drop of the bec des rosses in the fog, with my huge back pack, and my skis on. Also alone and with no idea of the better way down (as I was not allowed to go down by skis)… Finally a little weather window allow the heli to pick me up and deliver the tape. Then I had to ran again to shoot the girls prize giving and ski down as fast as I can to the press center in order to put the podium picture and some action online. The rest of the event has been cancelled and is postponed to Tuesday, means tomorow. So tomorow back on the bec des Rosses, then I'll drive to Courchevel to finish my latest Salomon book project, just before to work on Skieur and Ski mag test in the 3 vallée and right after an other shooting in Chamonix on thursday, according to the weather. So I'll keep runing!!

Yesterday as I had a day off, I decided to go in Tignes for the european Winter X games. So I just went there with no pressure just to take some pictures in a way I like it and not for any thing else than my own pleasure. My latest experience working inTignes was not very good. Last year, begining of January I covered the Airwaves. approximatively the same kind of event but not as well organized and with ten times more job, but I was alone to cover it and even if I told them it was not possible, they didn't really believe it and I decided to try the chalenge anyway. My worst job ever and not only because I didn't do well but also because the feeling was not there too and my job not considered at all… So for this year I imagine the same kind of thing but actually, it was closed to the perfection…maybe the american way of working, why can't we do as well as them? For the same reason they only hire one photographer last year and at least 5 for this year event, because every single detail counted… Any way, after a kind of bad memory when I reach the Half pipe, every thing became a dream, and instead of doing a couple of picture I started having idea and motivation more than ever. I set up a profoto on the first bigest hit, remoted with a TT5 on my MK3 to be able to have an High sync up to 1/1600 s, Then I took on my other shoulder my 5DMK2 with a long lens and a very high Iso (3200) in order to have some grain as I wanted to turn it black and white, and then I started runing like hell…I can't tell why. I was suppose to rest as I had 2month and half of crazyness but I was so happy of shooting this pipe event… At the end I thought I had too much pictures, but I did less thant 200 ( for a 2 hours show and 3 runs each…it's not a lot) so my two 16 Go cards were easily download and process (I have to say that the latest Sandisk UDMA at 90m/s helped a lot). Here are a couple of pictures from the superpipe men's finale…

As photographer, traveling is a big part of my job. After 10 years of being uninformed and even screwed up I became pretty good at it, here are a couple of tricks which can help when traveling (by plane).

-take all the time the same company and ask for a miles card. You will earn miles and trip after trip you'll be able to have a upper status (silver, gold or even platinium) which gives you access, to some special care: more luggage, more weight,special check in and in board access, lounge access wich free food, drinks or internet in quiet and comfortable room while waiting for your flight or connection.

-book your flight thrue a travel agency or directly at the flight compagny and avoid cheap internet booking, it will cost you more as you get a single problem.

-Tell the compagny if you have some special luggage (as ski bags or oversized one).

All that can cost you a little bit more than the cheapest internet flight but it worth it! and you'll find back your money.

If you have a premier or gold credit card it include a good insurance on it for you trip but you have to pay with it, so ask your client to let you pay and then be refound. It works also for rental car and then you don't have to pay some extra cost for the insurance. American Express is doing a very good deal with Air France KLM, for the insurrance but also to earn more mile, each euro you spend is equivalent to one miles and 1,4 if it's to buy a flight ticket on the compagny.

-If you are traveling with lot of gear, be at the ckeck-in in advance and then negociate for the best solution. On my trip back from Squaw valley I had a 22 kilos over weight, which was around 230 $, but for 50$ I checked in an extra bag, up to 23 kilos… But I had to figured it out by myself, because they didn't tell me that.

-try to have all your flight information on your cell phone such as booking number, visas number(for the US) and itinerary, you can be asked forit at the security gate or at the check in.

Then sleep, sleep and sleep as much as you can it will help you out to fight againts jet lag. An inflatable neck pilow, a noise reduction head set, some special traveled sock to avoid swollen feet and some sleeping pills (ask your doctor, to have some which help you to fall asleep and not to "drug" you) and you are pretty much done for any big trip around the world.