I am really fortunate to have just returned from an amazing trip to Newfoundland, invited by Mike Jones and Andreas Hestler for some riding and photography (which we’ll be turning into a few different articles). Although the riding wasn’t as developed as we’d hoped on the west coast, it has incredible potential. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many beautiful parts of the world, including Antarctica, and I can say that Newfoundland has one of the most beautiful coast lines I’ve ever seen. Mind blowing really. From the epic scenery, to the gracious and warm people, to the historic sites where vikings first “discovered” North America, it was a trip to remember and dwell on for quite some time. I can’t wait to return.
Archive for the ‘Mountain Bike Photography’ Category
To the end of the earth, my love: Newfoundland
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010Deep Summer Photo Challenge
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010This blog is way late, but better late than never I suppose. In August I was invited to participate in the Saint Deep Summer Photo Challenge hosted by Whistler Blackcomb. It is basically the same format as the Deep Winter contest that I have been a part of the last 3 years, except in the Summer, mostly in the Whistler Bike Park. I joined Mike Hopkins, Darcy Turenne, and Thomas Vanderham, all really talented athletes. Thomas and I grew up riding together in highschool on the shore and haven’t really taken any photos since his ascendency to super-stardom in the mtb world, but finally we got a chance and we got some great images. I decided that I wanted to theme our 5 min show around the Whistler Bike Park trail crew, invading their world in order to show people what goes on behind the scenes in the most popular mountain bike playground on the planet. It paid off and the judges awarded us 1st place, which we were all really happy about. Special thanks to the trail crew for making it all happen!
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Saturday, July 31st, 2010An unlikely place for a mountain bike story, I found myself in Grand Rapids, Michigan this week on assignment for Bike magazine profiling members of the extinct mountain bike company Nuke Proof (circa 1990s). One of the most interesting parts of the trip was wandering around the old train yards and steel transferring buildings that facilitated manufacturing in Grand Rapids. Nowadays, the manufacturing economy is all but dried up and one lonely employee we met wondered “why I still have a job after 25yrs”. Though, he’s probably fortunate to have one at all.
Chilcotin ride, MBUK magazine shoot
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010I’ve just finished up a 3 day shoot with Mountain Biking UK magazine, covering Squamish, Whistler, and the Chilcotins. The last day we drove to Tyax Lodge on Tyaughton Lake where Dale Douglas gave us a lift (in his Dehavilland Beaver float plane) into Warner lake and rode back the 40-50km on amazing single track. We were lucky enough to see a big healthy mother Grizzly with 4 cubs(!!) along the way. I love being up there it is ridiculously amazing.
Bike magazine, Cover and Feature article
Thursday, June 10th, 2010The July issue of Bike magazine has just dropped and it looks like they’ve given us the cover in addition to the feature story Andrew Findlay (writer) and I gathered during our wild trip to Guatemala in January (see blog post, “Guatemala: a-diversion-from-winter”). The cover is a different breed of toning I applied to the image that I normally do, but it seemed to work with the environment, and seemingly the photo editor at Bike magazine.
Bike magazine “Bible” cover
Monday, April 19th, 2010This past fall I got an assignment from Bike magazine to shoot close ups of gear for their Bible issue. I spent a couple days by myself on the trail tinkering about mounting cameras on different places on the bike shooting brakes, wheels, forks, tires, and cranks. Stoked to see they put the self portrait fork shot on the cover!
Bike Magazin (Germany)
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010Here is a new(ish) cover, this time from Germany’s Bike Magazine. I shot this last August while riding in the Chilcotins – one of the hearts of “epic” riding in BC. Mount Dickson stands in the backcountry, with my brother Chad, and friend Pat Mulroney descending a rocky ridge. It won’t be too long now until we’re riding bikes again, although ski season is far from over!
Guatemala, a diversion from Winter
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010This post is a little dated, my apologies. In January, I did something I never do, and that is ride my bike…in Guatemala of all places. Shooting for Bike magazine, I joined Vancouver Island writer Andrew Findlay, and together we joined Matt Hartell and his co-pilot Luisa for a trip around Guatemala riding. Most of the riding was on (some ancient) Mayan foot paths that Matt has pieced together into flowing trails, something that has taken a lot of exploration and work. From riding down to Lake Atitlan rimmed with volcanoes on limestone foot steps, to eating mystery meat on dirt floors with a family in the remote village of Chortiz, it was a wild experience.
American Photo magazine
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010Recently I had the opportunity to be featured in American Photo magazine, as part of their “One to Watch” and “Skills” departments. Feel free to check it out by downloading the PDF’s here APH0210_017-019 and here APH0210_068-070.
Shop Time
Friday, December 11th, 2009Since I was quite young, I have always spent a lot of time in the shop – designing, building, and tinkering. One of the things I love about photography is it gives me an excuse to continue being creative in the shop. Getting the camera out of my hands and into harder to reach spots is a goal that often guides my photographic process, in order to reveal a different perspective. This inevitably requires some sort of gadget, and I love the process of designing, building (at least in part), and tinkering with the eventual goal of using the boom, or rig, or mount, or whatever it becomes to help gain a unique and/or aesthetic perspective.
In this vein, and in the spirit of testing the video function of my new Nikon D3s, I put together this quick video of some recent time spent making some new equipment that I’ll be using this winter.
Workshop Time from Jordan Manley Photography on Vimeo.













