We had been scouring the landscape looking for unique lines to ride and shoot for the film Life Cycles. This opportunity was spotted from pretty much the angle this photo was taken from, on an opposing ridge. The large hoodoo type formation in the foreground is massive. I love the sense of scale that I get when I look at the size of the rider compared to where he is riding.
A lot of things need to come together to get shots that really work and this one had all of the elements. To get it, we came back on a sunny day, waited and watched the evening light transform the shapes of the desert landscape into a more interesting world.
The rider is a professional biker, but also a ski athlete, so the line catered to his style. It’s really important to be working with people that can help you achieve the results you’re searching for. What I think this photo has done well is show mountain biking in a slightly different context and hopefully it has a nice balance of nature and action.
Derek Frankowski

About the shot

Biography
I mostly find inspiration from light. I’ve never been that attracted to flash or contrived set-up type photos. Not that I don’t find them intriguing, but I’m more interested in working with natural light and reacting to real life situations.
When I was young, I used to look at national geographic Magazine, wonder how the photos were made and ask myself: who are these lucky people that get to go and experience these cool things? That fueled a passion that fortunately turned into a job around 1998 when I began to work with Bike Magazine. To accommodate my newfound direction, I moved to British Columbia, Canada. Finding my way to the mountains after growing up in the prairies, I found a place that fits me and my lifestyle, which now includes life with my young family.
My photography took a turn four years ago when I began to co-create the film life Cycles. Merging my experience in photography and my business partners’ background in film, we set out to create a different kind of action sports film. The future of photography meshing with cinematography is an interesting merge of mediums and I hope to explore the balance of the two more.