The idea was to only show the important details of the jump in a really simple way by shaping the light in a thin line going up the wall - no Photoshop was involved in getting the effect.
Markus and I tried pretty much all season to get together to make this shoot happen, but we were always too busy or abroad. By the end of March, the time had finally come. Springtime was melting the snow and it was the last night to get that project done, otherwise we would have had to wait for another year.
This meant I was a bit nervous, also because Markus didn’t know at all what my idea was. Of course, I told him about it, but he couldn’t follow my ideas. He just said: “Sure, I’m in." After his first attempt I showed him what it was going to look like and he was totally into my vision for the photo.
We kept going. Markus jumped big and stylish as usual and after a couple of tries I got what I was looking for. All in all, the shoot took an hour. Everything went perfect, except from Markus breaking my light stand after he offered to help me pack up my gear. All forgiven now though, he replaced it! Thanks Markus, it was great working with you!
Thomas Stöckli

About the shot

Biography
I was born on august 11th, 1978, which is also Hulk Hogan’s birthday – but that’s about as far as the similarities between him and me go. In 1992 I found my big love: snowboarding. That was pretty much a life changing experience, however, somehow the worst snowboarder in the crew always gets the camera, and so my second love found me. On my birthday, one week after I bought my first real canon in 2001, I had an accident which took me off my board for nine very long months. At the time it was a nightmare, but to cut a long story short: I couldn’t be happier with how everything has turned out.
Since 2001 I have documented snowboarding everywhere from the Alps, the Rockies and the Andes. I am senior-photographer at Pleasure Magazine, and work with clients such as Red Bull, Vans, eleven and Snowboard Mag. Nowadays, I live in Zurich, Switzerland, and I am pretty much into portrait, fashion and action photography in general. But whenever it's good outside, I go and get the goods or shred snow as if I am a 15-year-old kid again.
I get inspired a lot during my assisting-work by city-trips; riding my bike through the city, watching magazines, movies, looking at people, thinking, nature, beautiful things, girls... everything!