Tim Kemple in position; Photograph by Erik Boomer

Adventure photographer Tim Kemple often finds himself dangling from a rope, scaling a mountain, and photographing hard to reach spots around the world. In the fall of 2012, Kemple and filmmakers Anson Fogel, Skip Armstrong, and Blake Hendrix headed into the Mexican jungle with extreme kayakers Erik Boomer, Tyler Bradt, and Galen Volckhausen to capture visuals no one had seen before. The resulting eight-minute video Cascada is breathtaking (watch it below). Here Tim tells us about his time in Mexico and his new, exciting personal project for 2013, ‘My Week With….’

Extreme Photo of the Week: See an incredible photo by Tim Kemple of Tyler Bradt kayaking over a waterfall on this expedition.

The Team, from left: Blake Hendrix; Tim Kemple; Tyler Bradt; Erik Boomer; Skip Armstrong; Anson Fogel; Galen Volckhausen. Photograph by Tim Kemple

Adventure: How did the idea to shoot in Mexico evolve?

Tim Kemple: I shot with Erik Boomer and the rest of the crew in the spring of 2012. It was one of those teams that had incredible creativity, energy, and an anything-is-possible attitude. That’s a pretty special thing, so we knew we wanted to all work together again, soon. This past summer, Boomer mentioned the words “huckfest”—a trip focused on dropping waterfalls—and the seed was planted for the fall.

Tyler Bradt with his boat; Photograph by Tim Kemple

A: You captured incredible angles of these amazing waterfalls and talented kayakers by rigging lines incredibly close to the falls. Were you hanging in the air for the majority of the trip?

T.K.: The narrow, gorge-like nature of the two big rivers in Tlapacoyan meant there would, hopefully, be opportunities to set up a line across the canyons. We just didn’t expect how great it would look and, with a little creativity, how frequently we could pull it off. For the shot of Tyler, next to Tomata Falls, we were able to tie off a large boulder on one side of the river and then equalize some climbing anchors 200-feet away on the other. Once we had that set up, we just used a pulley system to tighten up the static line and we were good to go. That actually became the line of the trip, “good to go….”

CASCADA from NRS Films on Vimeo.

A: Tell us about the gear you were using—were you shooting with a Phase One?

T.K.: Yes, we shot almost exclusively with the Phase One 645 DF+ and the iq180, an 80 megapixel back. The camera system is really exciting because it allows me to take pictures that you could never take before. Using leaf shutter lenses we are able to sync with our flashes at 1/1600th of a second.  In other words, I can freeze fast moving action and use my lighting to really bring dimension to the landscape.

Photograph courtesy Tim Kemple

A: This trip to Mexico was the first installation of your 2013 personal project, ‘My Week With…,’ featuring Tyler Bradt. What are you looking to accomplish with this personal project?

T.K.: It’s about bringing epic landscapes to life. My goal is to use light and unique perspective to create dramatic images of the world’s best outdoor athletes. It’s also about collaborating with the athletes. What are their stories? What are those locations they know about that have that little extra something special? My goal is to release six editions of “My Week With…” in 2013, but I’m not going to rush it. I’d rather wait another month and shoot the badass shot, rather than settle for something less.

A: You’ve been experimenting with new gear, including the Phase One. “My Week With” seems to be a great opportunity to technically experiment with the stories as well. Is that the case?

T.K.: One of the most dramatic things the Phase One allows is that we’re able to use our flashes at the fastest shutter speeds, ever possible. That means I can freeze the action and add depth to my images, with off camera lighting, even when the sun is overhead. The dynamic range and resolution is through the roof. These images are meant to be blown-up big. We’ve already been experimenting with some very large prints. Maybe we can have a gallery show down the road…that would be killer.

A: Is this a creative break that helps you refresh and try stories/concepts that don’t always work on assignment?

T.K.: Absolutely. It’s also about storytelling. I want to tell truly great stories about these people that I’m lucky enough to call my friends, peers, and heroes.

A: What will be the toughest shoot for this project?

T.K.: Honestly, I hope they are all tough, that’s when the best work happens.

Kayaker John Irvine paddles the Seymour River in North Vancouver, British Columbia. In this interview, photographer Jordan Manley explains how he got the shot.

See more photos like these in our Extreme Photo of the Week gallery

From remote skiing to extreme climbing, photographer Jordan Manley is always up for a challenge. To shoot kayaker John Irvine paddling Seymour Canyon in British Columbia, Canada, Manley knew he wanted to photograph the action from above the river. It took two friends and a Tyrolean traverse to make it happen.

Photograph by Jordan Manley

How many scouting trips did it take before you located the perfect combination of the best river position, huge trees to rig ropes to, and great light for the photograph?

Jordan Manley: John Irvine and I did two scouting walks in order to find the right spot for this shot. We walked the forest on both sides of the canyon, looking for a place that had very steep walls and interesting whitewater running below. At first, I was in search of a place that I could simply rappel from the edge, directly down, similar to a rock climbing photo, and shoot. The location also had to have the right light. Some canyon walls have certain angles that make them quite dark. Any good angle also had to align with a big tree to rappel from.

I was having a tough time finding the right angle to show how dramatic the canyon could be. John suggested we rig up a Tyrolean line across the canyon so I could be further from the wall; it turned out to be a good idea. Ultimately, it was a gamble; I had to guess what the angle would look like “out there.”

Photograph by Jordan Manley

Tell us about setting up the Tyrolean traverse.

J.M.: I showed the spot to my friend, Marcus Waring, who is a professional rope access tech. Based on exactly where I wanted to be, he planned where the rope had to be anchored, to which big trees. Marcus also went back a few other times with our friend Cheddar Watson, another rope access tech, and they figured out it is about 60-meters from tree to tree, across the canyon. On the day of the shoot, they worked quickly and set everything up, got the line across, anchored and tight. Marcus finally gave it a test and it was good to go.

You shoot in all types of challenging environments, which require extra technical support and skills, beyond the photography. Was this setup any more difficult than past shoots?

J.M.: This was one of the more complicated shoots I’ve done because it involved not only a technical challenge, but a team of people to pull it off. I hadn’t done a Tyrolean setup before. It was a good exercise in teamwork and relying on each person to do what they are good at. I didn’t have all the skills to make it happen on my own – I’m lucky to have talented friends with good ideas; they were crucial to making everything work. Planning is the most important part of a shoot that has difficult logistics. Planning gives yourself the best chance, to create the shot that you’re looking for. Luck is also important—we lucked out. Weather is always a big factor in any outdoor shoot, and when it doesn’t cooperate, it can bring the entire shoot down.

Photograph by Jordan Manley

Once you’re floating on the rope, what’s your tactic to stay steady and make sure you get a solid, sharp frame?

J.M.: I was fairly contorted, legs wrapped around the main line, and my body twisted, so I could be steady and still looking straight down. Not the most comfortable position. The camera was attached into my harness, but loose enough that I could freely use it. It was a good core workout to hold myself in the right position while shooting. For these types of shots, I take a deep breath and then hold it!

Once all the hard work and planning is in place, is there a great element of fun in the challenge of getting this shot? Or, does your concentration block out everything, beyond the shot?

J.M.: There is a great element of fun to it, for sure. These are my favorite kinds of shoots; where the shoot merges photographic, technical, and environmental challenges. I get an adrenaline rush out before and after the shot. During the actual shot I’m very focused, looking through the viewfinder—my physical circumstances almost completely fade away. I remember a helicopter shoot where I was shooting out of the side of the helicopter, while the pilot performed a difficult sideslip maneuver. We landed safely, and the pilot said to me “We were actually in free fall for a moment there!” I had no idea.

What’s on tap for your next challenging shoot?

J.M.: Next on the list for this book project are some images from the air. I’ll be shooting glacier textures from a small, fixed-wing plane, and also some point-of-view paragliding angles, which have more exciting technical challenges.

Surfing the Lofoten Islands, Norway

See more photos like these in our Extreme Photo of the Week gallery.

“We wanted to experience winter at its fullest,” recalls photographer and surfer Chris Burkard on shooting in Iceland and Norway’s bitter, icy conditions. “We thought spring was the coldest time of year, and we were right. It was brutal, but it also meant perfect surf.” In the spring of 2012, Burkhard found what he was looking for–snow covered beaches, freezing ocean waters, and a landscape that allowed him to make striking surfing photos. Along for the ride were surfers Philip Goold, Alek Parker, and Brett Barley in Iceland. Later, Burkard and Parker explored Norway with surfers Peter Mendia, Sam Hammer, and Keith Malloy.

Adventure: How was photographing in Iceland and Norway different than other locations?
Chris Burkard: Iceland is becoming a somewhat familiar place; I’ve traveled there five times so far. I know the best spots and have been able to experiment with shooting there. The weather is cold, but not nearly as cold as Norway in spring. Norway was a whole new experience. We were surfing and shooting in much harsher conditions, in areas I knew little about. As a photographer, whenever you travel to a place for the first time, there is an entire different excitement and wonder that comes into play while shooting.

A: You shot great frames that capture the stark and beautiful landscape, as well as the surfing. Is this your typical style or did the unique conditions inspire you to shoot the environment heavily?
C.B.: I always highlight the wave in context to its surroundings. The pulled back shots really give the viewer and idea of the region and what it’s like to see the place for the first time. The landscapes in Iceland and Norway are so breathtaking; it was hard not to be constantly shooting everything in front of me. In a place with such a unique environment, I felt it was important to incorporate the land into the surfing images.

A: What was the most unusual moment during this trip?
C.B.: The weather was in constant flux and definitely the most unusual component of the trip. It was surreal to be in such cold weather, when most surf trips are in warm water regions. Waking up in the morning with your wetsuit almost frozen, to the point of it breaking into pieces, is an interesting experience.

A: Did you and your camera gear freeze? What was the coldest moment that paid off the biggest, with an awesome photo?
C.B.: That is an understatement. I have never been so cold in my life. Some of the best sessions were literally dumping down snow. It was intense. One day, I decided to swim out and shoot water shots. I have never swum in such cold water. I remember feeling like my vital organs were shutting down and my fingers began to numb, even with gloves. At times it was hell.

Sitting in the lineup with snow capped mountains looming overhead, was an image I will never forget. To cap it off, at the next moment Keith Malloy came flying down the line, pulling into a wave, as the mountains disappeared from the water barreling overhead.

A: Where are you shooting next?
C.B.: Since the trip to Iceland and Norway, I went to Panama, but now am going straight to more cold-water destinations. The cold-water destinations are like a beacon to me and Russia is calling me next.

Camera details: Sony Nex-7, 16mm lens, ISO 400, f/4, 30 sec

A: It’s striking to see Alek Parker standing under an aurora in Iceland. Tell us how this shot came together. Your ISO isn’t cranked too high, was the sky pretty bright?

C.B.: We were lucky enough to see the auroras during a time when they were extremely bright. With water and ice surrounding the landscape it allowed the light to reflect off everything and brighten the entire landscape. This is a photo that I had envisioned long ago and was excited to see it come together.

Camera details: Sony Nex-7,18-55mm lens, ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/500 sec

A: The hazy, orange sky in this photo sets the late day mood and you caught the Brett Barley at the right moment. How long did you have to work with the light? What is the rock formation in the background? Were you set on up on the beach for a while for a wider frame?

C.B.: As the sun sets, you are hoping one of the surfers’ pulls something that will look amazing against the landscape. Lucky for me, Brett Barley came through on this one and I had framed him with the Reynisdrangar rock formations in the background. It’s something special to be able to show such an amazing surfer doing what he does, in such a foreign surf environment.

Camera details: Nikon D300s, 10.5mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/800sec

A: The snow covered beach and dramatic cliffs juxtaposed against Philip Goold, Alek Parker, and Brett Barley breaks from a typical surf scene. How fresh was the snow on the ground? Did the guys stand there for long deciding on their next move?

C.B.: It had just snowed that morning and clouds began to clear, allowing the guys to head out to surf. When the ocean looks as hectic as it was that day it takes a few moments of preparation before paddling out. The guys were deciding where the safest spot was to paddle out was; the surf was cold and relentless.



Camera details: Nikon D300s, 10.5mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/800sec

A: This shot of Alex Parker riding against the snowy mountains makes us cold just looking at it. How was it in the water to get this shot?

C.B.: Many times when shooting in cold water you are in remote places dealing with harsh weather conditions. Norway had all of these elements, but seemed to be much harsher and remote than any place I have traveled. There were moments when we really had to be careful, as the weather got dangerously cold and storms would build extremely fast. The cold water made it so much more difficult in the water and the last thing any surfer wanted to do is be held under the freezing water. If you get stuck in a place you shouldn’t be there were much more real consequences and risks involved.

Camera details: Nikon D300s, 200-400mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/640sec

A: Did you end up with silhouetted surfers more often due to the dry suits and stormy lighting? How were the waves breaking this day?

C.B.: The waves were barreling a few feet overhead and there were some waves that rolled through much larger than the wave in this shot. The lighting was odd due to storm clouds, but pockets of light would illuminate the icy blue water. You can feel the frigid temperatures when looking at this shot.