Nathan Smith - Pull Photography

2011 Gory (Polish for Mountain) Photo Edition

2011-11-04T14:26:00.001-06:00

I just received copies of the 2011 Gory Photo Edition. This magazine hands-down, has the best photo annual of any climbing magazine I've seen so far. The entire issue is full of amazing photos from some of the best photographers in the world. I was lucky enough to be included again this year.

Christine Balaz at Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Mindy Campbell in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

Christine Balaz at Ruth Lake, Uintas, Utah

Peter McConkie in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

Jake Hirschi in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah and Christine Balaz at Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Carlos Logroño Viscasillas in the Czech Republic

Brian Ferris at Mt. Woodson, California

Jeff Baldwin on one of his many routes in Maple Canyon, Utah and an Unknown climber in Frankenjura, Germany

Garrett Smith in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

Cerre Francis in American Fork Canyon, Utah

Dean Lords in Twin Falls, Idaho

Jake Hirschi in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

New Work for Early Summer

2011-06-19T19:30:00.002-06:00

I'm excited to have a lot of new work out there recently. For the past five years I've been working on a personal project, trying to photograph many of climbing's legends and the people who inspired me when I first started climbing. It's an ongoing project but when the crew at Rock & Ice told me they were bring back the classic Ascent magazine I thought it would be the perfect fit for a small showing of some of my work. Get a copy at your local climbing shop and check out more portraits in my web gallery.

Fred Beckey, Kevin Worrall, John Sherman and Ed Hartouni

Bob Van Belle, Kitty Calhoun, Doug Heinrich, Tucker Tech, Jay Anderson and Dick Cilley

Gary Neptune, Chris Grover, Jim Bridwell, Kurt Smith, Jeff Lowe and Steve Swenson

Jack Tackle, Jim Mccarthy, John Stannard, Dale Bard and Carlos Buhler

Also out right now are the Photo Annuals for Climbing and Urban Climber, each of which I have a 2-page spread.

Christine Balaz

Randall Justin Hill, Cerre Francis, Ryan McDermott and Castleton Tower.

I've also had some commercial work with Edelweiss Ropes and Patagonia.

Pamela Shanti Pack

Dan Sanders

Andy Merriman

An Insightful Guide to Joe's Valley Bouldering

2011-05-24T15:46:00.005-06:00

I just received a copy of Isaac Caldiero's new guide to Joe's Valley, Utah. It's a great, full color guide to one of the best bouldering areas in the U.S. You can find copies here: http://www.joesvalleyguidebook.com/

Christine Balaz on Dirty Harry V7

Heath Lillie on Iscosceles V4.

Off to a good start

2011-04-07T14:48:00.003-06:00

April is starting off pretty well, with some new work to show, some features on the way and a highlight of my work at Pictureline, the local camera store I use.

Ellen Powick in Southern Utah

Cerre Francis at Dierkies Lake, Idaho and Brendan Nicholson somewhere in the West.

England's Climb Magazine - Pamela Shanti Pack

Canada's Gripped Magazine - Ellen Powick at the Cathedral, St. George, UT

Liberty Mountain's 2011 Catalog - Jake Hirschi at Wild Iris, Wyoming.

Famous Faces

2011-02-08T20:48:00.002-07:00

The first two people who email me all the names of the climbers in the photo will receive an 8" x 10" print of their choice from my website. If nobody can get all the names correct, I'll go with the most correct answers by the 20th of February. Some legendary, some infamous and all gracious enough to stand in front of my lens. One hint, all are climbers or mountaineers but one is better known for another sport.

Idaho - Rock & Ice

2011-01-11T11:14:00.007-07:00

Growing up I remember the long drives from Salt Lake to Boise, Soda Springs or other small Idaho towns to visit my mom’s family. Much of the scenery seemed the same to my young mind. Flat plains with rolling hills covered in the light dusty greenery of sagebrush and violent upheavals of volcanic rock, black and rich brown, heat waves rippling off the surface. Trip after trip it seemed the same. Then one summer trip shortly after my father died when I was 13 we headed out for a two week trip driving through the central part of Idaho and up into the panhandle and everything changed. Thick forests of pines with craggy mountains of granite and limestone carved by crystal clear rivers and filled with large trout. Deer and elk would feed in my relative’s gardens. It was then I realized that for all I knew of Idaho, I still knew nothing, and so it is with climbing.

The City of Rocks is as synonymous with Idaho as is the clichéd Idaho potato, but look a little deeper and there is so much more. Walls of European limestone, towering granite cliffs and many flavors of basalt pepper the state hidden away in local obscurity. Many of these areas were developed shortly after the climbing boom at the City of Rocks, some existing for over 20 years with little to no traffic other than the local wildlife. Some of this is because of the remoteness, some from a veil of secrecy but most seems to be from a lack of information.

For the last 8 years I have been continually exploring these little know areas with friends and am excited for others to finally catch a small glimpse of some of these great spots. Rock & Ice #192 Features 10 pages of photos from my visits to Idaho and a great introduction from the quietly prolific Dean Lords.

Not a part of the article, but another of my photos was used in a new Grivel ad.

Deadpoint Magazine - So How Does a Photographer End Up in His Own Photos?

2010-10-22T16:18:00.000-06:00

Outdoor sports photographers differ from normal sports photographers in that most of them participate in the sports they cover on a high level. If you want to shoot rock climbing, you have to climb to get in place to get the shot. Ski photographers need to be able to keep up and ski into place. It’s much different than sideline sports shooting, a football photographer will never play in Cowboys Stadium or even practice with someone like Mark Sanchez but an outdoor sports photographer can play on the same terrain and participate in their sport alongside the stars.

This difference can bring opportunities that other sports shooters do not have. If a perfect photo shows itself you can take advantage of the opportunity even if you don’t have someone to get in the photo.

For this particular cover, inspired by a topo photo in the guide, we drove for an hour on winding mountain roads temporarily lost trying to find this wall. Once there, my climbing partner took one look at the bolt spacing on this one and refused to climb it. Light was fading and I did not want to waste the only day we had without rain, so I decided to climb it myself. I put a tripod on the hillside across from the climb, set up my camera and had my wife hit the shutter once I hit the upper section of the climb. Unfortunately I blew the onsight right before this and took a big ride, but we still got the shot I wanted.

Nathan Smith on Inshalla 8+/5.12a, Burg Rabenstein, Frankenjura, Germany

What if you are alone?

This photo was taken last fall the day after I rode in a 206 mile road bike race that finished in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Waking up early the next morning to take some sunrise photos, I found myself next to the river and all alone with an amazing background. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I set up my tripod and set the frame. Most cameras have a short time limit on the self timer and even the 30 second timer would be too slow to get across the river and into place. I attached a Pocket Wizard along with a N90M3 cable and took a second Pocket Wizard across the river with me to trigger the camera. In order to make sure I was in the right spot, I had pre selected a zone between two tree stumps to hike between. Once in place I hid the remote in the hand furthest from the camera and pressed the remote shutter while I walked back and forth through the frame.

It’s not always ideal to photograph yourself as the results can be limited and even with direction, most of the time the person I hand the camera off to does not capture what I wanted, no offense to all those who have tried over the years. But in most cases, why not? If I don’t feel my equipment is at risk and I have enough memory, worst case you end up with a bunch of hi-res snapshots or best case, you end up with some publishable work of the rarely photographed action photographer participating in the sport they love.

Mongolia in Print

2010-09-29T15:16:00.012-06:00

The latest Rock & Ice is out and features a story and photos from my trip to Mongolia earlier this year. Along with the Mongolia article I have a few other photos including the parting shot and an ad for a photo contest.

Pamela Shanti Pack

Christine Balaz

Rock & Ice magazine has also released a video teaser of photos from my trip to Mongolia earlier this year. The magazine article in issue #190, and is out now. Here is the write-up from Rock & Ice:

"Nathan Smith towers like an oak, a handy attribute for the globe-travelling climber photographer always searching for far-flung, unknown stone. Recently, Smith ventured to the arid steppes of Mongolia, land of Genghis Khan and, he hoped, killer rock.

Smith and crew arrived to find rolling greenlands studded with granite outcrops similar to Joshua Tree and Vedauwoo. Racking up, the team hopped on an enticing first ascent, a left leaning crack lined with crystals. As Erin Bergey plugged up the crack, Smith set up on a shelf to watch and capture the action. Peering through the viewfinder as Bergey neared the end of the crack, Smith was startled when Bergey fell, ripped gear, then fell 5, 10, 20, 30 and finally 40 feet to the ground. Sickened, Smith thought he had just witnessed his friend's death. By a miracle, Bergey escaped with only a few scrapes—and one of many great stories to tell, which you'll find in the December issue of Rock and Ice, on newsstands or in your mailbox in about 10 days."

But why wait? Click here and preview Smith's amazing photos and story in our special preview video.

Want to see more of Nathan Smith's photos? Welcome to the Nathan Smith gallery.

Death Defying Climbing Ground Fall from Rock & Ice on Vimeo.

Góry Magazine

2010-09-16T14:47:00.007-06:00

For the second year now, my work has been featured in Góry’s (Polish for Mountain) Photo Edition. A beautiful magazine, this edition is packed with amazing photos and hardly any ads. It’s hard to get a hold of a copy but if you can get any of the past photo editions, it’s worth it.

Jake Hirschi on Bridal Veil Right WI4, Provo Canyon, UT

Josh Helke on his line Tugging Softly 5.13a, Vedauwoo, WY

Tom Adams on Disco Duck 5.10a, Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT

From L to R: Jonathan Knight on a 5.11 at Lilly Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, Mike McClure, Black Cliffs, ID, Bart Minembo, St. Michaels Bridge V10, Gent Belgium

Mindy Knoles Campbell on a V6, Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT

Women of Climbing 2011

2010-08-25T09:56:00.006-06:00

Winter is coming up fast, and Utah's amazing fall climbing season is about to begin. Nothing like cool temps and crisp granite. Just received word that I have a photo in the 2011 Women of Climbing calendar. Glad to be a part again. Real climbers, no posed fake shots. Christine Balaz on Broken Tree, Pitch 2, Devil's Tower, Wyoming.

2010 Salt Lake Climbers Alliance Fundraiser Party

2010-05-29T05:46:00.004-06:00

Here is a small offering of who is and who supports the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance. From a famous Yosemite Stonemaster to once lycra clad Wasatch warriors to Piolet D'or winers and everybody in between.

VIEW

On the path to Asia.

2010-05-27T12:21:00.004-06:00

After many sleepless nights this week, packing and re-packing I'm finally at the airport heading to Asia.

The plan is to spend a few weeks in Mongolia establishing rock routes on granite walls up to 800'. We'll spend a few days in Ulaanbaatar then head out to the two different areas represented on the map below. We won't have much email access but I'll try to post some updates along the way.

Bridwellfest

2010-05-11T21:53:00.005-06:00

Celebrating the legendary Jim Bridwell, Bridwellfest was an amazing gathering of climbers supporting their own. The climbers at the event represent at least 5,000 first ascents, 20+ guidebooks and many ascents that are still unrepeated.

Thanks to Todd Gordon for hosting the event.

VIDEO

2010 Piolets d'Or

2010-04-09T15:23:00.006-06:00

Here is a clip from the June 2010 Rock and Ice magazine spotlight of Kyle Dempster. I first met Kyle 13 years ago when he was a wild-child of 14 at Rockreation in Salt Lake City. Now 27, Kyle has quietly established himself as one of America’s top young alpinists and was recently nominated for the 2010 Piolets d'Or, the top award given to alpinists in the world. Tomorrow, April 10, Kyle will find out if he will come home with the golden axe. Good Luck Kyle!

2010 Mt. Woodson Shindig

2010-03-28T19:49:00.011-06:00

Here is a link to a video on my website with the portraits from the 2010 Mt. Woodson Shindig. Thanks to all who came out, I had a great time meeting all of you.

Video

Whoever can email me the most complete list of the people included in the video by Friday, April 2nd, will win an 11" x 14" print of their choice from my website. Real names, no SuperTopo names.

Sundance 2010

2010-02-01T18:00:00.011-07:00

Another Sundance is over, this one having one of the strongest offerings I've been to in a few years. Here are some images from the fest.

The Tower Theater

HIGH School Director, John Stalberg Jr.

Winter's Bone, the 2010 Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Award Winter. Director: Debra Granik in the Center.

In town for his premiere of Exit Through the Gift Shop, world renown artist, Banksy left his mark in Park City and Salt Lake.

What was left after a heaving scrubbing on the old Zepher Club.

Here is a list of the movie's I saw while at Sundance. The star ratings are based on Sundance level movies, so add another star to compare with the normal hollywood offerings. This is on a 1-4 star rating, with my favorite getting 5 just because.

Boy ★★★★★

Catfish ★★★★

The Dry Land ★

Exit Through the Gift Shop ★★★★

Four Lions ★★★★

Hesher ★★★★

HIGH school ★★★★

Holy Rollers ★★★★

Homewrecker ★★★★
Best of NEXT

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child ★★

Kick in Iran ★★

Lucky ★★

The Man Next Door ★★★
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic

Nowhere Boy ★★★

The Perfect Host ★★★★

Restrepo ★★★★
Grand Jury Prize: Documentary

Shorts Program I ★★★

Shorts Program III ★★

Twelve ★★★

Welcome to the Rileys ★★

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks ★★★★

Winter's Bone ★★★★
WALDO SALT SCREENWRITING AWARD
GRAND JURY PRIZE: DRAMATIC

Seneca - Rock & Ice #183

2009-12-02T22:34:00.004-07:00

Just hitting the stands is Rock & Ice's January issue, 183 with my Seneca Rocks article. Here are some thumbnails.

Seneca

2009-11-18T21:06:00.009-07:00

Earlier in the spring I went back East with a few good friends to spend a week climbing and photographing at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia for Rock & Ice Magazine. Unfortunately rain and snow kept us out for the first half of the week so we spent a few days climbing the sheltered overhangs at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. I'd have to say that for me, the Red is THE best sport climbing I've done in North America. I had no endurance and got spanked on the long pumpy routes, but can't wait to take a vacation to go there and just climb.

Mid week the weather settled down so we headed out to Seneca. The January 2010 issue of Rock & Ice features an article on the trip and some of the climbers that have called Seneca home. If you haven't been to Seneca yet, you should check it out. The trad lines are a lot of fun. Here are a few teaser shots.

Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

Seneca Guidebook Author and local coffee shop owner, Tony Barnes

Restaurant, Hotel, Campground and Local Store Owner, Shirley Yokum

Dean Lords excited about an upcoming concert

The start of spring at Seneca

Veterans Day

2009-11-11T17:13:00.003-07:00

Here's a shot that seems appropriate today.

Walker Center, Downtown Salt Lake City, UT

Thanks to all our veterans and their families. My condolences go out to the families of those who just lost their lives at Ft. Hood, Texas, my home of two years while serving in the Army.

This We'll Defend

American Alpine Club - Craggin' Classic 2009 Part Deux

2009-10-16T21:59:00.005-06:00

Here is a slideshow of the portraits from the American Alpine Club's 2009 Craggin' Classic. Whoever emails me the most complete list of slideshow participants in order of showing by October 25th, 2009, will win a signed 8" x 10" print of their choice.

American Alpine Club - 2009 Craggin' Classic from Nathan Smith on Vimeo.

Photo slideshow of some of the participants of the American Alpine Club's 2009 Craggin' Classic in Salt Lake City, Utah. Taken by Nathan Smith - Pull Photography.

www.pullphotography.com

American Alpine Club - Craggin' Classic 2009

2009-10-13T22:19:00.005-06:00

This last weekend, Salt Lake was host to the American Alpine Club's Craggin' Classic, a weekend climber's gathering hosted in a different state each year. I set up a small studio and photographed over 50 participants in just a few hours. I'll post up a more comprehensive viewing later, but for now, here are a few diptych's from the shoot.

Tom Nay

Heath Christensen

Elizabeth Hardwick

Travis Rypkema

Góry Fotoedycja 09

2009-08-22T11:29:00.005-06:00

It's been a busy spring/summer with visits to 8 countries, 7 states and thousands of photos taken. Earlier in the year I was introduced to a Polish climbing magazine, Góry. Their Photo Edition was beautiful so I put together a submission and next thing I know they are telling me I got the cover. Here is a peek at The July Photo Edition of Góry. Once I get a copy I'll post more photos.

Christine Balaz on Tofu Crack 5.10, Indian Creek, Utah

Left: Photographer Andrew Burr, Indian Creek, UT. Bottom Right: Dean Lords, Teton Canyon, ID

Top Right:La Sportiva Mountain Team Runner, Jared Campbell, Wasatch Mountains, UT

The Legend - John Bachar 1957-2009

2009-07-06T10:54:00.008-06:00

I started climbing in 1992 in a town with a small climbing community, so my link to the “scene” was through climbing magazines, books and videos. There were many names that stood out for me, Jeff Lowe, Wolfgang Gullich, Tony Yaniro, John Long and many, many others, but the one that stood out above the rest was John Bachar. His image leapt off the pages with exposure inducing photos of him soloing (climbing without a rope) groundbreaking climbs. Videos of his exploits in early Masters of Stone made me yearn to be a real climber and head to California and experience the Sierras, Yosemite and Joshua Tree. Tales of his $10,000 bounty to anyone who could follow him for a day put him so far above everyone else that in my mind there was nobody in the climbing world that could ever match John.

Six years later while working for Rockreation in Salt Lake City, I answered a phone call from Boreal USA asking if someone would be available to help them with the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show. Immediately I volunteered and days later my wife and I were setting up a booth in the Salt Palace when John walked in. I immediately recognized him and stood dumbly as he introduced himself and started to help us put the booth together. While working the 4 day show, John patiently answered all my questions about his climbing career, signed autographs and revealed the everyday normal side of himself to me.

Over the next 8 years we saw each other at shows and events and kept planning to meet up to climb together but it never seemed to work out. The Summer OR show in 2006 we hung out and spoke for a couple hours, again loosely planned to climb together in the fall and then said goodbye. While driving back to California with his girlfriend Anastasia and business partner Steve Karafa in the car, John fell asleep at the wheel just outside of Ely, Nevada and rolled his 4 runner. The wreck instantly killed Steve and broke John’s back. Anastasia suffered only minor injuries and was able to fly with John back to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake where he underwent numerous surgeries. I found out about the accident from a mutual friend and went immediately to the hospital. John was a bit out of it still, but was stable. He asked if I might be able to go to Ely with Anastasia to get their things out of what was left of the truck, so we left right away. The car ride was sureal, a 3 hour drive on lonely roads in the middle of nowhere picturing the wreck, thinking about how fragile our stake in life is. John was a legend on the rock. For almost 30 years he had solo’d routes no others would even think of attempting without a rope and always had the presence of mind to back down when he felt things were not right. For years people had predicted his death while climbing, but almost taken out in a car wreck?

We spoke little in the car, Anastasia was still in shock and her thoughts came out jumbled and confused. 20 miles before Ely, we passed the site of the wreck but we could not bring ourselves to stop. We kept on to Ely and made our way through town to the repair shop where his 4 Runner had been towed. When we first saw the truck, we slowly circled it not believing that John survived. The drivers side was completely mashed, the seat covers stained in blood. Broken glass was everywhere. On the floor next to the gas pedal was a John Coltrane cassette tape filled with blood still not dry. Their bags were scattered throughout the truck, the contents spilt out haphazardly. I crawled in and started handing what I could out the windows. Shattered pieces of peoples lives. A old wall hammer with a skyhook attached by a 3 foot long piece of webbing. Bags of climbing shoes, a glove box with personal letters, photos and knickknacks collected over the years. We hauled out everything we could and headed back to Salt Lake, stopping only briefly at the crash site. This was definitely not the way I ever thought I’d get to know one of my hero’s better.

John recovered from the wreck and started climbing again, even starting up a smaller and easier solo circuit around his home in Mammoth, California. We saw each other again at all the trade shows and then just 2 months ago at a slide show in Provo, Utah. Over the years our conversations changed from my Hero-worshipping climbing questions to normal conversations with a friend. He was still a hero to me, one that I thought would always be around, so when each trip fell through including one we were supposed to meet up on in February of this year, it was not that big of a deal. We’d just get together in the fall.

Early this morning I logged in and saw the news, John had died in a fall while soloing over the weekend. The climbing community has lost one of our greatest Legends, John's son Tyrus lost his father and his family lost their son and brother. My condolences to them.

Palouse Climbing Festival II

2009-03-09T22:33:00.006-06:00

After a looooong and snowy drive I'm back from the Palouse Climbing Fest at the University of Idaho. It was a good time, they have a tight climbing community that seems really supportive. Thanks to Brian Veseth and Mike Beiser for bringing me out. Here are a few shots from the comp.

Mark Polinski - Men's Open 2nd Place Bouldering

Comp Setter, Randy Hill showing how the dyno is done.

Leanne Leedy - Women's Open 2nd Place Bouldering

Palouse Climbing Festival

2009-03-03T16:50:00.002-07:00

I've finally packed away my slide projector and carousels and am ready for all digital presentations. This Friday, March 6th I will be presenting a show at the 7th Annual Palouse Climbing Fest at the University of Idaho in Moscow. The show for those in the area will be at 8:00 pm at JEB 104.

Palouse Climbing Fest. Poster Design by Tammy McClure

Winter 2009 Wasatch Journal

2009-01-29T11:53:00.006-07:00

In late November of 2008 I was able to spend an evening with the legendary Jeff Lowe to shoot some portraits for an upcomming feature for the Wasatch Journal. Although Jeff is not in the best of health, he had a great spirit and was a lot of fun to hang out with. Here are 2 of the images used in the article.

The piton Jeff is holding in the photo is one I found in an obscure rock formation above Ogden over 20 years ago. Jeff thought it was one he or his brother might have put in 20 years prior to my finding it.

Although Jeff suffers from a degenerative neurological disease, olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), he keeps at it, trying to establish the city of Ogden, Utah as a center for outdoor sports and climbing.

March 2009 Rock & Ice #175

2009-01-29T11:14:00.006-07:00

The March issue of Rock & Ice features quite a bit of my work. The first is a feature on Pirates Cove, Corona Del Mar, California with a great Stonemaster story by John Long. The second is a joint feature on Devil's Tower in Wyoming by myself and Keith Ladzinski. Last is the opening shot for an article on jobs within the climbing industry.

Tom Adams on Pin Scar Direct V2

Clockwise from the left: Laura Griffiths, Tom Adams and Michael Fox

Clockwise from the left: Gene Shockley, Laura Griffiths

Christine Balaz, Devil's Tower, WY

Dean Lords, Devil's Tower, WY

Kolin Powick

Rock & Ice #174

2008-11-25T21:33:00.009-07:00

The January issue of Rock & Ice contains a feature on one of my favorite places, the Uinta range in Utah.

Christine Balaz on Dream Catcher, Ruth Lake

"Happy" Jay Keener on Guillotine (5.10b),
Scout Lake.

Cerre Francis, Gary Heward and Jules Cho

Cerre Francis, Rich Hagio and Jules Cho

You can buy copies of the Uinta Rock guidebook from Rock & Ice.

Uinta Rock

Halloween in Indian Creek - Part 2

2008-10-23T20:01:00.011-06:00

So after hanging on a rope in one spot for over 5 hours, toproping one climb and hiking 90 lbs of gear back down to the car, I set up a white backdrop just outside of the campfire in preperation of the night's festivities. Here are some of my favorite photos from the evening.

Laurel Flood - Tomb Raider

Photographer Andrew Burr - Sheriff

Writer Christine Balaz - Prom Queen - Photo I

Writer Christine Balaz - Prom Queen - Photo II

Kevin Quaderer - Stock Broker

Nancy Roth - Angel

Birthday Boy, Zac Robinson- 80's Climber - Photo I

Birthday Boy, Zac Robinson- Evel Knievel - Photo II

Halloween in Indian Creek - Part 1

2008-10-22T22:48:00.013-06:00

When a couple of good friends invited me to the 2nd Annual Costume Party at Indian Creek last weekend I jumped at the chance to get out. I mean, what could be better? Beautiful desert scenery, splitter cracks and costumes. For sure my favorite holiday, Halloween is the time to leave our serious selves behind and continually try out new personalities, characters and re-invent yourself.
The weekend had a couple of rules.
1. You must have a different costume each day.
2. You must climb in your costume.

Here are a few shots of some of the trip's ropeguns.

Photographer Andrew Burr lays down the law on an unknown 5.10+

Writer Christine Balaz on her way to the prom via Tofu Crack 5.10

Laurel Flood climbing an unknown 5.10 to get to the entrance of some forgotten tomb

Elliott Barcikowski calling a timeout to re-chalk on Tofu Crack 5.10

P.S. Happy Birthday Zac

Dimming Neon

2008-10-11T16:25:00.009-06:00

Once again I am presenting my "signs project" at Finns in Sugarhouse. They are all new prints from old Utah. You can check them out here:

Finns Cafe
Located in the Sugarhouse area at:
1624 South 1100 East in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Open Monday-Sunday 7:30a.m. - 2:30p.m.
Phone: 801-467-4000

Dimming Neon

Sports Guide Fall 08

2008-10-10T17:48:00.003-06:00

Just out today. Jake Hirschi at the first crag I ever climbed at, 9th Street in Ogden.

Sports Guide

Night Climbing

Summer's Over

2008-10-09T22:23:00.016-06:00

The summer has just flown by and I never really seem to know what happened. For the first year in a long time, my fingers have held up and I've had one of my best climbing years ever. For most of the summer I've been making the drive up to Little Cottonwood Canyon or LCC as we lazy folks like to call it two to three days a week. My camera goes occasionally, but mostly I've just enjoyed climbing rock again and scouring the canyon for new lines and areas. (More on that later this fall).

Thomas Betterton sending Euro V9

Mike McClure flashing Who Ate the Beaver V7

Nathan Smith sending Awaking the Sleeping Giants V6 - Check out the sick farmers tan...

Along with the time spent in Little, I've been making my summerly pilgrimages to the Uinta range shooting photos, climbing and even managing a few first ascents. Stay tuned to Rock and Ice magazine for more on the Uintas.

Deric Brown on FYD, Stone Garden

Provo River Falls

Uintas

In the beginning of September I headed out on the road for 3 weeks away from home.

While heading to Los Angeles for a design project I happened to pass through Vegas just before an Obama rally so Cheri and I decided to stop in and check it out. We ended up a few people back from front row only about 30 feet from Barack Obama. I was wishing I could have brought more camera gear in but without a press pass I was lucky to bring in the one body and lens I had. The energy of the crowd was amazing! I'm not sure I have ever experienced that type of reaction to a person before. Whatever your politics, there is no getting around the fact that Barack is an amazing public speaker. Coming from Utah where we never get either of the presidential hopefuls to even take a bathroom break I was psyched to have been able to attend the event.

Barack in Las Vegas

From Vegas we continued on to LA for a few days of design work and a weekend at the beach, surfing and climbing. Thanks to Sang Lee for his gracious hospitality while in LA.

Sang Lee

While heading to Pirates Cove in Newport Beach on Sunday for a bit of beach bouldering we were surprised to find the entire cove taken over by at least 1000 Christian churchgoers watching the baptism of 250 new converts.

Mass baptism at Corona Del Mar

After Los Angeles, Cheri flew home and I headed back to Vegas for the InterBike tradeshow. A few days trolling the isles, drooling over 10,000+ dollar bikes and it was time to head home and pack up for another climbing trip.

Just a few days after unloading from Vegas it was back in the car for 12+ hours of driving that landed "Princess" Christine Balaz, "Brian" Dean Lords and I at Devil's Tower in Wyoming. For a week straight we went up and down the tower climbing every aspect while there. The towers continous cracks were some of the best I've ever seen and a lot of fun to climb. The only negative to the trip was trying to miss the tourists on the paved tower trail so we did not have to repeat the same answers over and over. "4 hours to the top." "Not much up there." "Yes, it is an amazing view." "Ha, Ha, you are so original, but no, we did not see any spaceships or alien landing sites." 'No we are not crazy." "No I have not climbed Everest." We were graciously hosted by Frank Sanders of the Devil's Tower Lodge and could not have asked for a better host.

Devil's Tower

Nathan catching "Big Air" while on the summit of the tower

Hopefully if the weather cooperates I'll be able to get some shots of the local fall color and reveal some new work in the canyons.

The Great Silence

2008-07-25T11:55:00.004-06:00

Here are a few recent clips to show some of the work I've had published recently.

Rock & Ice Magazine - Top Digs: 10 Climbing Towns to Live For

Boise, Idaho

Ogden, Utah

Omega Pacific - Link Cam Ad

Destination Salt Lake

2 Covers

Liberty Mountain Climbing

Liberty Mountain - Everything for the Outdoors

Good Press

2008-05-16T11:42:00.003-06:00

I've had a bit of good foreign press lately. First, the French climbing magazine Escalade did a review of my photography and design work, and now photographer Ismael Velasco from the Spanish blog El Canto Chino has added a small write-up about my work as well.

Boise, Idaho

2008-05-12T20:21:00.008-06:00

Just got back from a last minute, whirlwind trip to Boise, Idaho. 3 days, $160 in gas, $50 co-pay for a trip to the ER, 5 types of rock and an amazing crew of climbers. Heather and Dean Lords drove from Idaho Falls, Mike McClure and Tammy Stowe

were my hosts/tourguides and local Craig Hurst braved a badly sprained ankle to climb some cool lines.

Image © Dean Lords

If you are a wine fan, check out Mike and Tammy's family winery, Indian Creek.

Ogden ClimbFest II

2008-04-22T11:25:00.003-06:00

One of my images won "Best Photograph" in the 2008 ClimbFest.

Dean Lords on his climb, Indulgence M9, Idaho.

"This photograph captures all the drama, energy and beauty of the ice climber's winter landscape."

Ogden ClimbFest

2008-04-03T11:26:00.004-06:00

Starting today, I will have a small exhibition at the Artisan Grille in Ogden, Utah in conjunction with the Ogden ClimbFest.

The exhibit will feature five 16" x 20" framed prints.

They will be on display at the Artisan until April 18 when they will move to the Eccles Community Arts Center located at 2580 Jefferson Avenue in Ogden for the Climbfest. If your in O-Town and have time, check it out.

Signs of the Recent Past

2007-12-29T20:30:00.001-07:00

Over the past few years, I’ve been working on a personal project documenting old neon signs throughout Utah and surrounding states. To me, these signs are more than just a colorful reminder of our past. They show who we were and who we are becoming now. These signs are an artistic representation of business that were an important part of their local community. Vibrant and colorful, they showed off a business’s individuality. Unfortunately today, these signs are rapidly being removed from the landscape and replaced with generic, cost efficient and mass-produced signs representing chain stores without much of a link to the community in which they reside.

Throughout America (and the rest of the world), our past is being replaced with generic versions of everything. Entire neighborhoods are built where every house looks exactly the same. Urban sprawl has brought strip malls into almost every community making it possible to drive for hours and feel like you haven’t moved. You see the same stores and restaurants everywhere you go. Wal-Mart, Blockbuster and McDonalds are quickly replacing our local businesses such as Saccos, The Gem Theater and Finns.

Some might say that the lower price and greater selection is worth the tradeoff, but is it really? You might pay less at mega-chain now, but as more and more research is showing, the cheep pre-processed foods and goods are harmful to our bodies and the environment. Cheaper in the beginning but higher insurance and medical costs quickly make up the difference. Blockbuster is easy and convenient, but we stay locked away in our homes rather than meeting our neighbors at the local theater. You can eat in your car while on the run, but what happened to sitting at the table with your family while eating a healthy dinner?

In the two years I’ve worked on this project at least 3 of the signs I’ve documented no longer exist, fallen victim to our generic forward progress. One of my favorites, the Kuong Jou Cafe just 1 mile from my house recently fell to a mediocre fresh-mex chain. To their credit though, they did re-use some of the framework to create a generic take on the original.

To all my friends and family in the Utah area reading this, I’d like to ask that if you see a sign like these and the others in the gallery on my website http://www.pullphotography.com
please tell me about it and give directions to get there.

A new site

2007-12-04T20:17:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

I'm in the process of updating my website and adding a lot of new features such as this blog. Hopefully I'll keep up and post regularly. In the meantime, here is a test image from our Thanksgiving trip to Bishop.

Cheers,

Nathan