When Sandy, Utah–based photographer Steven Lloyd isn’t shooting skiing, he’s shooting biking and other outdoor activities. Originally a painter, Steve started shooting photos to paint from. But after a photography class, he quit painting and took up the camera. He never stopped. Skiing Magazine contributor Sally Franckyln spoke to him about his photo of Gary Wilson at Alta, Utah, which made it into the magazine's annual “Best Shots of the Year” photo gallery (December 2008).
SKIING: When was this photo taken?
The photo was taken late in the evening just before the sun went down. It had snowed a good foot the night before and the shooting was good. My friend Gary Wilson and I had been shooting all day at Alta and were tired and wanted to go home. I had noticed that the light in the evenings had been quite good lately, so we decided to stay and hike up and get some good light. This shot was taken just a few minutes before the sun went behind the mountain. I had seen some good color in sunsets up here, but never like this one. Just 60 seconds before the sun went down the sky lit up like a fire. The light and shadows were perfect.
SKIING: What is the most memorable photo you’ve taken?
My most memorable shoot was a photo I did with Billy Poole at Brighton. I had found a pine tree that was overhanging a cliff. I wanted to shoot the photo from up in the branches hanging way out over the cliff. I took all my climbing gear and climbed the tree. When I was in position I was about 50 feet off the ground and 15 to 20 feet out on a branch hanging over the cliff. It’s the most uncomfortable I have ever been when shooting. Billy kept trying a Lincoln loop off the cliff and took the hardest hits I had ever seen someone take. I asked him if he wanted to stop and that’s just not Billy. He hit it maybe five times until we got something I was happy with. He was one of the hardest workers I have ever met.
