I’m so excited to announce my all new blogsite!!!!  I’ve been working with a very talented designer and coder Jordan Downs of Koncept Media and he’s collaberated with me to develop a brand new custom blogging platform perfect for professional photographers and other creatives.  I’m so excited!!! My new blogsite has beautiful full screen galleries, a wealth of information, and cool features like a radio to listen to royalty free music while you browse photos, and the ability to vote for your favorite photos.  It also features a much improved comment system that I’ll be taking  a more active role in.  This blog will remain up for archiving purposes but please be sure to change your RSS feeds to http://shawnreeder.net and check out my All New Blogsite!!! Hope you’re well.

Wow, it sure has been a whirlwind of life since I last posted.  I had a fantastic trip to the East Coast over the holidays where I spent amazing time with my family and got to see some very good friends. Since I’ve gotten back, Ive been consumed with something new (that I’ll be announcing here real soon), that I’m really excited about and is going to mean lots more blogging and sharing of photos, music, and videos. So exciting!!

But for now, here’s a little recap of my last month or so with some teaser pics of full blog posts coming soon.  You’ll wanna check back soon cause there’s something really exciting in the works that I just can’t wait to share with you all!!

Here I am on the plane making my way east.

I had the amazing fortune to meet and spend the day with a family who I’ve admired for a long time, The Sandersons. Such a beautiful family, and incredible photographers.

My Dad and his wife Lynn are working on a new business and so we got a couple shots of them for their new website which will be going live really soon.

I also got to do an Engagement shoot in Baltimore for my good friends Jennifer and Eric. I’ll have a full blog post coming from this shoot real soon. Here’s a few teasers. We got some great shots!!

Since I’ve been back home, I’ve appreciated the mountains even more than usual as I always do after a trip away.

I went out hiking with my friends Lars and Ryan the other day, and we had a blast. The clouds were killer and it felt more like Junuary than January.  There will be a full blog post coming on this soon as well.

A little self portrait fun in Ryan’s glasses.

So while I was gone, I did get a new Canon 5D Mark II and I couldn’t be more excited!!! Its the first digital SLR to include full HD 1080p video capabilities, and the footage is just stunning. I went to a going away party the other night for my friend Mark who’s moving to South Dakota, and decided to bust out the camera for just a few minutes to play around. When I got home I decided to throw together a little short from the footage.

I’m totally just learning, but am really excited about the new possibilities video opens up!! The song in the video is Urban Blue by Paul Alvaran and is available as a royalty free music download at ShawnReederMusic.com. You can watch the video full screen by clicking the button in the lower right hand corner. Enjoy!!

Last week I went down into the Owens River Gorge to shoot some pics of my good friend Jay Lakey walk a long highline that he put up in the inner part of the gorge. It was incredible to watch him go out over the abyss with a raging river below. He wore a tether for safety in case he fell, but even with that its gotta be so wild to be out there. He took some falls for sure but has walked all the way across several times. Unbelievable. Its like 140 feet across!

Enjoy the pics and I hope you’re well.

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While we were walking out of the gorge, we came across an awesome vantage of world class climber and super nice Bishop local Lisa Rands climbing a brilliant route out the huge Eldorodo Roof. It was so impressive to see her climb so smooth and strong. Amazing.
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I just got back from an awesome trip to Yosemite where I shot an amazing wedding at the Ahwahnee and then stayed around a few days to enjoy the spectacular fall color. I never really think of Yosemite as a place to go for fall color because its so amazing in the Eastern Sierra canyons around home here, but I was blown away how gorgeous Yosemite Valley was this past week. The Blacks Oaks were lit up and Tenaya Canyon was so beautiful. Erica and John were so stoked to have such beautiful conditions for their wedding. I’ll be sharing more from their wedding early next week so be sure to check back. But for now, here’s some of my favorites from my wanderings around Yosemite and a few teasers from Erica and John’s wedding. Enjoy!

Which of these first two  do you like best?
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9. These next few shots are up in Tenaya Canyon. It was so fun following the creek.

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12. I wandered out around the top of the Rostrum and came across Dean Potter doing some yoga. What a spot!

13. The Black Oaks were incredible in El Cap Meadow.

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18. Here’s a few teasers from Erica and John’s gorgeous Ahwahnee Wedding in Yosemite.

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Hope you’re well,

I just got back a few days ago from a week away in Yosemite and out to Shuteye Ridge for a birthday camping and climbing trip. It was so nice to spend time out at Shuteye, one of my favorite places ever. My friend Ryan and I stayed out there for a few days and had a huge moon the whole time with perfect fall temps as well. We climbed every day and hiked around exploring new areas as well. Sat by a fire one night, got some good reading in, and had a great re connection with nature. A total dream. I’ve also been trying to get out and find fall color as much as possible and it has been beautiful, but it comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Just this afternoon I went up to the Aspens up Bishop Creek and they’re almost all bare already. Just like that. I guess it makes that brief time of splendid color that much more special. I hope you are enjoying fall as well and that your days are filled with smiles.

A few weeks ago my dear friend Ryan and I had an insane adventure on a peak in the southern Sierras named “Nameless Pyramid”.  It’s a total pyramid of impeccable granite towering over Onion Valley, and is a playground for a climber who likes to roam unencumbered over perfect stone.

Ryan and I headed straight for the main buttress hoping we’d find a perfect path to allow us passage.  There’s a really steep wall that drops abruptly on the southeast face, and we were hoping we’d be able to climb a lower angle ridge just to the right of it.  We didn’t bring any ropes, although we did have rock shoes, so we really wanted it to not be too hard, but interesting enough for an adventure and some excitement.

Nameless Pyramid delivered with immaculate climbing up to a narrow fin of a summit.  I had been here once before several years ago with another friend, but neither of us attempted the very sharp, steep, dramatic, summit knife blade pyramid.  We didn’t have rock shoes with us and had come up an easier ridge from Kearsarge Pass.  I had always dreamed of returning and giving a go at the summit pillar, but when I returned, even with rock shoes, I couldn’t summon the courage to try as a fall would mean certain death and I haven’t been climbing as much lately to have my flow on stone.

I climbed up part way to a small ledge from where I watched Ryan with no hesitation go straight for the summit.  With grace and elegance he danced his way to the top and reveled in the summit glory that no words can describe.  There’s nothing like sitting on top of a mountain.  Its a magical experience that transcends everyday consciousness, and gives a glimpse of the interconnectedness of all creation.

Ryan enjoyed it and eventually came back down and I asked him, “so would you do that again?”  Probably not he said laughing.  “Scary” he said, “once is probably enough”.  It made me feel a little bit better for not joining him on top, as I stood 20 feet below perched on that small ledge.

We made our way down another ridge that had so much fun granite that we kept stopping every 5 minutes to boulder and play and enjoy the last rays of the setting sun.  We made it down off the mountain just as it got dark and practiced out jedi skills for the hour and a half walk out in the dark without using our headlamps.  Nothing like a day in the mountains to feel alive.

You can watch the slideshow below by pressing play or you can click here to see it in its own window.  Enjoy!