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 hope everyone has had an amazing Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I had a lot of good friends in town over the weekend, and even met some really cool locals I hadn’t met before. It was awesome and so refreshing. One of the couple’s who’s wedding I shot this year, Ngoc and Dave, were among the friends in town. They came with their friend John, and we all spent a day together climbing out at the Buttermilks, where Ngoc, Dave, and I also shot their e-session this past spring. It was so fun to spend some time together out climbing and hanging. I got some killer shots of Dave and John doing a super classic way high ball boulder problem on the southwest arete of the famous Grandma Peabody boulder. Its way off the ground, yet Dave and John styled it with grace and elegance. Enjoy the pics and I hope you’re well!

Here’s Dave.

Here’s John.

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.

Last weekend I was super stoked to capture moments and memories for Liz and Kent at their wedding in El Portal, CA, just outside Yosemite. They actually got married in February, but decided to share their vows in front of their friends and family and have a grand celebration this fall. Kent has grown up in the small community of El Portal, so this was very special to have the community come together and celebrate his and Liz’s love and commitment. What a collection of beautiful people came together to share in the excitement.

Liz and Kent, thank you so much for having me be a part of your special day. I wish you a lifetime together of love, joy, and happiness. Your energy is infectious and your love for each other obvious. Much love to you both.

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

I had an incredible shoot a few weeks ago with my dear friend Kelley at Tenaya Lake in Yosemite’s high country, Tuolumne Meadows. We met early for first light and it was absolutely stunning. Kelley and I have shot yoga lots through the years, but hadn’t shot together in a while since my business got so busy when I incorporated weddings into the mix that I haven’t been shooting as much outdoor lifestyle. Well this shoot really opened my eyes to the fact that I really need to get back to my roots. I LOVE shooting the outdoor lifestyle and LIVING the outdoor lifestyle, and admittedly I haven’t been out nearly as much as I would like in the last few years as I’ve focused so hard on growing my business. But the tides have turned and as business keeps getting better, my life is making its way back to me. I couldn’t be more excited to share these images of a dear friend embodying the beauty of Yosemite and being outside, and for helping be a catalyst in the ongoing journey of me finding my way back to myself through compassion and understanding of others, and remembering the importance of choosing Love over fear.