by Fire Girl Jess on January 19, 2013
I was up Jackson yesterday exploring the new Teton Ice Park on assignment for the Roundup. Run by an Exum lead guide, the Ice Park is set back in a quiet corner of Snow King. I was lucky enough to spend an awesome afternoon at the park with staff and kids from the local middle school. The light was very challenging – we were in the shadow of the mountain, and the ice combined with the shadow to create very dark, blue photography conditions. It was a good challenge.
I’m pretty happy with the photo series; look for the images to be posted here in the next few days.
I was due in Jackson mid-morning for a meeting, so left Pinedale early enough to catch sunrise on the Tetons. While the sunrise itself left something to be desired (cold, hard light with no clouds to filter), I bummed around childhood haunts near Moose for a while shooting, and then stopped by the elk refuge as the light came over the hills.
Photography in the winter is tough – a lack of color and contrast can make for blown out, dreary pictures. This is a great time of year to get creative and push your artistic limits. Some of these images I played with focus; on the river image opting for manual focus, keeping it slightly out of ‘sharp.’ I think, in this instance, it worked.
by Fire Girl Jess on January 15, 2013
It’s been a week… sorry guys. I came down with a stomach flu that had me knocked out and not eating for – literally – the past six days. I’ve been working through days at the Roundup but sadly the blog has suffered.
But I’m bouncing back – fueled by diluted Gatorade and the closest thing to British digestives I can find in Pinedale. Found out this morning that I made the cover on the quarterly Equine Enthusiast, as well as writing and photographing the top two stories. It’s a good boost.
We’re clawing above zero here (yesterday’s high was -5F), and I’m heading to Jackson Friday for a photo session at the Teton Ice Park and several meetings.
Here’s to staying busy and keeping the winter doldrums away.
by Fire Girl Jess on January 8, 2013
It’s been a busy few weeks. I’m taking on more duties at the Roundup and somehow, at the same time, Fire Girl is growing considerably and managing to keep me running when I’m not in the “day job” office. Days now pretty much consist of waking up, hitting the gym, going to the paper and working for the day then coming home and working on Fire Girl for the night.
And it’s awesome. Life’s meant to be busy, I think.
That said, Sunday I simply needed to turn the brain off. To get away from the computer and the phone, relax a bit and spend some time in solace. So, in our relative heat wave of double digits above zero, I geared up and hiked into one of the few waters not frozen in the area. I knew fishing would be negligible, but somehow I just very much needed to go through the motions of casting and photographing. I needed a quiet day on the water.
And, as expected no fish were seen, but I spend several hours in powdery snow and icy water, coming back to the small parsonage I’m currently quartered in with ice up to my thighs and the laces of my wading boots frozen into balls of ice. I was freezing but my soul was much, much lighter.
It’s amazing what a few hours on the water can do for a person.
You can read a more thorough write-up of the afternoon here on Chi Wulff.
I’m heading up to Jackson Friday for a photo session / story at the new Teton Ice Park. I’m excited to see what the crew there has going on. It’s a big undertaking, and one much needed in the area.
And I may just have to stay and fish the Snake for a bit…
by Fire Girl Jess on January 4, 2013
I was excited to see the latest piece I wrote for Equine Journal make the rounds in the past few days. I worked with many wonderful riders and breeders for this piece and, as always, it was such a pleasure to step oh-so-briefly into their lives and see their world.
I used to make a living in the horse world and it always feels good to put so many years of study and learning into words.
Thanks much to the magazine team for such a stellar layout!
(Pardon the screen grabs. Here in the Wild West we regrettably don’t get the Equine Journal.)
In other news, we’ve had a frigid week here in Pinedale and, as the Fire Girl Subaru decided the weather was not to its liking, I’ve been on foot during nights with wind chills well under -35F and days with high barely topping 0F. I’m looking forward to a bit warmer day tomorrow and, while I have two features to pen this weekend, and hoping to get out and explore a bit.
I’m getting restless.
I’m the de facto editor this week for the Pinedale Roundup and enjoying learning that job while I also hold down my normal reporting and photography beat.
Eh, life’s meant to be busy.
by Fire Girl Jess on January 1, 2013
A tanker rests off Port Angeles, Washington.
The drinking and partying of New Year’s Eve has never really made much since to me.
I guess I’m an odd one.
Last night, I drove up to the local ski resort to photograph a nighttime torchlit ski, then came back and spent the night Skyping friends across the globe, watching episodes of Torchwood and eating Rocky Road ice cream.
And it was awesome.
Up early this morning ready to greet the New Year with productive work. I have a day off from the paper, which means a long workday here at home for FGP. Somehow, though, working in and on your own business rarely ever feels like work. I’m updating the portfolio, prepping magazine submissions, and just generally laying out a plan for this year.
2012 was insane. Six relocations, two countries, new friends, and an whole host of firsts. My work was recognized and picked up in places I’d never imagined.
Somehow I hope 2013 is just as wild, though I’m certainly glad bits of 2012 are left behind.
So here’s to a new year, all. It’s -18F right now in Pinedale and I’m cuddled in with a space heater, two computers, and a giant cup of tea.
Let’s go!
by Fire Girl Jess on December 27, 2012
Cloud waves over Mount Rainier at sunrise.
Back to the real world.
It was amazing to make the trip to Seattle and simply have some down time, enjoying the family. I’m very lucky in that my immediate family is simply kick-ass. It was the first Christmas we spent apart – Chi Wulff Jake was stuck working retail in Montana – and it made the four of us very homesick for old times back home in Montana.
At any rate, I was able to escape the frozen iciness of Sublette County and very much enjoyed the simple novelties of rain, shopping and stop lights.
I’m sitting once more in the Salt Lake City airport, waiting to hop on the little prop plane to Rock Springs. Once back in Wyoming, I’ve got to catch a ride from the airport to my dead car in Rock Springs, get a jump, drive up to Pinedale, drop the car at the mechanic’s shop, and walk home.
I need a nap; though for the moment Starbucks is doing a remarkable job. I’m camped out catching up on email, people watching and cruising to Dr. Who.
So cheers, all. I had a great photo session on the water in Washington and am eager to get home and upload pics onto the working computer. For now, and somewhat ashamedly, here’s another iPhone picture.
by Fire Girl Jess on December 21, 2012
The mighty Rock Springs, Wyoming airport. I was the only one in the building for at least half an hour.
I’m very happily on the road once again, despite battling issues with a dying / dead car battery the past few days. Apparently heat fries batteries and my two-year-old car battery needs to be replaced. I got a jump late last night in Pinedale, drove to Rock Springs to spend the night, then took a shuttle to the airport early this morning.
Say what you will about the density of oil and gas rigs in Sublette County; there was something very magical driving across the wilds of Wyoming late last night. Temperatures dipped well below zero and there was not a cloud in the sky. An awe-inspiring array of stars complimented the moonlit snow, while rig lights were almost Christmas-esque scattered across the landscape.
I saw less than ten cars in the two hour drive, and the vast majority were work trucks.
It’s the little things in life.
So, for the moment I’m in the Salt Lake City airport, waiting for a flight to SEATAC. Free internet in airports is a glorious thing.
I’m jamming out to ‘Voodoo Child,’ enjoying my first fancy juice drink in months, and people watching.
As much a pain it can often be, I love being on the road.
