ALICE LAKE | A STUDY IN THE ELEMENTS
Spencer and I headed out to Alice Lake for a spec shoot with a trail running brand, with one thing working against us from the start: the weather. It was absolutely pouring. The kind of rain that soaks through everything, turns the trails into a mess, and makes you question why you decided to go outside in the first place.
Rather than fight the conditions, we leaned into them. The idea was to create a collection of images that balanced high-energy action with quieter, more personal moments. We wanted to capture the intensity of trail running while giving a glimpse into the person behind the athlete. The effort, the focus, the fatigue, the downtime, and everything in between.
I wanted the imagery to feel like more than just a series of action shots. The close-up details, candid moments, and quieter frames help tell a more complete story. They give the viewer a sense of what it's actually like to be out there with the athlete, rather than simply watching them run past. At the same time, the environment gave us a natural way to showcase how technical apparel performs in real conditions. Wet trails, heavy rain, movement, and changing terrain all became part of the story.
For me, that's where strong outdoor storytelling lives. It's finding the balance between making something visually compelling and creating something that feels genuine. The action grabs your attention, but the personal moments are what bring you closer to the subject. And when the conditions are less than ideal, there's often an opportunity to create something a little more honest and interesting.
The result was a mix of gritty action, intimate character moments, and environmental details that brought the whole shoot together. No perfect weather, no controlled environment, just an athlete, some good trails, and a whole lot of rain. Sometimes the best shoots happen when things don't go according to plan.
