{"id":4166,"date":"2009-03-25T06:36:12","date_gmt":"2009-03-25T11:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yobeat.com\/?p=4166"},"modified":"2020-11-19T15:51:40","modified_gmt":"2020-11-19T20:51:40","slug":"jess-mooney-finds-the-softer-side-of-hump-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brookegeery.com\/?p=4166","title":{"rendered":"Jess Mooney Finds the Softer Side of Hump Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\t

Archives<\/h1>\t\t

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Jess and her new little one. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone is a photographer these days. It seems like any idiot<\/a> with a camera can luck into a cover, but it wasn\u2019t always so. For Jess Mooney, who has been shooting since the days when images were captured on film (by everyone), there was no luck involved. She works hard, shoots amazing images, and has established herself as one of the best snowboard photographers out there.<\/p>\n

It might seem like breaking into a male-dominated facet of a male-dominated sport would be the hardest part about being a female snowboard photographer. But for the Aussie lass, the tribulations of her early entry into photography had little to do with her gender. The biggest problem was sacrificing great days on hill. \u201cWhen it was a sunny day it was hard to shoot photos,” Jess said. \u201cI went through a transition period of probably a couple of years, and then it just became shooting because I could sell the photos in the Australian industry.”<\/p>\n

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Jess Mooney Photo. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Growing up in Sydney, snowboarding was a luxury, but after being introduced to it at 17, and meeting her then boyfriend who loved the sport as much as her, she would drive the seven hours to the mountain every weekend of the three-month season. She became embedded in the snowboard scene through her boyfriend, and after about three years riding she and starting to shoot photos. Though she wasn\u2019t studying photography officially (she was an art major at UNSW in Australia) she had learned to shoot in high school. \u201cI just was in touch with all the pro snowboarders in the scene so it just kind of made sense,” she said. \u201cI was traveling, I had a camera, it just worked.”<\/p>\n

Selling her first images was easy in Australia, mostly because the riders she shot with needed photos for ads. But with the short Aussie season and small scene, it would be nearly impossible to make a living off photography, so Jess traveled back and forth to Whistler, B.C. during school holidays. In Canada she was able to sell images to OnBoard and Snowboard Canada, (provided they were they were good, and of the right people.)\u00a0 But breaking into the US market was harder. \u201cIt was a more cliquey scene and no doubt more competitive,” she said.<\/p>\n

Even living the endless winter and shooting as much as she did, Jess worked several day jobs to make ends meet, including \u201ccheese expert” at a fine foods store and cleaning vacation rentals in Whistler. It wasn\u2019t glamorous, but it paid the bills.<\/p>\n

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Frederick Klabermaten. Jess Mooney photo. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Jess got her big break in the US through Dano Pendygrasse, who she knew from her time in Whistler. He was familiar with her work, so when he took a job as Photo Editor for Future Snowboarding, he gave Jess her first travel budget. Getting out of Whistler, and seeing different people and things, helped her career tremendously, and also had another, less anticipated benefit. It was on a trip to Stewart, B.C. for Future that Jess met up with Jeff Curtes. The legendary Burton staff photographer was actually tagging along on her shoot, and the two hit it off. Only a few months later, they were married.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s just great and really inspirational,” she said. Being in the same field, the couple often works together.\u00a0 \u201cWe assist each other a fair bit and that\u2019s where a lot of people probably think it would be quite unhealthy, we manage it rather well. We find each other\u2019s process a little bit frustrating but at the same point you learn a lot along the way.”<\/p>\n

Jeff has helped Jess meet even more of the right people, such as filmer Mike Hatchett, but connections are only part of the battle. In order to shoot backcountry film trips, as she often does, you have to be able to keep up. That means riding a snowmobile, something Jess said was almost more difficult than proving she was able to take great photos. \u201cIt\u2019s really physical. It genuinely was hard to prove myself in that capacity. Being not a terribly strong girl didn\u2019t help me out back then, but now I\u2019ve been doing it so long, and guys have said complimentary things about my snowmobiling.”<\/p>\n

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Jussi Oksanen. Jess Mooney photo. <\/strong><\/p>\n

To be a photographer, the images are the most important, but to be successful, there\u2019s a lot more too it. People have to want to work with you, and Jess has taken the slow and steady approach to making it happen. She works hard and with her quiet, humble attitude, she\u2019s made plenty of friends in snowboarding.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is a real trooper out there. She can sled up to stuff that half the pros can’t,” Jess\u2019s recent cover-subject Jussi Oksanen said. \u201cShe is awesome to have around, super easy going, always helping out building jumps and she takes sick photos.”<\/p>\n

For Jess, the best part of her job as a photographer has to be the travel, but ironically it\u2019s also the worst part. \u201cThe people and places you meet and go to along the way (are the best),” she said. \u201cBut the lack of routine and dragging heavy bags in and out of awkward places gets old. Another big buzz kill about the job is getting money earned out of some companies.”<\/p>\n

After over ten years shooting snowboarding, Jess\u2019s advice for someone who wants to get into photography is simple. \u201cShoot as much as you can on and off the mountain — the more well rounded you are will pay off along the way.”<\/p>\n

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Wolle Nyvelt. Jess Mooney photo. <\/strong><\/p>\n

So you want to be a real snowboard photographer? Here are a few suggestions for getting going.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Put Yourself in the Right Place. <\/strong>\u201cGo and live in the mountains and get the snowboarding out of your system so you don’t feel a compromise between shooting and riding,” Jess said. Also being in a photogenic place, with people who are good at snowboarding, will\u00a0 greatly improve the quality of your images.<\/p>\n

Learn To Shoot Action. <\/strong> Shooting snowboarding is definitely a different skill, and there are a few things you will have to learn as you go. \u201cGetting in close enough to the action, what angles made things look bigger as opposed to making something look lame,” Jess said.<\/p>\n

Work with Your Subjects<\/strong>. \u201cLearn the fine line between encouraging your subjects and ‘pushing’ them,\ufffd? Jess said. You don\u2019t want to be known as the photographer who always wants riders to try things they aren\u2019t feeling, but you need to be able to get people to try something if you know if will make a great shot.<\/p>\n

Pay Your Dues. <\/strong>Making it happen will take time, and you\u2019ll have lots of times where you shoot all day and come away with nothing, but it\u2019s all part of the job.<\/p>\n

Check out the full gallery of Jess’s images. Click any thumbnail to enlarge. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t