Have T3, Will Travel

Junkyard

2009-10-31T00:50:00.000-07:00

Wasteland

2009-09-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Field

2009-09-16T20:19:00.001-07:00

Hotel Test: The Opal SF

2009-06-16T16:20:00.001-07:00

Too springy and soft. Way better to jump on than sleep on.

Don't Call It A Comeback...

2009-06-11T00:14:00.000-07:00

... because I probably won't update this thing for awhile, again.

Get High

2009-04-08T00:39:00.000-07:00

More Scenery

2009-03-23T10:30:00.001-07:00

This photo may be January in the 2010 T3 Calender

Sunrise Snowmobiling

2009-03-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

I risked frostbite to get these photos... hope you are happy.

Damn Cold

2009-03-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Drove all night and arrived in a cold, cold Jackson, Wyoming. At least the snow will be good.

Leaving Baker

2009-02-28T10:58:00.000-08:00

It is raining, which means time to leave. These guys just talked me into going to Jackson, Wyoming with them. Should be interesting considering I packed for a 3 day trip. 13 hour drive here we come.

Trip: Mt Baker

2009-02-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

I haven't been shooting much snowboarding this season, but jumped at the oppurtunity to go to Mt Baker. The weather is less than favorable, and the snowmobiling is chaotic. Despite the washouts, rain, and sticky snow, Wille was tweaked. Time to pack up the trucks and head out.

Harriet Lake

2009-02-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Dire Wolf

2009-02-12T23:55:00.001-08:00

Save Yourself!

2009-02-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

Get Dusted

2009-01-28T20:58:00.000-08:00

A long time coming

2009-01-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

Snow Has Arrived

2008-12-27T01:45:00.000-08:00

Betty Rides Wrap

2008-12-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Striking the set for the Betty Rides 09/10 catalog shoot today. One day on location at MT. Hood and a bunch more in the studio. I am excited to see the finished product, produced by Draplin Design Company.

1. The unofficial Wilderness mascot
2. The Betty Rides hat models

Guest Photographer

2008-12-12T00:35:00.000-08:00

Sara, my beautiful wife, snapped this photo in the bathroom of a party our jazz band played out. I came close to puking in this toilet, from my shaky nerves... I am not a showman.

Disobey

2008-11-25T23:37:00.000-08:00

That sign says "SHOOTING PROHIBITED"

Swedish Gold

2008-11-17T00:58:00.000-08:00

Mr. Floyd, happy at last, full of snus

The Rain Begins

2008-11-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

The rain is here, as far as the forecast can see. Tarps are starting to appear around the city.

Protection

2008-11-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

Shelby reminds us... always wear protection.

Blog Vacation

2008-10-29T23:09:00.000-07:00

I Took a little blog vacation there. Stayed at the beach for a few days with no internet in sight. Beautiful. And now, back into the swing of things.

Parking Lot Christ Revisited

2008-10-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

A few years back I shot a series of photos called "Parking Lot Christ". This time back East I was happy to find the same statues in the same parking lot, but with even more wear and tear. I got a bunch of these guys, that I hope to make into a zine, or book in the near future.

Bass Fishing

2008-10-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

There is no fishing I enjoy more than East Coast bass fishing. I love it. Plastic worms or top water.

Gettin Hitched

2008-10-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Lots of forks and butts at this wedding

Hotel Test: Sierra Parsippany

2008-10-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

My good friend Mark Wundrack is getting hitched in NJ and all my old friends are staying at the Sierra in Parsippany. This bed passed the test with high marks. This bed will be good for the few hours I get to sleep in it.

Trip: NY/NJ

2008-10-02T21:22:00.001-07:00

Well frequent flyer miles got me a 14 hour airport/airplane travel to my homeland. I did get a pretty spectacular view of San Francisco though for my day of travel. Dad picked me up at JFK, stopped to get some pizza with my brother in Queens and then home to my awaiting Mother. It will be a good, yet short, trip to the motherland. There is a lot of pizza and bass fishing in my near future.

Axidental Lumberjack

2008-10-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

Shot a series of photos in my friend Scotty's room. Here is a series of three

Photo Shoot: Mikey Leblanc for Transworld Japan

2008-09-23T17:25:00.001-07:00

I Shot a portrait of Mikey Leblanc for Transworld Japan. He is having an interview in there for his company Holden. Holden likes to use eco friendly materials in their clothing, hence the tree. See the portrait here

High Wire Act

2008-09-18T00:52:00.001-07:00

1: A Man And His Shoes

2: Andrew "Top Rope" Forgash

3: Scotty "Eighth Try" Wittlake

4: Sara "Watch Em Fly" DaCosta

5: Shoes On High Wire

Nature's Trash Can

2008-09-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

Summer Cleaning

2008-09-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Taking out the trash. 3 dump runs.

Big Weekend

2008-08-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Feeling pretty kicked in after a week of construction. I do have a nice white picket fence to show for my soreness though. If you are in Portland, head down to Nate and Andrea's tonight to hear the smooth sounds of "The Sentimental Gentlemen".

Big Night Out: Ancient Age

2008-08-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Made it out to Dunes to see Ancient Age, but lost them in the smoke.

Captain Lovejoy

2008-08-19T09:30:00.001-07:00

Here is Captain Lovejoy on his maiden voyage in his new boat. I was so proud, like a father watching his child ride a bike for the first time. I later jumped in the boat, as first mate, and we spent hours fishing. Unfortunately we didn't catch anything worth mentioning.

Slow Apologies

2008-08-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

My blog has been about as slow as these women eating. However, there is a fresh roll of black and white arriving tomorrow and we will get this thing rolling again.

Magic

2008-08-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

Started my acting career today. My friendShelby, seen here enjoying a nice day in the park, has been busy filming videos for the new Holden Outerwear website. And I was casted for one. Hope it makes the cut.

Untasteful Nudes

2008-08-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Get your mind out of the gutter... I mean, get your porn out of the gutter.

Grey Day

2008-07-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

It is overcast with sprinkles today. I a going to force myself to work on our taxes, before our extension runs out.

Boring As A Brick Wall

2008-07-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Nothing exciting to report. This weekend we are taking a trip into the woods for some good old camping and fishing. I will make it a point to really fire off the T3

Mt Hood

2008-07-14T10:38:00.001-07:00

I have been doing a few overnight camp trips up to Mt Hood to visit my beautiful wife, who is up there working for the summer. Luckily it includes taking a canoe out on a pond in the hunt for black bass. This Hocus Locust bagged me a small large mouth.

Oh Sh%t!

2008-07-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well I have found that my T3 will open up with little provocation. It is terrifying to see your half shot roll of film fully exposed to light. Losing photos is a bummer, but not all is lost... with a quick closing reaction you can save a good portion of your photos. Gaffer tape to the rescue.

The End Draws Nie...

2008-07-05T12:16:00.001-07:00

I found this tired old soul in the hallway of the film lab... cast out like an old unwanted dog. Is this the future of all things film? I must admit that I haven't been to the color darkroom in about a year now, I wonder if they still exist? My condolences to analog CMY dials.

Promises, Promises

2008-07-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Alright, I will go to the film lab today, I promise. Then we will get this blog moving again. "Scan at original size, 720 dpi", here we come.

Hot

2008-06-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

It has been hot. Especially up in my office. I try to lay low during daylight hours and then start moving around at night. Apparently it could be dangerous to do so.

Website Updated

2008-06-23T19:54:00.001-07:00

Man, I feel like it is my birthday... my updated website is DONE! Check it out and then wait for the photo mailers to show up in your mailbox. New photos by me, new logo by Eric Lovejoy and new updates by Josh Spivey, I give you WWW.NEILDACOSTA.COM

Product

2008-06-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Since I know a lot of designers here in town and they always need product photos, I decided to put some together. So the past couple of days have been spent in my make shift studio clicking away. I only leave 3 times a day to take the pup to the park. Benchmade would be proud

Just in Time

2008-06-17T08:47:00.001-07:00

Finished the first run of the portfolio just in time for the good weather. Website updates are in the works and then I hit the post office to mail out my 1000 mailers. Then hopefully I get at least 1 job.

Portfolio

2008-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Lots of walks down 28th to the coffee shop the past few days. At least the weather has been bad so I do not feel guilty about sitting behind a computer screen looking at photos all day. The weather has changed and the first run of my book is about down. I think this weekend has some photo taking in store for it.

A God Damned Shame

2008-06-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

"I'll have a Polish Super Sausage from the grill with chili and cheese and a rootbeer please" You won't hear that coming from my mouth anytime soon. What were the owner's of The Dog House thinking when they renamed it Franks A-Lot. Are you kidding me? Fools. We thought the yellow paint job last week was pushing it and then the name change. As Lovejoy put it "Franks a lot for nothing"

BBQ

2008-06-09T10:21:00.001-07:00

Summer is off to a slow start, but it isn't stopping the Qing action. Our weber has been warm for the past few days straight. But you don't need a deck and a charcoal grill to have a good time. Someone here was getting it done in their driveway with a hibachi grill.

Little Charlie

2008-06-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Shot some photos of Johnny's trailer right before he came and moved it. I was able to bribe Chris with some savory Du's chicken to pose for a few. Man, I forgot how much fun shooting with a Haaselblad is. These two even made it into the first round of my portfolio

Chugging Away

2008-06-04T23:30:00.001-07:00

This photo stuff is an uphill battle. Mailers should be done this week. Portfolio printed and assembled by Friday. And then hopefully the website revamp by early next week. Then I sit back and the jobs coming flowing in... right?!?!

Home Sweet Home

2008-06-03T08:47:00.001-07:00

Back to Portland for the end of spring. Lots of rain, but it is still better than Salt Lake. Time to start really hauling on my non-shred photo projects.

Trip to the Vet

2008-05-27T00:39:00.000-07:00

Loki has another checkup. Her stomach is better and she is gaining weight again. I on the other hand am losing weight because I am outside being active. The weather is getting nice and my blogging has been falling off. I apologize, but bear with me and I promise some good photos every couple of days. Also, stay tuned for a guest appearance trip!!!

Ben Likes Wood

2008-05-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Man, Ben really likes wood. Every time I turn around he is in a tree or sawing something on the ground. Watch this video of Ben and some of his friends getting major wood.

Have QPer, Will Soar

2008-05-19T19:35:00.001-07:00

So this quarter pipe went really well. It took 1 day to build, half a day to fine tune it, and then 1 more day to get a bunch of shots on it. I have a feeling they will be some of the Roxy ads for next season.

Neptune

2008-05-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

I went over over to Neptune Diver's to shoot some photos. It was nice to shoot something else than snowboarding. A lot of thanks to Jason

Amberlanche!

2008-05-10T14:35:00.001-07:00

So as Amber went to make a simple pow turn, the new 7 inches of snow decided to slide. It was to her back and despite our cries, she turned right into it and disappeared below the creek bank. Hayden and I grabbed our shovels and probes and headed down there to find her buried to the knees. Luckily it was fresh snow and was pretty fluffy even where it settled. It still gave us a good scare. See the moment of truth here.

Big Night Out

2008-05-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

So the past few months I have only gone out a handful of times. Since my time here is running out I decided to go out one last hoorah. I started the night at Club Orange to listen to my buddy J2 spin some records. I then headed over to Todd's to see Bloodhag play. Scifi nerd metal, and they throw out reading material. I got a slight hangover and "Cromm: A Novel of Dark Fantasy"
Tomorrow we hit the slopes.

Salt Lake Spring

2008-05-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Spring is in full force in Utah. I don't mind this time of year in Salt Lake. The weather is nice, and the snow is melting fast, which means I am almost done for the season. A couple more hikes into the back country and I can retire my smelly boots for a few glorious months.

Heading Home

2008-05-03T08:48:00.001-07:00

Time to turn tail and head back to Salt Lake for some spring shredding. No more hotels for awhile, it will be nice.

Into the Urban Wild

2008-05-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

This reminded me of the cover photo on the book Into The Wild... just the Southern California version. This delivery truck driver from Costa Mesa gave up all his worldly possessions and drove his truck into the Sierras. He meet his fate when misread his field guide and ate a burger that was not from In N' Out. A tragic, but uplifting tale.

Hotel Test: Mammoth II

2008-04-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

So we had to move hotels and Roxy got us a really good deal at the posh Westin Monache in Mammoth Village. However our room only had two beds and being the gentlemen we are, Hayden and I let the girls have the beds. We were left to duke it out over the couch bed... until I saw this. Second circle from the left; NO JUMPING! Are you kidding me, there is no way I am sleeping in that poor excuse for a bed. I grabbed the extra blanket and hit the floor without a fight.

Tools Of The Trade

2008-04-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

High chairlifts, black boots, waterproof pants, snow, gondolas, blue skies, warm gloves, trigger finger, PBR, bag, and camera gear.

Media Frenzy

2008-04-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Here I am, waiting around with my media "equals" for the winners of the Roxy Chicken Jam to be announced. I hate shooting contests, let alone podium shots. I mean don't ALL those other photographers huddled next to each other have it covered? This guy in the red and black jacket was so stunned by the podium that he was still filming after everyone left. He could still be there for all I know.

Hotel Test: Mammoth

2008-04-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

Made the drive to Mammoth for the Roxy Chicken Jam. Just checked into the new hotel and it is a little nicer than Motel 6. Here Hayden goes for the cross over, he even has enough spring to get corked. Absorption is good too. I am going to sleep like a rock tonight.

Moving On

2008-04-24T07:27:00.001-07:00

Trying to get my boots some last minutes of sun before they are packed in my bag for the trip up to Mammoth. This time of year my boots start smelling awful. I could even smell them across the parking lot... think about when they are in a tiny hotel room.

Action Horse vs. Big Bear

2008-04-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Our friends from Action Horse Films are in town as well. They are making a movie called "Pony Tale" and you can see the preview for it by following their link on the right. I barely got this shot off of Per Hampus filming Jakob on the hip. Sorry, no digital photos though. After the hill we went to dinner at a terrible Italian restaurant. If I remembered the name I would tell you, but if you are ever in Big Bear, stay away from this jolly Italian man. Jakob was so embarrassed he didn't even want his face photographed. You have been warned.

Big Bear Lake

2008-04-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

The weather here is beautiful. It is a little too warm for snowboarding, but perfect for a walk by the lake. I found this soda and syringe a few feet apart. I wonder what upstanding citizen was also enjoying the nice weather.

Big Bear Banner Hide

2008-04-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

Free lift tickets are nice, but they usually come at some sort of "price". When a resort knows you are shooting there, they want everyone else in world to know the photo was taken there. They do this by littering the shot with banners and logos. Big Bear did not hold back; two banners taller than the feature itself, cut out letters, and even their "bear paw" logo.
I start out taking a few photos with the logos in it to show the marketing people, but then try my hardest to hide the rest. I was able to hide all of them in this shot of Amber Stackhouse.

Hotel Test: Big Bear

2008-04-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

We are in Bear and since travel budget is wearing thin, we are staying at the Motel 6. Here Hayden performs the hotel bed test; good spring, poor absorption. I will sleep OK the next couple of nights. Next up, we hit the snow.

Trip 3: Big Bear

2008-04-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Heading south on the 15. We have all day, plenty of time to take some side roads and throw the ball for the pup.

Night Rail... Farewell?

2008-04-09T12:44:00.001-07:00

Here we are at the beginning of spring and I find myself shooting a handrail. Now that it is raining in most urban areas, I have a feeling that this will be the last rail for the season. To avoid being bothered by security/onlookers we decided to shoot this one at night. That means cold fingers and a lot of caffiene. But it also means a killer shadow. Despite the sketchy drop in and the length of the rail, Erin was able to get some photos and a video shot. Sunny Californian mountains, here I come.

Trip 2: The Dentist

2008-04-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Made it back to Salt Lake in one piece and have a day to squeeze in a dentist visit. He was pretty excited when I asked if I could shoot a photo of him shooting me up with novocaine. It was a first. Now that I can feel my tongue again, I am about to call Roxy rider, Amber Stackhouse, to plan our trip to Big Bear Lakes California this weekend.

End of Trip

2008-04-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Tensions are getting tight out here on the East coast, but this trip is almost over. Everyone got some shots and I am ready to leave. Next stop UT, then possibly California. Stay tuned.

Science of Sleep

2008-04-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Being able to sleep anywhere at anytime is a good attribute when you are traveling. Many times red eye flights, time zones, and long days in the snow can really mess up your sleep patterns. So it helps if you can catch a wink at the airport, on the plane, in a taxi, in the cold, in the sun, in the snow, at the lunch spot, in wet snowboard gear, on a patch of dry pavement, on the train, sitting up, laying down, boots on... I have even dug a snow cave to get a few minutes of precious sleep.

Fake Foliage; Real Bark

2008-03-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

Damn Cold

2008-03-28T08:33:00.001-07:00

It is really cold here, especially at night. And tonight we have to shoot in the dark to avoid being kicked out by security. Here, Sara wears 3 base layers, hooded sweatshirt, down jacket by Holden, and a heavy duty robbers' mask.

Despite the sub-zero temps, Mark had no problem throwing himself against this stone wall

Local Cuisine; Aftermath

2008-03-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

This lipstick clad cigarette butt was left in a snow bank outside one of Montreal's greasiest restaurants. I can only imagine the scene of its owner eating poutine with blood red lipstick and then enjoying a smoke afterwards. What was her(or possibly his) story? I am left with one photo, but missed many good ones of this mystery person.

Local Cuisine; Montreal

2008-03-23T09:18:00.001-07:00

We are eating lots of greasy food on this trip. Montreal is home to an edible delight known as poutine. The basics are fries with gravy and cheese curds on them. Some places let you add more toppings such as bacon and peas. My mouth is watering. Aside from poutine we ate a lot of burgers... and plain fries as well. I justify these calorific uppercuts with all the shoveling I am doing.

The Big Dig

2008-03-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

Montreal is well on the way to break snowfall records set in the early 1970s. The city is frantically digging itself out, as more storms are forecasted in a few days. We have been doing a lot of digging ourselves. It would be nice to have some bigger shovels, but every store we checked was sold out. At least they had plenty of ice chippers. Sara Phillips putting our hard work to good use.

Hotel Test

2008-03-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

The first thing I do when I check into a hotel is jump on the bed. This test will gauge how the whole trip will go. Look for springiness, but also good absorption upon landing. The above test was performed at the Holiday Inn in Montreal... lets just say the trip turned out well.

Day 1, Photo 1, Trip 1

2008-03-21T11:59:00.001-07:00

I purchased the T3 the night before a week trip to Montreal with Roxy Snowboards. Once again I find myself in an airport with a bunch of layover time to test out the new camera.