Skier - Entrepreneur - Adventurer
Image: Flagstaff Photography
Task: Come up with a topic that interests you. Capture that topic, and ultimately create a photo book with various covers
Design Software: Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Adobe Photoshop
Camera: Canon EOS 70D
Time Frame: October-November 2018
Course: Image
For my topic of interest, I chose "Biking Up Flagstaff Road". I love to challenge myself with the difficult five mile climb up to the top. There is something meditative about just being present as you push yourself to the limit in a beautiful setting like Flagstaff Mountain.
To capture the essence of riding up Flagstaff, I started before sunrise and slowly worked my way up to the top, capturing images along the way. I wanted to show all aspects of riding up the infamous road: nature, exertion, people, cars, animals, texture, light, etc.
After capturing over 500 photos (contact sheet link below), I narrowed it down to 30 of the best images. Then, I edited and performed any necessary touch-ups. These final images were then assembled into a book along with text using the Lightroom book module.
For the cover of the book, I chose one of my favorite photos and created 10 different variants using various techniques like glitching, masking, and other Photoshop effects. Not all of the variants fit within the general theme of the rest of my book, but I wanted to nonetheless explore different options. I settled on a design that featured a gray background and highlighted the road sign. I believe this draws attention to Flagstaff Road and biking, while hinting at nature and peacefulness.
I have included a few of my favorite shots from the book to the left. Also, below left is the final book cover and a few favorites. The final book and all cover art variants can be viewed using the links below.