6.30.2009

092: Yakima


Now, I know what this looks like...that I claim something like "hey, Hott Sam, you're such a male model" and then the following post are about being a model. But damn if this life isn't hard.

I spent the day helping out some pals over at Yakima Racks get a few photos together for their new catalog, or website, or really whatever they're looking to use some great looking photos of great looking people...

This isn't easy though. Let me tell you. I'll break it down for you a little bit, but some of the highlights were this...

-getting up at 5am.
-the coffee shop where we were designated to meet not opening till 7. Not good.
-getting to hang out with Ira Ryan all day (this really was fun he has rhinestone sunglasses). Not only can this cat ride bikes really hard (on gravel, dirt or pavement) but he is also really fun to hang out with. We swapped some travel stories as well. Check out his photos on Flickr. There are even him rocking an embrocation kit on there...


-drooling on myself during the car ride to location.
-picking up a 47 pound mountain bike 48 times and pretending to put it on a rack.
-seeing Hood River, Oregon.
-making new friends.

-having coffee no less than 14 times in one day. Greg Johnson started this coffee shop by the way. Ground.
-spider bites and twitter responses.
-riding out of town with Greg Johnson. This is what I love about these trips. He didn't know that we were going to be in town, but all he needed was a 45 minute prep time and we were out riding on gravel roads around Hood River.
-driving down the road with bikes on the "rack" and hearing that its only a "prototype" and hopefully it still works well. that's cool. Ira made his, he can make another.


-male models.
-riding with Ira, Greg, and Jeff.
-GU Chompers. These things make Shot Blocks taste like Hay Bales.


-alpacas. I tried to get this one to spit on me. I asked it nicely. I got as close as I could. It didn't happen, but in the end I just had to be satisfied with this photo of Al and Mt. Hood in the background. I'm ok with it.

-when you're building a campfire and you see a nice little note that the good people at the hardware store put on their logs that they're selling.


I have to say. This stuff was extremely different from the Rapha Continental shooting that I've done in the last couple of years. But I did get to see a little bit of a town I've never seen before. I also got to see Mt. Hood a little closer than I have before. Which made me go "holy shit that is amazing" about thirty times...

So, I leave you with this...