Dean Blotto Gray, a well-known snowboard photographer for Burton Snowboards, takes some great shots and has some fascinating stories to go along with them. We asked him to share his experiences and offer tips to our readers.

How did you get into the photography world, specifically the snowboard photography world?

I started snowboarding when I was in college and was a sponsored rider for a bit, so I had background knowledge of the sport and knew what it would take to get snowboarding action and lifestyle images in the mountains. With that, it was a natural transition going from a rider to documenting riders.

This is how it works in snowboarding. Most of the time, retired riders pick up a camera and stay involved in the sport.

What’s the coolest shoot location you’ve been on for Burton? Share a high-resolution picture from that shoot and describe what’s happening in the photo.

Any trip to Central Europe is on the short list of favorite places to visit, shoot, and relax.

However, if I had to pick one shoot, it would be in the Arlberg Mountain Range in Austria. We were descending a zigzagging highway pass when we came across an old barn, clearly dilapidating from years of non-use. There was a slight downhill pitch to the structure that perfectly lined up with an oversized wooden beam awkwardly jutting out one side of the shack, which could provide a location for some snowboard freestyle trickery.

We inspected the structure to make sure it could support the rider, zoned out an area to build the jump, and made sure the landing area had enough pitch so the rider could safely land and ride away.

Our rider, Gigi Rüf, planned to do a Miller Flip Handplant. I found my composition and set up two strobes and one small flash. Using artificial light to manipulate the image was a must due to minimal ambient light available in mid-January. Plus, I wanted the barn and the rider to pop out from the background.

I had to make sure I was on point pressing the trigger at the perfect moment, because you only get one try per attempt. My camera settings were as follows: shutter speed at 250, aperture 6.3, ISO 100. Pocket Wizard triggered the remotes, Manfrotto 190cxPro3 tripods, topped with 486RC2 heads, held everything in place.

When it was all said and done, Rüf performed his maneuver to perfection and I landed a cover photo on Transworld Snowboarding.

These are the types of days that stay in your memory banks forever; hard work with your friends that pay off.

What’s the most difficult terrain you’ve had to deal with to take pictures?

Alaska is by far the scariest location we visit on a yearly basis looking for good terrain and fresh snow. The mountains are really big and take no mercy on humans. Avalanche awareness and safety precautions are of the utmost importance every time we descend a slope, using our guides’ knowledge, know-how and instinct of where we should and shouldn’t go.

On one of these trips, we broke out the helicopter. We took off the doors on the pilot side and strapped a filmer and a photographer to the side of the bird.

We dropped two riders at the top, shot their movements down the mountain, picked them up and did it all again.

It is dangerous, but when you’ve got a front row seat to watch some of the greatest snowboarders in the world perform to perfection, there’s nothing better.

Give amateur photographers some tips to capture action.

Action shots require a camera body that’s capable of high shutter speed and a rapid frames per second (FPS) setting so you can fire a handful of images at the peak moment of the action.

Nowadays, most DSLR cameras on the market, from consumer to prosumer, have the ability to shoot up to shutter speed 4000, with frames per second coming in around 4, 5, or 6. The professional DSLR offerings really ramp it up with shutter speed peaking at 8000, with frame rates hovering around 11 to 14 per second, depending on your image setting. Any of these models will do the job, but if your camera can shoot 8 frames per second or higher, you’re going to catch the peak moment every time.

Select your composition, set the shutter speed to at least 1250 (I prefer 1600 or 2000), adjust your aperture and ISO according to available light, get the focus tack sharp, and be ready for the athlete to drop in and perform their maneuver.

As they approach the take off, you can start shooting anytime you feel comfortable that your camera will be recording frames when they reach the peak moment of the trick.

Once they pass this point, you can release the shutter button, wait for the camera to upload the images, and take a look so you can make any necessary adjustments for the next attempt.

These same settings can be used if you’re looking to capture a sequence, covering the trick from beginning to end. This advice is for tack sharp action photos. You can certainly slow the shutter speed down and try to pan with the action for a completely different look and feel. Any of these settings will work with any lens you choose, so give it a try.

If you had to pick one picture that you’re most proud of, what would it be? Why?

Back in 2013, Snowboarder Danny Davis was just coming back from injury and we wanted to get a few shots of him to show sponsors he was back. He lived in Lake Tahoe, so we thought we’d use that area to take a few shots. Despite Tahoe dealing with record low snowfall, which we typically don’t shoot in, I was able to take one of my best shots.

We planned a five-day trip to Donner Summit. I knew of a cave in the area and went to scout it out. I loved the spot, did some safety checks, and started building a quarterpipe for Davis to use.

It took me four hours to build it. I chipped ice off rocks, moved snow, carved out a smooth transition that Davis could use for airtime and reentry, and built the run-in and landing zone. I let it freeze overnight and planned to return the next morning.

The next day we went back, arranged the composition and flashes, and let Davis do what he does best. By the end of the session, I was one hundred percent happy with my handful of images. I was also proud of creating the obstacle completely from scratch in a place that had very little snow. I came away with one of my favorite photos.

What’s next for you?

During the summer months I shoot quite a bit of bicycle photos with my buddy in New York City, as he pedals around this mega-metropolis sorting the commotion.

I have a fun crew of skateboarders in my hometown of Burlington, Vermont; we’ve been out documenting some really cool skate adventures.

I’ll also start experimenting with different strobes, flashes, cameras and photo ideas during the warm months, so I have some ideas ready for the next winter season with Burton Snowboards.

Where to find Dean Blotto Gray online:
Website: blottophotto.com
Instagram: @deanblottogray