BMX!

These images were taken at an F-Bom (www.f-bom.org) gathering at 3rd Lair (indoor skate park). F-bom is a new site that is trying to get BMX and Freeriders on the same page. They both like to launch their bikes off of stuff, yet they genereally do not congregate together. So, Shad Holland decided that he'd try to bridge the gap with his new forum. I went to shoot some images for the sites' gallery, and to add to my biking photo collection. Some of these riders are really talented. They look really relaxed as they sail around the place. These are just a teaser. I am working on a more public display of my on-going project. Enjoy.

Idle hands are the devil's playground

Being self employed means a life unlike the average man's. I often have time on my hands in the middle of the workweek. That is how I found myself earlier this week. So, I've been reading a lot and taking oppurtunities to do things that I usually cannot, such as taking a ride with a teammate one morning. It is pretty sloppy out on the roads, so I took my cyclocross rig instead of the road bike. It got really dirty. In fact, it got dirty on top of the dirt of several CX races that I never washed off.

So, I did what any guy would do. I put it in the bathtub and sprayed it off with the shower wand. I waited till my wife left the house. My wife who only hours earlier had cleaned the entire bathroom. Well, I'm happy to say that I got it clean without her noticing. I confessed later in the day though.

So, while I don't necessarily recommend my method, it is easier than the bike-on-rack through the car wash method.

If you have a better idea, I'd (we'd) love to hear it.

PS. For viewers in warm climates, you should realize that water hoses are packed away for the winter here in MN. I really had no choice...

Knut Design

A friend of mine called a few months ago saying he had some stuff he'd like photographed. We agreed upon a plan and he sent me the items to be photographed. What I picked up at the post office (insured mail) was a 40-some-pound box. Inside the box was the beginning of his new company Knut Design.

Back in college "Nate", as I call him was an art student quite taken with printmaking. It seemed to come natural to him and he made some really beautiful pieces. Through the years, his skills continued to grow. He went to Norway for a time to make prints, and a few years ago was accepted at RISD -Rhode Island School of Design. Alas, the woodsy, outdoor side of him fell for a chance to move to Jackson Hole, WY where he still resides.

But, back to the company... Nathan's printmaking days consisted of using different chemicals and acid baths to etch a pattern or shape onto a plate of metal. He took those same techniques, but focused on the plates themselves as the final product. Nathan pictured these plates being used as cabinet faces and backsplashes in some of the Jackson Hole, high-dollar homes he was working in as a carpenter. Turns out people liked the idea and now he is busy growing his own company.

Check out his site for more examples and contact: www.knutdesign.com