Heavenly Ski Resort - Lake Tahoe - 2011 Snowcial Conference

[Photo-John]

I just got back from the third annual Snowcial conference in South Lake Tahoe. In the past the skiing was pretty much just groomers and didn't make for great photos. But on Sunday, one of the coaches helped me find some sweet photo locations, including a few that were actually out of bounds. The snow was pretty variable so we didn't get anything really awesome. But just getting off-piste photos with the lake in the background or the Carson Valley far below are pretty big scores for me. I don't think any of these are really excellent. But I'm pretty psyched about them anyway. Heavenly and Lake Tahoe are so beautiful it wouldn't be right to be too critical

These photos were all taken with the Nikon D7000 digital SLR and the 18-105mm Nikkor kit lens. I carried my gear in the new F-Stop Gear Loka camera pack - a smaller version of the F-Stop Tilopa pack I reviewed last winter (F-stop Gear Tilopa Camera Pack Pro Review). The pack skied great and protects camera gear really well. I tested that by falling on a really steep mogul run and sliding about 100 feet or more in big bumps. I was a bit freaked out by the fall and I definitely felt it the next day. But the Loka pack took good care of all my camera gear. I wouldn't recommend testing it the way I did, though

The first two photos are of Jan The Telemarketer and the third is our guide, Heavenly ski coach, Marty Moore. Thanks for the tour, Marty - these photos made my trip!

[Photo-John]

Here are a few more from Sunday morning at Heavenly. Skiers are Mike (green jacket) and Nils (orange jacket). Mike is one of the Snowcial event organizers and posts here ocassionally as, Wolfy.

[Photo-John]

Self portrait with Lake Tahoe in the background. It had to be done

[Wolfy]

That snow was sketch, but great photos! Here's the only god one i got.



Awesome having you @ Snowcial as always. And the pizza / Vin Diesel Movie afterparty is always a treat!

-M

[Photo-John]

I like your photo, Mike. That cloud of snow dust and Jan's deep knee bend are sweet.

Jan The Telemarketer will be here in about a week. You should sneak away...

[Jan the Telemarketer]

Great photos guys - really appreciate you photoshopping out the pesky phone headset.

Wolfy, it's my birthday next week. Beers (& coffee) are on me.

[Photo-John]

Ha ha - love that you registered that username here, Jan!

[zerodog]

Great shots John! Which ICU did you have in the Loka?

[Photo-John]

Great shots John! Which ICU did you have in the Loka?

The small. I have all three ICUs for testing right now. The small one was perfect for the D7000 with kit lens and the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM OS lens. I could have fit another small lens and/or flash in as well.

[Wolfy]

Jan looks an awful lot like Jenn.

I'll have to see about getting away...

-M

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