Ride Like the Wind

Based in Seattle, photographer Stephen Matera has made a specialty out of capturing the fluid beauty of snowboarding in the context of backcountry terrain. Focusing mostly on the Cascades, the mountains he knows so well, and a handful of riders and athletes--Mike Hattrup, Byron Bagwell, Justin Kious, Andrew Hart, Marcel Dolak, Eli Roberts--Matera manages to create images that evoke the reason that we ride.

As a photographer, Matera looks for light and shadow as well as strong graphic elements for his images. These pieces come together like nowhere else when shooting snowboarding up in the Mt. Baker backcountry, a favorite setting for him. In the winter, when the sun is low in the sky, the steep rolling terrain in the area creates the synchronicity of light, shadow and form. Throw these elements together with some sweet pow and a talented snowboard rider, and the results are these amazing images.