Echos in the Earth

Set among the fractured columns of ancient basalt, in Whistler, Canada, this project – Echos in the Earth – was about more than just documenting trail running it was about the organic shape of the movement paired with the geometric shape of the landscape.

This shoot started with a location. I had been here years before but had forgotten about it. Upon seeing the vertical lines of the rock, I was inspired and the idea of what I wanted to shoot was apparent, a runner, wearing a bright outfit, set amongst the neutral colours of the rock, because these boulders aren’t a typical trail, or something you would normally run through. It’s raw, uneven, and demanding. Every step takes attention, and that is the concept I was after. Movement that is honest. Poses that happen naturally while moving through the rocks safely and quickly.

Lighting played a key role in shaping the mood. Purposely shooting on a cloudy day, the natural light was soft and overcast, which was ideal for keeping contrast low and tones even on the surrounding rocks. However, I wanted to bring a subtle emphasis to the subject without overpowering the environment. That is where the Elinchrom THREE came in. 

Compact, lightweight, and battery powered, the THREE was the perfect companion for this remote shoot. It gave us just the right amount of directional light to make the runner stand out against the stone, while allowing me to use modifiers to maintain the natural moody atmosphere of the scene. The portability meant we could move efficiently through the rocks, which was key considering the set was a field of unstable basalt blocks.

My goal with the lighting was to keep things relatively natural. I wanted the runner to pop from the scene but didn’t want my lighting to be obvious and apparent. The power of the light allowed me to shape key frames and paired with the Rotalux Deep Octa Softbox 100cm let me keep a natural soft light to match and emphasize the natural light of the environment. When possible, I set up the light slightly behind the subject, allowing enough light to fall on the face, but creating subtle shadows towards the camera.

The athlete brought a mix of activeness and calm, happy to run through each scene time and time again until I captured the exact frame I had in mind. There were a few key images I wanted to capture but left time to explore and find the right movements through the chaos of the stone, before figuring out the shot, and adding the lighting.

“Reminding ourselves that the earth holds stories, and that when we move through it, we become part of that story.”

I purposely kept the equipment we used simple to be able to focus on the movement and find the right scenes. In the end, Echos in the Earth isn’t about the gear or even the act of running, it is about the relationship between body and terrain. It’s about showing scale, stillness, and motion all at once. About reminding ourselves that the earth holds stories, and that when we move through it, we become part of that story.

Athlete: Spencer Watson
Photo Assistant: Mauri Cambilla, Corey Green