Shooting With Paul Stone

I have been back forth we several riders attempting to get out and document some epic Ontario trail riding.  The province is so beautiful at this time of year and I wanted to try and show some of beauty.  We may not have the mountains, oceans and deserts that other exotic riding locations in the world have, but Ontario can still be breathtaking.  Every time I ride I am taken back by some of the incredible scenery.   One of the greatest things I love about riding is what I see when I am out on a ride.  Seeing the trail in front of me, mixed in with the great Canadian wildness is one of my favorite things in the world. Nothing better then riding a new trail and not knowing what awaits you around every bend or climb.

One of the riders I contacted was Paul Stone.   I briefly met him on  a group ride a few years ago.  I say briefly because I barely saw the guy he was so fast.  Paul is know for his trial stewardship and incredible bike handling skills. The location I wanted to shoot is littered with rocks and quite technical.  Paul rides this trail often and probably one of the only guys who cleans it back to front and sideways.  I had a shoot all setup for yesterday but the rider canceled on me.  I drop Paul a line and I just so happened that he was available. Yeah, sometimes it is that easy.

I was really looking forward to this fall shoot.  I had all these images flashing through my head and knew exactly what I wanted.  I was really hoping for that perfect balance where, some leaves were still on the trees and some were on the ground.  I was amazed, and disappointed, to find that all the leaves were down.  I was seriously shocked.  I have been all over the province, including well north of this location, and the leaves were still on the trees.  It was still very pretty but I knew I wasn’t going to get the shot I set out to get.  Paul did not disappoint however.  His legendary skill and finesse was obvious.  He was a great guide and subject.  Here are some of my favs from the shoot.

Thanks for the ride and shoot Paul.  We’ll be back out again I’m sure!