To the ends of the earth with Tim Kemple | Phase One

Tim Kemple's photography is about authenticity, rawness, passion and place. He doesn't take vacations. He pushes himself and his kit to the limits.

Tim explains the lengths he went to on a recent shoot with some of the world's best kayakers in Mexico.

"We were constantly battling the elements: bugs, rain, and slippery cliff edges. The most difficult part though was trying to be creative, and look at the angles with a fresh perspective... all while trying not to slip and fall, while its raining and you are getting eaten alive by bugs. Creativity under extreme circumstances I guess you'd call it."

"I share passion through my photography. The athletes I call friends are my muse. Dangling on ropes, bushwhacking through jungles, and suspended in space with my toes dipped in waterfalls. I'm never comfortable...

My friends would say I like to tinker. Impossible flash syncs, complicated rope work, and razor thin focus planes. The athletes push the limits of their bodies and equipment. I do the same.

There are no stadiums full of cheering fans. Instead, I alone catch glimpses of the earth that are rarely seen. I've never been much for souvenirs. A single picture is enough for me!"

Photographer: Tim Kemple

Music:

Kishi Bashi, "Conversations At The End Of The World"

Just Friends, "Avalanche"

Abel Okugawa, "Winds"

Try a Phase One camera system:

Download Capture One raw converter:

One of the images from Tim's journey became extreme photo of the week in National Geographic. Check out the blog post on how Tim and the kayaking team got their outrageously cool shot:

[jefffedor]

Feel the rush! Class 5 YES! Great stuff!

[tcneumann]

wahhhh i want to keep watching! awesome man!!!

[SurfSUPadventures]

Epic vid guys, enjoyed the hell out of that.

[johnkeys]

You ask, "How would I feel?" I'd feel a lot better with a helmet and PFD on while dangling on a rope above that waterfall and trekking through the jungle. Great, great shots! Thanks.

[timkemple]

Anastas -

I'm always shooting at the fastest shutter speed possible, while trying to balance my ISO and depth of field. Because of the nature of the dark canyons in Mexico I shot most of these images at ISO 400 or 800, with the lenses wide open.

As far as focusing, I most often prefocus on the location where the peak action will be happening, but sometimes you aren't sure where that will be. That means auto focus based on trajectory and then switch to manual.

[savagefrieze]

Wish I had even been aware of this life path 40+ years ago when I was making career choices! Wish I could use such a camera in such locations and leRn a thing or two from Mr. Kemple

[davepowell]

crazy canoeist at 3 mins, but beautifully shot
thanks

[AnastasTarpanov]

Can you give some specific settings on the camera?
Lenses, aperture, shutter speed, about the AF, do you use focus trap or some pre focus or something else.
I think it will be very useful for more people.
I'm shooting action sports and never thought about using camera like Phase One.

[AnastasTarpanov]

Thanks for your reply.
Maybe I'll consider shooting some events in medium format also!
This look awesome and maybe it will be even better on 90x120cm print on the wall!

[ManuelMininoMaiwald]

What camera bag do you use? I guess it must be waterproof, to keep that expensive camera safe...

[xDESERTRUSHx]

I am completely baffled how this has dislikes...