We Are f-stop: Utah desert with Jussi Grznar
f-stop Ambassador Jussi Grznar was on a trip with his friend Mason Mashon in Utah and he had an amazing story to share with us. Jussi is a photographer based in Vancouver, B.C, and is a storyteller at heart, always searching for the defining moment. His work has taken him through numerous mountain ranges, rice fields, double overhead barreling waves, and these kinds of experiences gave him a unique style of shooting.
Words and images by Jussi Grznar
Last November I chatted over the phone with my good friend Mason Mashon. He told me that he and his girlfriend Diane are planning on doing a road trip from British Columbia all the way down to Baja. The particular part of the trip I was interested in was Utah and California desert. Mason being a very creative human himself I knew we would find some beautiful zones to ride. Next thing you know we meet up in Hurricane, UT for what it turned out to be a pretty wild 2 week-long ride.
On day 2 I was walking down a hill after a great day of shooting. As I reached the last descent one of my feet slipped on loose gravel as I tried to run it out at the bottom I hit a ditched and crashed. I injured both of my legs and broke a rib. What actually broke my rib was the camera hanging on my shoulder. I broke both my camera and 70-200mm lens; whatever was in my backpack was fine. Lesson learned to put your equipment away once you are done shooting. On this trip I used my Tilopa which handled the elements really well (heat, sand and in this case the impact)
Getting out of the tent the next morning was quite the challenge. I was really debating if I should stay for a few more days or head home. Once I climbed out of the tent and saw how amazing our next zone was I decided to stay. I ended up shooting 8 more days, which I am glad I did as we got some great photographs.
To top what ended up being one of the best trips I’ve ever been part of on our last day our friend York from @iflyheli showed up. We flew around in his helicopter, got few aerial angles and finished the day flying through slot canyons. We couldn’t ask for a better end to our adventure.
WHAT'S YOUR STORY?
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
