CrossFit Wenatchee Open 2016: Wrap-Up and Gallery

Five Fridays, more than 40 athletes, one amazing potluck, and 10,000 (yup, 10k) photos, and the 2016 CrossFit Open at CrossFit Wenatchee is done! What an amazing experience.

Thank you so much to all the athletes. You were all great sports as I dashed around you all snapping away.

A special thanks to Kelsey Chase-Schuttie. You invited me to come and play with you all and have been tremendously supportive. Thank you.

"Okay Rob, enough talkey-talk! Show us the goods!"

Here you go! 

I recommend clicking the "+" at the top right corner of the first photo. This lets you see each photo larger and by itself.

Enjoy! I hope to see you all next year.

Pain-Face, The Aftermath, and the CrossFit Open

The CrossFit Open is the first phase of the annual CrossFit Games, lasting five weeks. Athletes in CrossFit affiliates worldwide get the opportunity to participate and test themselves in five weekly WODs ("WOD" = Workout Of the Day).

This year I was invited by CrossFit Wenatchee to document the Open for them. It has been a fantastic experience watching these athletes, from all walks of life and all skill levels, fight through extraordinary workouts and push past the limits they thought they had. I am so grateful that I've been given the opportunity to capture those moments.

As I've been editing the last four WODs, and looking forward to tomorrow's final WOD, I've been struck by two specific types of shots: Pain-Face, and The Aftermath.

Pain-Face is the athletes face reflecting the struggle the rest of their body is enduring. Getting that bar up. Squeezing in that last rep. Fighting through, when time seems to have stopped moving, but knowing that you won't. Pain-Face is not pretty, or especially flattering. But it is raw and intensely real and I love capturing it.

The Aftermath happens right after time is called and that last rep is recorded. It's when sweat angels are born and the brain hasn't quite caught up enough to ask what the hell the body has just done. It's when fellow athletes come to comfort, commiserate, and congratulate. The work is done. You made it to the other side. You're pretty sure you survived. Again, not pretty. Again raw, real, and I love capturing it.

I've been thinking, editing many of these particular shots, about how they might be perceived by their subjects. Maybe they'll be embarrassed. (Don't be!) Maybe they'll wonder if I'm making fun of them. (ABSOLUTELY NOT!)

I love these shots because they show an important part of what is so amazing about Crossfit. They are documentation of struggle and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. They give us a glimpse of what we are capable of, and the fight to achieve it. If I've done my job right, any other CrossFit athlete, anywhere in the world, will see a reflection of themselves in these photos. That connection is more than just shared suffering. It is shared growth. It is shared struggle. It is shared accomplishment. That connection is the heart and soul of CrossFit. Being able to evoke even a tiny bit of that magic through my photos is a fantastic experience and tremendous honor. It fires me up.

Shots of beautiful form and chiseled physiques are great and I love catching those as well, don't get me wrong. But for my money, Pain-Face and The Aftermath are where it's at. Sure, they're not pretty.

But they are beautiful.

Ben Seims, author of "After Day One"

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a book reading at A Book For All Seasons in Leavenworth, WA. The reading was in support of the new novel, "After Day One" by my friend Ben Seims.

It was so cool getting to shoot Ben as he met with fans and talked about the book, his process, and his passion for writing.

Thanks for letting me come and play Ben. I had a blast.

Updates, Revisions, and Dia De Los Muertos, OH MY!

So much to update!

First and foremost, today marks the debut of my new logo, designed for me by my dear friend and peerless graphic designer, Mr. Brady E. Poulsen. I adore it and am so grateful for his help in taking my brand up a notch.

You may also notice a few tweaks to the site. It's been a streamlined some and should load much faster. Now you can easily share with your friends on the go! HUZZAH! In addition, the categories have been refined some to better focus on the good stuff. Which brings me to...

The announcement of an entirely new gallery on the site, the Travel Spotlight! Here, I will be posting larger galleries focusing on the places and people I see and meet out and about in the world. I'm really excited about this and the chance to share with you all some less commercial work. I'll be writing a bit of a blog to correspond with each locale.

The pilot destination is the Dia de los Muertos celebration in my old stomping grounds of Missoula, Montana, November 2nd of this year.

What an amazing experience. It encompassed the macabre, the absurd, the profound, and most importantly, reverent of those who have paved the way for us, and a celebration of life still to come. Check it out!

Enjoy!