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PhotoMedia Spring 2000 Cover . Current   Issue
Spring 2000

Nature
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Wildlife

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PhotoMedia Spring 2000 Cover . Current   Issue
Spring 2000

Nature
and
Wildlife

about our cover  Advertisers  Fall 2000 About Photomedia Upcoming issues / ad specials Spring 2000 Our Audience Rate Card Winter 2000 Subscribe  Distributors Fall 1999 Contact 

Maggie
 Award 
 Winner!  
www.corbis.com        [FrontPage Include Component]

Spring 2000 Contents | Publishers' Letter | Industry News | People | Marketplace | Calendar | Classifieds

Shot in the Back

Winter 2000
Nature and Wildlife

Colin Meagher
Man in
Motion

Photo
© Colin Meagher

Story
by
John Callan

© Colin MeagherExtreme action is the mark of photographer Colin Meagher, who captured whitewater kayaker Chuck Kern cresting the falls on the Kootenai River in Northwest Montana. Like his subjects, says Meagher, "I find that I am drawn to things that have a lot of high-energy. Whether it’s running or climbing, mountain biking or snowboarding, I’m looking for that little slice of time that most people aren’t even aware of."

It’s on those occasions, Meagher says, that having a motor drive is one of the nicest luxuries. "It allows me to anticipate that moment, but often times, I won’t even have the motor drive running. I’ll just be clicking one frame at a time. Just to keep sharp."

Somewhat modestly, Meagher attributes much of his success in his four years as a pro to being at the place at the right time. The 1997 photo at left may be the last photo of Kern, who drowned two months later while running category five-plus rapids on the Black Canyon run of the Gunnison River. Meagher recalls a more recent assignment for Powder magazine that took him to the Mt. Baker ski resort in Washington. After he shot three rolls of film, he says, he decided to hang around the back side of some slopes. "There was 20 inches of new snow, bluebird skies, and suddenly I noticed a bunch of skiers shooting off of a 60-foot cliff. I proceeded to shoot 13 more rolls, just sitting there, wondering what great skier would come off this cliff next."