Sterling Lorence Q&A;

Words by Harookz.

1) Harookz: How did you first get interested in photography? Have you had any formal education in photography?
Sterling Lorence: I used cameras as a kid and took some courses in high school. I have an older cousin who is a pro shooter and he has let me be his wingman since I was a young teen. I've shot Canucks, BC Lions, Indys, paparazzi, downhill skiing, and the Queen all as an assistant to him. I owe my cousin Jeff Vinnick lots of credit for my evolution into photography.

2) What was your first camera?
I used my dad's Canon old-school SLR kit.

3) How many years have you been shooting professionally?
Six.

4) What was the first photo you got published? What year?
A photo of a grove of massive old-growth cedars on Cypress that ran in Western Living magazine in 1996.

5) Who or what influences your photography?
Riding my bike lots keeps the vision and creativity fresh and alive, keeps me dreaming. I see lots when I ride, especially rides where we climb. Climbing lets your eyes roam.

6) Number of days spent shooting a year?
100+

7) Number of rolls of film shot in a year?

500+

8) What is your opinion on the film vs. digital debate?
Digi is here to stay but is still in its infancy. Film and print allow for better artistic creativity, especially black and white applications.

9) What was the craziest thing you've witnessed while on a shoot?
How calm and collected Simmons was when he compounded his femur. Made it look as easy as he looks riding his bike. I was shattered for weeks.

10) What is the best thing about being a mountain bike photographer?
Life outdoors in the elements.

11) What is the worst thing about being a mountain bike photographer?
Don't get enough chances to work with women. I've been doing some running gigs and the ratio skews nicely the other way.

12) Where is your favorite shooting location?
The dankest wet condition on the shore is classic and I love it.

13) What is your all-time favorite photo that you've shot to date? Why?
I don't really have one image that takes the cake, more like 10 that I would have to group together as fav's.

14) Any advice for rookie photographers?
Focus on the facets of the sport(s) that strike you emotionally and keep shooting it until the photo is able to strike you and others that view it.

15) What are you interested in accomplishing in the future?
Whatever it takes to keep me stoked with life.

16) If you weren't a pro photographer, what would you most likely be doing right now?
I'd hope to be using my environmental studies degree. Maybe in habitat restoration, keeping the salmon happy.

17) OK, time for some non-photography related questions. How often do you ride? What are you riding these days? Favorite trail?
I try to ride once or twice a week, every week of the year. For longer shore loops and alpine epics, I have a Cove Hummer. For heavier action, I have a Rocky Mountain RM7 that gets nicely updated by Simmons and Vanderham. All-time favorite trail was Pre-reaper into Reaper. Whoa, haunting! These days I'd say GMG in wet conditions, it scares the shit out of me but I love it.

18) Have you been working on any new tricks?
The latest trick I learned was convincing a magazine to let me shoot a feature on the sweet lift-accessed singletrack in Switzerland. Eleven straight days of riding, 85,000 vertical ft of decending. Buffest singletrack ever, stunning vistas, hundreds of lifts spinning every day (Verbier has 95 lifts), Shandro and Simmons to rail behind. Do tricks get any better?

19) What are some of your other interests?
Backcountry snowboarding, fly fishing, ultimate, cooking, music.

20) If you could hold ANY world record, what would it be?
The human that lived on the earth and left the lightest ecological footprint behind...

21) What kind of music are you into?
I enjoy music. So much inspiration, dreaming, and ideas come while zoned out in tunes. I'm open to lots as long as it's created by real musicians, etc. The list would fill these two pages.

22) What's your favorite site on the World Wide Web?
To do what I do, I feel it is essential to have some meteorology skills. I'd say some weather websites get the most of my surf time. Kazaa as well.

23) Favorite mountain bike movie?
I think the soul-rich "timeless" film in our sport has not yet been made. There are some great sections in all the films.

24) What are your predictions for mountain biking's future?
The accessibility of $1500 urban bikes will keep that facet growing and popular. For me, the roots of my soul are buried in the mountains and that is where I want to ride and shoot. Our bikes are designed for dirt, heavy-hitting moves, and railing fast. I plan to "keep the mountain in mountain biking"

25) Where is your favorite place to chill out?
Snowy weekends at Whistler.

26) If you could get something for free the rest of your life, what would it be?
Time.

27) What is your dream assignment?
Bikes, mountains, and cameras.....it's happening everyday!.

28) Anything else?
Major thanks to all riders and industry folk that have given me opportunities over the years.

To see Sterling's photography first-hand, check out his website: sterlinglorence.com.