Friend wants pictures of him snowboarding - possible?

I do this annual trip to the north country with friends every year, and that weekend is coming up in a few weeks. One of these friends is a snowboarder and a little nuts (to put it mildly), and he asked me if I could get some shots of him doing stunts this year. Now, I don't ski or snowboard (haven't for more than 30 years) and wasn't planning on getting a lift ticket. So I'm thinking I won't really be able to get anywhere near the ski trails, right? I'm wondering if it's even worth trying to shoot from the base of the mountain with the 300. It'll probably be Cranmore or Wildcat in NH, I think. It's not a big deal. I thought it might be fun if there's some provision for photographers getting a little closer to the action.

You might start with sending an e-mail to the folks at the resort... it might be allowed if you were to provide them with a few images they could use on their website or something... I doubt that they'd be too inclined to allow you to get out there and shoot for nothing in return.

Some mountains are OK with uphill traffic as long as you stay to the very sides of the trails. You could walk up and meet him wherever he is setting up these "stunts".

Do they have a half pipe or dedicated snow board runs that you could use?

Depends on the location of the runs for snowboarding. I use to shoot high school skiing in NH, and you could go up the sides of the trails without any issue. I would call up the resort to find out.

i've shot skiers before. most places don't care if you're on the hill without a lift pass as long as you don't have skis or a board attached to your feet.

if you intend to take lighting with you (like i did), you'll need to get permission first.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net …30994420006_720​3358_n.jpg

Like others have already mentioned, it's almost always ok to hike up to where you want to shoot. If you don't want to hike, then the resort may give you a lift up and down if you have the capability of providing them with images good enough for their marketing department. (Both options should be coordinated ahead of time.)

Best wishes for a fun time,
Bryan

Thanks for the info and pointers. I wasn't thinking about dragging lighting up there this time. We go up to this area every year, and if we find a place to set up and do this, maybe next year I'll bring lighting. This year, I'll hope for overcast skies! Good idea about calling the mountain in advance to see if they're OK with me hiking up to a spot. I have no idea where my friend has in mind to do this...but hopefully not too far from the lodge.

If you can't ski or snowboard I don't think you'll get the best shots TBH :\ Maybe you guys should rent a snow mobile and find some back country stuff you can shoot if possible ? Most of the stuff that will actually shoot well will be on the black and double black diamonds imo.... Unless there is a half pipe at the bottom or a terrain park within walking distance.. I suggest getting out there and learning the trails for the best shots! I think you should ask your friend what kind of stunts he wants to perform ( back country kicker style / cliffs, or terrain park )