The feelings and moments you get when riding free with your friends is one of the best things about snowboarding. To capture that vibe can be hard but it’s something I strive to do as best as I can. This photo of Mike Bogs, Tim Eddy and Griffin Siebert has that perspective as if you were riding behind your friends watching them all hit the same feature. Austin Smith can attest, tracing his stoke to the fact that, “Andrew is a snowboarder first. He wants to get his runs in as well during the day, which is warranted and appreciated.” “Other than Guch [Bryan Iguchi], I don’t know anyone with more childlike excitement for snowboarding. Andrew probably gets more days on his board than a lot of pros. He’s one of the few photographers you can always trust to accurately capture the feeling of the moment,” says Alex Yoder, one of the most photogenic riders out there. Before a session is about to kick off, Andrew flips a switch. He will go from stoic to animated in matter of seconds as the zone comes into view or the sun illuminates a section of terrain. I’ve come to learn to take note of these signs and strike when the iron’s hot. Andrew describes these moments as the “search and creative collaboration between the photographer and rider,” which is so crucial to making a timeless photograph. “Knowing each other’s style and capabilities when figuring out something to shoot is probably the biggest key fac-tor in making a good snowboard image,” he says. Andrew, Ali and their 4-year-old daughter, Ava, recently moved back to their roots in the Eastern Sierra, where Andrew rides Mam-moth daily between trips. His passion is as strong as ever. He will either break out the camera when inspiration strikes, or simply go freeriding with the homies if not. It is spur-of-the-moment tactical precision that translates to productivity. “More often than not, we go out to shoot having no idea what we are going to get into or find,” Andrew says. “At the end of the day, some of the best shots happen very spontaneously by just being in the right place at the right time with perfect light.” Nick Russell is a professional snowboarder based out of Truckee, CA who spends more nights under the stars than under a roof most winters. ANDREW MILLER GALLERIE 083
The Snowboarder's Journal frequency 17.2: Page 83
