Stills with Jeremy Lavender

On a crisp January morning, Mark Rainery and I set out on a mission to get a photo and a clip at the golden hour. Mark already had the location in mind and, after a short chair ride and about thirty minutes of hiking, we were right above it. With the sun shining, we strapped in and set out to get some turns as we located jump spot. Since it was just the two of us, and no one had built this jump in years, we knew we had a bit of work ahead of us.

For the second time that season, I pulled double duty as photographer and videographer. Once I had everything set up, I radioed Mark to let him know I was ready. With golden hour approaching, Mark took one last look at his launch pad and its landing. The warm tones and colors, mixed with the low clouds over the ocean show how amazing that day was. It was an all around success, regardless of how hairy it was riding out in the the darkness. 

I was five weeks old and strapped to my mother's back the first time I laid eyes on the Kenai River. Thirty-three years later and I still make the trip every summer to for Sockeye. 

My family has owned property on Kenai since the 70s, but in the 90s my father and step mom bought an acre and a half on the south side of the river. This is where I spent most of my teenaged summers, peeling logs by hand and playing Trivial Pursuit in our pop-up camper while listening to the rain. Now, as an adult, I get to enjoy and share this beautiful sea with friends and family. It's my favorite place. 

In this photo, Noelani Kamahele is using the last light of the evening to catch the rest of her daily limit. It's not uncommon for this area to get crazy storms that roll through quickly, which is why you're almost always guaranteed to catch a beautiful sunset. Throw in the incredible range of contrast that film provides and it's not hard to capture an image like this. 

Jeremy was born and raised in Alaska and currently lives in Juneau. He's been capturing photographs all over South Central and Southeast Alaska for the last 15 years.  He specializes in landscape, action sports active lifestyle and wedding photography. With publications in several periodicals, various stock websites and occasional galleries, he hopes to further spread the beauty of Alaska. Shooting in both digital and film formats, using a variety of cameras, himself and his art, a bit more raw. You follow him on Instagram @lavenderpeaks