Extreme 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."
