Imagine being waist-deep in snow, braced against a biting -15 degree Fahrenheit wind, shooting as your nose freezes to the back of your camera.
This was the picture of Madison, Wis.-based commercial and editorial photographer Narayan Mahon when he headed north this past February to document the 41st annual American Birkebeiner for ESPN The Magazine. The largest cross country ski marathon in North America, this celebrated event features skiers who truck 50 kilometers across the wintry Wisconsin terrain.
Despite the unforgiving weather, Narayan had fun with the shoot, coming out with a complete story.