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Portland, Oregon-based Brand Narrative photographer Richard Darbonne recently did a shoot for Columbia Sportswear. Over the past two years, Richard has helped the brand on a number of new campaigns while working as one of their in-house photographers. For this project, the client needed stills to promote their new Heritage Collection on social media and their website. The collection features winter athletic apparel inspired by 1980s ski fashion. Richard’s minimalist and candid style paired well with Columbia’s brand and their vision for the new campaign.
When I’m shooting for a brand, there is always an awareness of what is being asked for in the creative brief, but at the same time I stay true to my own sensibilities. That’s the only way I know how to shoot. When you trust yourself and your creative instincts, you know when something feels right. It’s your responsibility to make the work that you want to make and that you are proud of. The client will always be happy with the outcome when you put all of yourself into the work.
Columbia Sportswear is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The brand produces active lifestyle gear fortified with industry-leading technologies and tested in the rugged landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. With a rich heritage dating back to 1937, Columbia’s roots trace back to the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of its founders, the Boyle family.
The location chosen for the Heritage Collection photoshoot was the picturesque Silcox Hut, a rustic 1930s mountain lodge located at 6,950 feet elevation on Mount Hood, Oregon. The lodge is subject to extreme weather conditions, with wind gusts up to 90mph. In the winter months, the location is accessible only by Sno-Cat.
I’m very comfortable shooting on location with available light in all types of conditions. Going into the shoot I knew I would have to work in a cold windy environment, so I prepared myself for that and wore a lot of insulated layers. There was also an emphasis on capturing candid content, which is how I prefer working.
We went out early in the morning to avoid the worst of the wind. The first shot was of the skiers loading into the Sno-Cat and then riding up to Silcox Hut. When we got back up there the wind was blowing so hard it was almost white-out conditions. You can see this in a few of the shots. After shooting them unloading from the Cat we went into the Hut and shot a bit. After that, we went down to a lower elevation for better weather and did some fun snow play shots. I had to ski down to get to a couple of spots. I was working with much more experienced skiers, so I had one of my assistants carry my gear.
Richard was joined on location by a team from Columbia, including an art director, designer, producer, videographer, photo assistants, as well as four models who were also skiers. From the adrenaline-fueled heights of the mountain to the sun-drenched slopes below, the crew worked tirelessly to capture the right shots.
It was fun on set. Once we got out of the extreme conditions at the top of the mountain, we came down to blue skies and warm weather at lower elevations. The talent and crew were all feeling good. We all felt like we were getting some really good content. There were lots of high-fives that day.
Richard’s ability to create a comfortable environment on set resulted in genuine interactions and authentic moments captured on film.
Several of the subjects were staff at the lodge and just seemed like a good fit for the shoot. I think I’m pretty easy to work with. I just relate to whoever I’m photographing. There’s always some common ground you can reach with people. I typically just try to find out what they like and where their interests are, and I talk to them about that. If I feel like there needs to be more energy on set, I’ll put people together that feed off each other. If people are vibing on their own I just let them do their thing and capture moments as they happened naturally.
The extreme conditions on location led to physical and technical challenges for both Richard and the crew.
The conditions were very difficult to shoot in at times. I couldn’t feel my fingers and I could barely see through the viewfinder, but this created some interesting and unexpected shots. I had to work a little blind at times, but this created some cool moments that maybe wouldn’t have normally happened.
I think some of the best photography happens accidentally. I’m always looking for imperfect, unexpected, in-between moments. Even when there are very structured, scripted looks on the shot list I’m still waiting for those candid moments. Sometimes I see them in real-time as they’re happening and sometimes, I don’t see them until after the shoot when I’m going through my edit. You can’t force it. It just has to happen. If I feel like interesting things are happening, I just wait. I don’t try to control it.
In the difficult times on any project, Richard relayed it’s helpful for him to remember:
Never quit. Keep shooting until it works and if something isn’t working try something else. There is always a way to get what you need. Work through pain, frustration, and fatigue. Often at the end of long days like this, it’s easy to just say we have it in the bag and pack up, but if you keep pushing you often can get some of the best looks of the day. It’s always after you’ve exhausted all the predictable stuff that you can capture those less common moments.
There were also moments of laughter, including a humorous mishap where Richard’s inner tube ride ended in a comical tumble.
I was going down a hill in an inner tube shooting some subjects right next to me. As we got to the bottom of the hill my tube turned around, so I was going down the hill backwards. Before I knew it, I slammed into something and was thrown off. My camera flew out of my hands and smashed into the snow.
Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the mishap added an unexpected twist to the shoot, resulting in memorable and authentic shots that delivered the spirit of adventure.
In closing, Richard shared how his love of documentary photography informs his approach to Brand Narrative shoots.
I like having a narrative structure in mind as I’m shooting. I think of shots to establish a sense of place — then a beginning, a middle, and an end. Things don’t always have to fall into such a neat narrative box, but I like using this as I’m working. I also love making environmental portraits that fit into the narrative. My style is minimal. I try to strip out all of the unnecessary elements to get to what is essential about the image.
Richard’s experience with Columbia Sportswear was all about embracing adventure — pushing through tough times, discovering unexpected gems, and, above all, enjoying the journey.
See more of Richard’s work on his website.
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