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Top 10 Favorite Photos of the Decade

Well we’ve done it – a top 10 List. Thanks to increasing peer pressure we have compiled our favorite 10 photos from the decade, which was our first full one in business.

Our succumbing to a Top 10 List is the fault of Twitter – where these are going around. My first thought was to not give a “Best of” much attention, but then I started to check some out and enjoyed seeing what, and more curiously why, the selects were made.

So Janine and I sat down for the edit. Of the 30,000+ images in our stock database we pulled 37, and from this we culled the lot down to 10 along with two honorable mentions that are purely for fun. The criteria; images that really speak to us, not because they are portfolio worthy or what we want people to see, but because they have great memories or are the type of images we enjoy most. It is interesting to note that the bulk of the images were from our earliest days, when we were really learning and everything we were shooting was so new, and of course being with our closest friends, which to this day remains the single best part of our job.

In no particular order, here they are.

Vote for your favorite, and why, via Comments

We spent the winter of 2000 in Moab, Utah, living in our VW Westfalia. Each day we ran trails, climbed and shot our first real work photos. This particular morning we were with two friends hiking up to climb Sister Superior. The approach was through dense fog, but as we arrived to the tower the fog settled below me allowing for a Brocken Spectre to form around my shadow, luckily in just the right spot.

We shoot much of Smartwool’s advertising photography. The Creative from this brilliant company is simple, go on cool trips with your friends and have some goofy fun in their product. With Andreas Irsara and Susie Sutphin we headed to Austria for the Silvretta Tour. Andreas was fresh back from an AC/DC concert, which got us thinking… I still can’t believe they did this. Hells Bells was playing on the iPhone, we were howling, and numerous Austrians were looking on in horror.

No photo better exemplifies the Italian Dolomites. Janine and I planned to be in this spot for sunset, I had my own ideas for a shot, Janine insisted on this one. She won, big time.

Twice we have traveled to India to get away to shoot what we love most, travel photography from the hip. In 2008 we went to Rajasthan and there made this photo, one of those scenes not so uncommon in India, but this one is just made special because of so many things.

Janine and I… always out. The Aiguille d’Entreves out of Chamonix

Kurt Astner on Zion’s Moonlight Buttress. The right place at the right time. The single most beautiful climbing line I have ever seen.

We all missed the alarm going off. It was meant to wake us around 4 but the sound was dampened by an arm under the pillow. We thought for sure we would be too low for getting a sunrise shot off en route to climb the Zinalrothorn above Zermatt, Switzerland. Some things work out for the best and we had sublime views of the first light hitting the Matterhorn and surrounding peaks. Janine and Alberto De Giuli.

Gonzalo – he wasn’t so sure about me taking his photo, but we like it. Lots going on.

Makes us smile and miss the Eastern Sierra

In the summer of 2001 we climbed all of California’s 14,000 foot peaks. On Mt. Russell’s Mithral Dihedral, what started off as a standard, sunny, Sierra Nevada day, quickly turned nightmarish. As we climbed above our friends so as to shoot down, all hell broke loose in the form of lightening and snowfall. There we were, several pitches up with lightening striking all around us. “Might as well keep shooting”, we thought. Janine got this photo of one of our best friends, Mark Leffler, as he raced into the belay so we could all start rappeling. In a business of what can be some posed scenes, this is certainly the real deal.

and the Honorable Mentions……

My favorite photo of Janine and our incredibly fun life. The very reason we go to places like India to make personal photos.

And finally, Janine laughs at this one. After she shot the last image in our Favorites, above, she turned her attention to me.

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Comments 30

    1. Post
      Author

      I left it up to Janine.
      When are you coming to visit? Or, let’s meet up in CH this summer, the CHF is perfect for a visit…. 🙁

  1. This is hard to pick. But I would pick #4 on “Aiguille d’Entreves” because I saw exactly this picture in a Patagonia catalogue years ago. It already impressed me at that time and this was before I met the ‘original’ Patitucci’s!!!

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  2. Lovely stuff,each one. A little surprised that there was no photo from the Iceland trip. Those were spectacular. I’d have to chose the MTB in the Dolomites, just because it’s the sort of photo that introduced me to the Patitucci’s and the Dolomites. But I also love the pic of Janine and the Indian ladies. I’ve been in a similar situation and photo captures it perfectly.

    1. Post
      Author

      Moody! We had an Iceland image in there, it was a tough choice, great memory and an amazing landscape – it was actually from 2004 when we ran across – but for whatever reason it got cut. We combined memories with both what we like in photos and what we personally want to shoot.
      Thanks again – and your choice is mine as well.
      Hi to Dana,
      Dan

  3. LOVE THIS DAN!! My favorite so far, keep it all coming. So beautiful. I have been blessed to have gotten to work with you two so much! Gorgeous photos.

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      Author

      Thanks El, A Paine shot almost made it as a favorite that the sun came out for us in just the right place.
      You need to come do things with us more.
      -Dan

  4. Amazing group of photos. I have to vote for Gonzalo just
    because the man was so amazing. He crossed the US border as an 11
    year old. Gained legal status and touched everyone he
    contacted.

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      Author
  5. the last one. Janine is right, as always. It’s the
    beginning of all the above: those “fish eyes” circling around
    hanging images of mountain sports, suspended in a magic atmosphere.
    And of course the circle is always closed up by Janine. Namasté to
    a great team.

  6. I allways love the shot of Marko getting it done. But really hard to call just one they are all great! A few from each catagory travel ,scenic, cllimbing, skiing, bikeing, and humor…what a tough life. the envy of all your friends.

  7. They are all great (you already know that :-D)

    If I really have to chose one, I say #6.
    It’s like the moon: I’d love to be there, but I know I never will :-))

    I love your work !

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      Author

      Christophe, Thank you. What you have said is probably the nicest thing you could say to us. It is very much appreciated.
      Dan & Janine

  8. All superbe shots, but my favorite ones are the biking photo and the first lights on Matterhorn… Amazing light

    JZ

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  9. I have been following your work for quite some time now. Very fine page(s) and excellent photos. My favorite, #10 – this is what climbing is all about.

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      Author

      Thanks Sebastjan. We may be heading to Slovenia for some skiing this winter, I hope so anyway. I like what you list as hobbies and passion, sounds very familiar.
      Dan

      1. Great. Maybe I will ran into you and have an opportunity to see you in action. Don’t hesitate to contact, if you need any help while in Slovenia. Regards.

  10. I vote for Marko. Call me partial, but there’s something about Sierra climbing and friends that gets me every time. Well done on the whole list. Excellent inspiration!

  11. I love them all, and #10 almost takes it. It’s full of action, emotion, good color/exposure/focus, and it tells a compelling story. But that Brocken Spectre photo is really amazing to me, so I have to go with #1.

  12. These are all exceptional in every way but the one that immediately made my hands sweaty and my heart race was “The Aiguille d’Entreves out of Chamonix”. Abso-friggin-lutely a killer adventure photo in all regards.

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      I think it is called Shepherd, not 100% sure though. It is small and occasionaly not working.

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