In the "Hills of Gold" blog post from late January, we mentioned that a full motion piece was in the early editing stages- a project featuring two technical mountain bike riders in the hills of Palm Springs, CA. The featured riders rode and donned the latest in both bicycles and equipment from Specialized Bicycle Components.

A little over a month later we have received and are excited to share the final edit of this spec motion project from editor Danny Schmidt.

Enjoy the debut of the latest JC|P Motion piece here on the blog and watch for it at the motion section of our website in days ahead.

Now that the grip of winter is slowly losing its hold and we are firmly rooted in the new year, it seems appropriate to look back at the various projects of 2010.

In a year's time, we certainly made a lot of new contacts and reaffirmed established relationships too. It's always interesting to see which project the end of the calendar year rests upon. The final for 2009 finished up with a project for McDonald's which offered some nice work as well as new contacts in the business. The final production for 2010 was for Boston Scientific via OLSON, creating a new library of imagery in several varied environments.

Over the course of a 5 day period we spent 2 days at the main Boston Scientific headquarters, 1 day at a local hospital, then two days in studio with our friends at Orbit to finish up the production. Once again, our thanks to a great crew, numerous models, and the folks at OLSON and Boston Scientific for a successful shoot. We have a behind the scenes time-lapse post forthcoming from the two studio days.

Our next post will feature the latest JCP Motion installment! Lots to be both excited and thankful for in days past and in days ahead...

Although we weren't physically present at the Oscars in Los Angeles last night, JCP was represented in a printed promotional piece for McDonald's - put together via DDB out of Chicago. The ad / brochure was distributed at a dinner sponsored by McDonald's prior to the awards ceremony. The three JCP images are the first two images on the top row at left and the third image in the second row from left.

We were happy to have the opportunity to contribute and be a part of the 83rd Academy Awards!

Last week we spent two frigid days roaming the furthest reaches of northern Minnesota. Our project had us photographing seniors enjoying a variety of outdoor activities amid the winter environs for UCare via Initio. It was certainly the coldest production I've ever been a part of. At one point my car showed the air temperature reading -27 degrees. All things considered, the shoot came together amazingly well with a great crew and some very hearty subjects.

With early mornings and long drives between locations, we put the iPhone to a little time-lapse test. We've been excited to try out a new sleeve designed and engineered by our friends at Canopy Co. Pairing this with a simple car mount and a few newly discovered Apps was a fun way to burn up some miles.

This short film was shot and edited entirely on the iPhone. While the various editing Apps certainly had their limitations, we were able to add text, color grade, and pull in an audio track from the iTunes library on the phone.

Enjoy an early morning hour of our drive along HWY 1...

The crew and our last location - on the lake with Ken, our ice fisherman.

"One Yoga is a nonprofit yoga organization that offers health and well-being through the practices of yoga, specifically inclusive of those who traditionally lack access." - One Yoga Mission Statement

A new location, a new practice space, and a revamped website are breathing new life into the One Yoga Studio. We spent two afternoon sessions with Kris Kiel, the executive director, and her talented crew of yoga teachers creating a series of portraits for promotional use. At the time of the shoots, final preparations were underway transforming the space into the tranquil One Yoga studio that will be used and appreciated for years to come.

The grand opening took place last Saturday and all indications point to a successful day of re-introducing One Yoga and welcoming members of the community with free classes every half hour. If you haven't already, there's no time like the present to stop by, roll out your mat, and be present for a great session of revitalizing mind, body and spirit.

"The secret to mountain biking is pretty simple. The slower you go the more likely it is you'll crash." ~Julie Furtado

Adventure can take many forms and often times it's what or whom you bring to a situation that really shapes a golden moment. Although we booked two extra days for some pre-arranged test shooting after our recent Palm Springs project, the time really seemed to fly. We made the most of it one morning by meeting up with two local mountain bikers in a place referred to as the The Goat Trails of Palm Springs. Awake by 4:30 and on location and shooting within the hour, we captured both stills and video from various vantage points of the two riders. They made their way through the mountainous terrain described as, "a plethora of single-track that varies from swooping, flowing, gradual downhill to gnarly exposed, steep and loose technical goodness."

The motion edit is underway by a new editor whom we've just begun to partner with. It will debut soon via the blog and JCP site. For now enjoy the still images and yearn a bit for the snow to start melting followed by some, hopefully early spring riding…

"It's the Joshua Tree's struggle that gives it its beauty." - Jeanette Wells

At the end of our time in California last week we were fortunate enough to spend a couple days out in the environs of Joshua Tree. This is a place that has a particular draw for a diverse group of people from famous rock and rollers to spiritualists and artists to name a few. It seems people from all walks of life have passed through the area at one time or another, and we were happy to add our names to the long list of those who have come here before us.

We met up with a few locals and spent some time with musician Tim Easton, had a bite to eat at the Ricochet Cafe and turned in for the night at the Joshua Tree inn just a few doors down from Gram Parson's final resting place. Stay tuned for upcoming content from these and other adventures from Joshua Tree and down the hill along highway 62.

Whether we realize it or not playground equipment has been a part of most of our lives ever since we can remember. It's one of those things that is assumed to just exist, but where does it come from and who builds this stuff?

Behind some of the most creatively engineered and highest quality equipment is Landscape Structures Inc. (LSI) a company located in Delano, MN that has been building and installing commercial playground equipment since 1971. With over 50,000 structures worldwide, it's easy to see that LSI is definitely a leader in their industry. Little and Company brought us on to document the inner workings of the factory where all the magic happens. From welding raw materials, applying the primer and color coats to the final inspection before packing and shipping, we had the privilege of seeing how it all comes together as a top notch product ready for installation at a playground near you.

For the next week or so we will be on the road heading to Palm Springs to photograph various canines once again for Purina via Colle+McVoy. The warmer weather will be a welcome break from the deep freeze we have been going through. Look for a few shots from sunny California in our next post.

After another great year of collaboration with the invoko team, we would like to look back and pay homage to our roots-Unfolding Forms. Several years ago around this time when the ice was thick and the snow was deep, we set out to capture the unique perspectives of an age old tradition in the northern part of the midwest. Our project, "The Life of a Minnesota Ice fisherman," combined the talents of Nathan Strandberg-EightHourDay; Dave Schroeder-Pilotvibe and myself to produce a multimedia piece that was fresh, interactive, and approachable in a slightly unconventional way.

As the former name implies, our current collective is indeed a transition from the old and will hopefully continue to be an unfolding form as we are about to embark upon the new year. Here's to a past project, one that has been a cornerstone--opening doors to new people and places.

Best to all of us in the creative community and the road ahead...

Happy Holidays from all of us here at JCP.