Cover Shot, August 2019

Our August 2019 issue of Outdoor Photographer gets you ready for summer photo adventures with tips for shooting outdoor sports like mountain biking, taking a once-in-a-lifetime photo safari in Africa and chasing monsoon storms in the American Southwest for incredibly dramatic images.

On the cover is a breathtaking—pun intended—image made by adventure sports photographer Grant Gunderson. It’s not just an awesome shot of a mountain biker, it’s also a beautiful landscape photo. Here’s the story behind the shot.

“Farstad, Norway, is in the heart of what may be one of the most scenic road trips you can make. While the road itself provides an immense amount of beauty, photographers are well rewarded if they invest the time and effort to climb the trail above the town of Farstad to the summit of the nearby rocky bluffs that overlook Atlantic Ocean Road, which happens to traverse one of the most dramatic landscapes on earth, carved by glaciers over the eons and resulting in numerous fjords and islands dotting the landscape.

“The area is known for its damp and misty conditions, but for those patient enough to wait for the sun to make an appearance, the most dramatic coastal light is possible. That is exactly what happened for us on the day this image was made. It had been raining for a week straight, and the forecast was for a chance of clearing that evening, so we did a three-hour climb to get to the top of the peak. Luckily, the weather cooperated, and we were treated to a spectacular sunset. Witnessing the dramatic light show resulting from the sunset, combined with the departing storm clouds, rider Jonathan Maunsel and I knew we were experiencing a special moment and raced to shoot several variations of the top section of the trail before the sun disappeared below the horizon.

“In order to balance the exposure, a Schneider 0.9 Soft Grad ND filter was used to hold back the sky, along with a large collapsible reflector to provide a bit of fill light on Maunsel.”

–Grant Gunderson

The August 2019 issue is available now in a variety of digital formats including Apple News+ and will be on newsstands beginning Tuesday, July 30.

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