Behind the Lens - Steve Lloyd
BEHIND THE LENS
Steve
Lloyd
Lloyd
 |
Tell us a little bit about yourself: I am 37 and live in Salt Lake CIty Utah. I have lived here my entire life, but have traveled to many parts of the world in search of powder and good trails to shoot. I have two sons who love biking and when I’m not shooting I am shredding trails with them.
How long have you been shooting photos? I have been shooting for about 13 years. I first got into photography in college. I was an art major and took a photo class for a general elective, but then realized that photography was much more fun than painting in a room all day long. My first camera was a Canon A2 film camera.
How long have you been shooting mountain biking? I have only been serious about shooting biking for a few years. I had mainly focused on skiing, but I have completely fallen in love with biking and if I had to choose between skiing and biking now I probably would chose biking at this point.
 |
 |
Do you ride yourself? How does this affect your images? I love riding. It’s actually hard for me to take the camera out to shoot biking because I’d rather be on the bike. I really love all aspects of biking whether it be DH, DJ, or all mountain. I feel it gives my images an advantage because I know what I would like to ride or see as a biker. I think any photographer that is good at the activity he is shooting will have much better images.
Do you shoot anything else besides mountain biking? Yeah, I love shooting skiing, canyoneering, some climbing, and camping.
 |
Were you self-taught of have you had any formal training? I went to school at Salt Lake Community as a photography major, but I do feel that the majority of what I know for shooting in the outdoor industry has come from trial and error.
Do you have another job as well or is it just freelance photo? Just photography full time.
What is your favorite thing to shoot? It's a toss up between skiing and biking. A few years ago I would have said skiing for sure, but in the last three years I have fallen in love with shooting biking so it would have to be both.
 |
What Is that the most exotic place you’ve shot? Was there any culture shock? I would have to say Chile. I was down in South America a few years ago shooting skiing. I was really humbled to see how poverty stricken some of the areas were. But it was amazing to see how happy people were even though they didn't have much. It really made me grateful for what I have.
What kind of camera do you use? What lenses? At the moment I just have the Canon 7D but I am looking to get the 1DX really soon. My lens kit is: 70-200 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 16-35 f2.8, 15 fisheye f2.8, and I have a 300 f2.8 that I hardly use.
Is there any other gear that you use frequently? I use Pocketwizards all the time, especially with all my flash work. Elinchrome Ranger, Quadra, and Canon 580 EX for flash and strobes. I also use CLIK photo packs. I have been working on a prototype bike pack with them that will be amazing for any bike photographer.
You’re known as a photographer but your video of KC Deane was very well received. Will we see more videos from you? Absolutely. KC and I have been filming on and off for the last months down in the desert. We just finished up filming so you should be seeing something soon. I hope to tackle more video projects in the future. I really enjoy it.
Do you think that photography and video will remain separate professions or will new camera technology force professionals to learn both skill sets? I’m not sure. I think it’s really hard to focus on doing really good video and stills at the same time. Seems like when I have shot both one suffers when you focus too much on the other. But I think we will see many photographers trying to do both in the future.
 |
 |
Many photographers and filmmakers have shot in Utah because it’s so different compared to their local zones. Does living in Utah desensitize you to it? I don't think so. I think I am just as fascinated by the desert as anyone that sees it for the first time. I grew up camping in the desert since I was a kid, but feel like it is magical every time I go there. I do feel like the heat is not really a factor for me as much though.
You’ve shot at the Red Bull Rampage, how does that compare to shooting big mountain skiing? Personally I think they are very different. Rampage has dedicated lines that are built by the athletes and there is some element of control there. While I think it’s super gnarly, skiing big mountain has a whole different element of exposure. Dealing with snow safety is a big one. I almost died in an avalanche seven years ago due to lack of attention to the elements. Not having a constant threat of being buried by an avalanche is a huge weight off of your mind when shooting. Also, when shooting big mountain skiing you are usually in a small group. Rampage can get quite chaotic at times. As far as the athletes go I have to give much deserved credit to big mountain riders and skiers who do the amazing stuff they do. I am blown away by the talent I have seen over the years.
 |
 |
 |
Do you enjoy seasonal shooting, or would you rather chase an endless summer or winter? I love seasonal shooting! I love shooting skiing and biking. It’s hard to transition from one to the other sometimes, but it’s nice to change it up and keep it fresh every six months or so.
Which photographers inspire you? Sterling Lorence has always been someone that has inspired me. In fact one of his older shots of Darren Berrecloth hitting a drop in Cainville Utah on an old Santa Cruz Bullit was the shot that made me decide I wanted to shoot biking. I really like Jordan Manley's work as well. He has such a creative eye and unique perspective of shooting biking.
 |
Have you ever shot on film? If yes, do you miss it? I learned to shoot on film and do not miss it one bit! Doing darkroom developing was kind of cool at the time but besides that I would never want to go back. I love that digital is way more streamlined and the learning curve is way faster. Keeping track of photos in Lightroom has been a lifesaver instead of having file cabinets full of slides. Also, there is no way I would have been able to do some of the flash setups that I have done with film.
If you could shoot anywhere with anyone, who and where would it be? Oh, that’s hard. I have had so much fun shooting with KC Deane lately I would love to shoot more with him, but If it’s someone I haven't shot with before I would have to say Kurt Sorge. Where? Anywhere he wanted to go haha!
 |
What photo are you most proud of? There are a lot. It's hard to choose one. My arch shot I am pretty proud of, mostly because of the difficulty of the shot and how I was able to execute it. It was technically one of the hardest shots I have done.
That lighting setup look complex. How did you get that shot?I actually wrote a post for Pocket Wizard describing in detail how I did that shot.
Who are your main clients? In the bike world I have done work for Pivot Cycles, Fox Suspension, Haro, and this summer I am teaming up with Scott Bikes as well as Enve to work on some projects.
Anything else we should know about you? I am super excited to get more involved in the bike industry. I’m looking for new clients and talented riders to share ideas with. So feel free to hit me up!
 |
stevelloydphoto.com
Past Photographer Interviews:
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Mairiporã XC World Cup 2024
42225 views
42225 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Inspiring photos - makes me want to get out there.
Great write up! Steve kills it so hard. I gotta say that those ski pics are unreal.