The Evolution of Tal Roberts—A Visual Journey to Idaho and Beyond
David Reddick
·5 min read
A Visual Journey to Idaho and Beyond
Words and Photos by Tal Roberts
My photographic journey started in 2001 at a skatepark in Tacoma, Washington. I’d had an interest in making photos for a while already, seeing moments while driving around and quickly composing in my mind what I thought would be an interesting shot. I mentioned this to a local at that skate park named Jeff who knew his way around a camera and happened to work at a photo store. Soon after, I visited him at the shop and he helped me choose a starter setup, gave me a few tips, and sent me out into the world.
When you reach the lake, that’s usually the end of the run, but with the right transportation and a keen eye for terrain, Banks Gilberti keeps it going with a tow from Rory Bushfield. Tough to tell if more fun was had on the tow in or the jump. Location: Pemberton, British Columbia
Photo: Tal Roberts
Skier: Banks Gilberti. Location: Pemberton, British Columbia.
Photo: Tal Roberts
Over the next year or so, he hooked me up with countless rolls of film, developed them, and gave me feedback on what was going right and what wasn’t. Jeff’s help accelerated my learning curve like crazy, and soon I was out in the streets trying to capture skate shots on 120 film with multiple flashes, as was the standard at that time. I had no idea how to make it happen, but I knew I wanted to work as a photographer and felt like I was taking steps in that direction.
This was one of the coldest days I have ever experienced. The temp on the way out to the zone read -38°F. No skin could be left exposed, or you would feel the wind threatening to frostbite. Luckily it took some work to get out there, which helped keep us warm. Chris Logan, Idaho Backcountry.
Photo: Tal Roberts
The location of this jump has a much longer history of throwing skiers into the air than most kickers. It sits on Ruud Mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho, right beside one of the world’s first chairlifts, built in 1938 and still standing. The spot on the hill where the jump is built was the original ski jumping venue. The structure framing Karl in the shot was the judges' platform.
Photo: Tal Roberts
In the 1800s, the road below was the main highway that took miners over the pass toward their fortune. Could they have imagined the 2020s, with Collin Collins hucking himself in the other direction? Location: Sun Valley, Idaho.
Photo: Tal Roberts
Then, in 2005, I moved to Idaho on a whim. For a couple of years, this seemed to stall out the trajectory I was on; I hadn’t really shot in the snow before, and there wasn’t much of a skate scene to document. But what initially seemed to be a setback turned into opportunities and relationships that built a career I would never have found anywhere else. My good friend Chatham Baker gave me the push I needed to take photography seriously and focus on progressing.
Late afternoon in this wildfire zone created some beautiful compositions to work with. Callum Pettit found the perfect spot to turn through a burnt forest in Revelstoke, British Columbia.
Photo: Tal Roberts
Usually, you have to plan to be in the right place at the right time for the best light. So a situation like this, where we were just passing by on the way to another spot, seemed like a surprise gift challenging me to see what I could do with it. Banks Gilberti, Pemberton, British Columbia.
Photo: Tal Roberts
Masters of timing. Wing Tai Barrymore hand drags the knuckle while Collin Collins spins a stylish 7 off the lip. Sun Valley, Idaho.
Photo: Tal Roberts
At this point, I didn’t even have a digital camera, and it would be years before I figured out how to make it a paid gig, but that push to broaden my view and learn to shoot many activities across countless landscapes is what helped me to see where a camera could take me. The camera became a reason to go places and do things outside of my normal routine. To this day, the images I bring back only become more valuable over time, as they preserve memories that would otherwise quickly slip from my mind.
On top of the world overlooking the Sawtooth Basin. Wing Tai Barrymore found this perfect spring kicker spot and sailed a rodeo over a jagged Idaho landscape. After the session, we headed for the highest ridge in the zone to witness one of Idaho’s unbeatable sunsets.
Photo: Tal Roberts
This was one of those days when everything was so smooth you might forget how often things go sideways. It was the sweet spot during last winter when there was already tons of snow, but stability was still great. The snow was perfect for snowmobiling, deep enough to have some fun but still supportive. No one was totally sure where the spot was, so we took a bit of a roundabout little boondock through some tight trees then popped out right at the landing. It looks like a kicker, but this windlip required almost no work to pop Wing Tai Barrymore into this 720. Location: Idaho backcountry.
Photo: Tal Roberts
Style is everything, and Willy Griffith has it in spades, as displayed in this casual highway huck. I was probably more uncomfortable hunched down in the middle of the road for this angle. And yes, I had a spotter standing behind me watching for traffic. Location: Sun Valley, Idaho.
Photo: Tal Roberts
I am eternally grateful to all the athletes who trust me to capture them at their peak and for all the effort it takes on their side. They are putting themselves on the line out there, and I feel a responsibility to help them walk away with images that show just how talented they really are. The skiers in this gallery are and have been some of my most frequent collaborators over the years.
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