Sunset Skiing in Little Cottonwood Canyon

It was pitch dark," says freeskier/BASE jumper Max Kuszaj of this shot in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, just off the road between Alta and Snowbird ski areas. "My main thought was to make polished ski turns, while being basically blind ... I was skiing off of feel and instinct." When the lake-effect storms unleash Utah's classic, light snow, top-notch skiing abounds. This location just had perfect pitch, perfect snow, and a picturesque sunset. "Little Cottonwood Canyon has amazing sunsets all season long," says the Connecticut native now based in Salt Lake City. "I try to appreciate every single one I witness." Getting the Shot What’s the best thing about shooting at Alta? “The snow,” says photographer Erik Seo. "It’s deep and light. It makes it easy to get good work done, time after time.” While capturing this scene, photographer Seo and skier Kuszaj had an unintended audience. “This is the second spot in the Alta area that I’ve shot just off the road. In both instances, there was no shortage of hecklers. I hope they actually remember the heckling and see this,” jokes Seo. Seo worked with a two flash setup, shooting towards the West, with Kuszaj skiing on an untracked, north-facing slope at sunset. He shot with a Nikon D40, instead of his regular Nikon D3. “The D40 allowed me to use my flashes at 1/1000 of a second and darken the scene more than normal, keeping the flash power the same,” says Seo.