Portfolio > Mud, Blood & Mental Grit

Mud, Blood & Mental Grit

This body of work is an ongoing project documenting the growing sport of obstacle racing. Those who participate in this sport put not only their bodies through difficult situations, but their minds as well. These images give a glimpse into what is like to participate in these events, and shot from a variety of different courses including Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, BattleFrog, Rugged Maniac and many others.
This is a dirty, grueling and physically demanding way to spend a weekend, and these images capture that feeling from the perspective of a participant. Many of the people who run in these events are doing it for reason other than just because it is fun. The goal of overall better health and fitness, raising money to help fund another individual or taking part in an event in the memory of someone who is no longer with us are just a few of the examples for the motivation for obstacle course running. Personally, I dedicated my first Tough Mudder to the memory of Gabriel Luis Acosta who was a close friend and former colleague of mine from the San Bernardino Sun Newspaper who suddenly passed away a month before that first event. Since then I have opted to run in honor of those that have dealt with or are dealing with cancer.
These images are all printed from paper negatives in a traditional darkroom. This technique is what gives the pictures their extreme grainy quality. This grain is a simulacrum to the mud, dirt, grime or other substances a participant may encounter or be covered in in one of these events. This grain and grit not only represents the physical material, but also illustrates that this is not suppose to be beautiful. These are not perfect glamorous prints. They’re not supposed to be.
The photographs are different then the ones you typically see from these events. Instead of being taken from the sidelines, or from a fixed location on the course, they are taken from the perspective of the runner. On the obstacles, in the mud and from the views the runners see. This gives the images a sense of familiarity to people in the sport, but also shows those who have yet to try it an idea of what it looks and feels like. The intent is to put the viewer right on the course, into the action and out of the comfort zone. The people in these images are not professional athletes. They are everyday people who are looking to be challenged. Hopefully, others will be motivated to get off the couch, get outside and challenge themselves in a new way.




All images are 8"x10" Gelatin Silver Prints

Marlene, Bucket Brigade
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Cargo Net
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Han Soloists Cross the Balance Beam
Geletin Silver Print
8"x10"
2017
Hercules Hoist
Geletin Silver Print
8"x10"
2017
Rope Climb
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Adrienne and Jeff, Traverse Wall
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Sprained Ankle and Camaraderie
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Power Lines and Spartans
Geletin Silver Print
8"x10"
2017
Runoff
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Rope Burns
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Rope Swing
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Han Soloists Before Berlin Walls
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Over the Top of Berlin Wall
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
In The Mud
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Eric and Paul, Wreck Bag Carry
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Over the Inverted Wall
Geletin Silver Print
8"x10"
2017
Legs Up
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2014
Olympus Traverse
Geletin Silver Print
8"x10"
2017
Micah, After Monkey Bars
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Joel, Jeff and Paul Before Ladder to Hell
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Under the Cargo Net
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Jay, Slippery Wall
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Bell Ringer
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Preston, Downhill Rope Climb
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Adrienne, Sled Drag
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Dried Mud
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Preston, Barbed Wire Crawl
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Micah, Cargo Net
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Trinity Shadows
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Jeff, Over the Wall
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Feet in a Tunnel
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Han Soloists, Mud Crossing
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Sufferfest up Everest
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Richard, Inverted Wall
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Struggle Up the Mountain
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Jay, Shawshanked
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2014
Blockness Monster
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Ankle Deep Mud
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Five Characters Search for an Exit
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Under Barbed Wire
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Rope Climb to the Top
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Under Devils Beard
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Mike, Bucket Brigade
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Rope to the Top
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Summer Traverse Wall 2
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Hands Over Berlin Wall
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Standing In Mud Mile
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Death March 1
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Death March 2
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Falling Out of Shawshanked
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Jay, Spear Throw
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Bea, Devils Beard
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Jeff, Mud Mile
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Teamwork Up Pyramid Scheme
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Captain America and R2D2 Help Someone Up Everest
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Paul and Bea On Top of Ladder to Hell
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Crowd at the Berlin Walls
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Monica, Monkey Bars
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Eric, 60 Degrees
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Over Six Foot Wall
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2016
Not About Winning
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015
Start Line
Gelatin Silver Print
8" x 10"
2015