Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Nuclear Cowboyz

I had the pleasure of working with the fantastic people at Feld for their Nuclear Cowboyz tour. The assignment was to visit the performers (mostly freestyle motorcross athletes) in their homes to capture them in candid moments rarely seen. These guys have personas that precede them when they walk into a room. Tattoos, swagger and bravado to match. However, while in their own homes, most are soft-spoken, kind, family oriented and in the case of one Ronnie Faisst, deeply religious. It's strange but despite being surrounded by the trappings of their success, each of them without fail seemed to display a certain uneasiness. Whether it was the camera or something to do with the strangers in their house, I can't be sure. For certain though, the stunts these guys perform take a mountain of bravery with a healthy serving of madness. It was heartbreaking to find out that just five days after visiting Jim McNeil in Phoenix, he would lose his life while practicing a jump just prior to a performance.