Like a good tech-geek, you struggle-on and make the most from what you have, and dutifully, I’ve found some good advantages to having a camera in my pocket that’s connected to the web.

Recently, with a little inspiration, ive been taking more photos that i like with the camera and getting to know it better.

Work area - Swinhoe Industries - Taken with the iPhone

As you will read if you visit his site, Chase Jarvis is a photog. of the most epic proportions, shooting for the biggest names in the sports, leisure and tech world. He is especially well known for his use of his iPhone to post daily pictures that come under the category “Chase Jarvis takes better shots with an iPhone than I do with a Hasselblad“.

And as he says, “the best camera is the one that’s with you”.

But there are a few other tips, supplied by Chase, to make the photos coming off your iPhone that bit better, and I too have enjoyed the benefits of them.

Camerabag is a truly great app, having received huge accolade from a number of places, and ive used it on the shots in this post.

The doggie being shy.. (there is extra 'grey' on the base of this from the filter)

Hanging about - taken with iPhone - tweaked with Camerabag

I like them. The filters come out well generally and make the photos taken much more usable and distributable.

Chase Jarvis is a savvy guy, follow his blog if you take photos regularly, but he’s not only about photos. He has mastered the world of  Social Media, using it to connect with his audience and web users in a full-frontal attack.

He’s on twitter, he blogs – regularly, he posts RAW video posts to Youtube, he’s on Facebook, he podcasts (iTunes link)…

The guy has been posting from New Zealand for the last week whilst he’s been shooting a job. Its great to follow him and the crew and get the insights to how things happen.

Im still in the iPhone, alot, and with a selection of decent shots coming from the camera, im not hating using it anymore.

Go shoot something…

The last few weeks have been pretty chaotic, the projects at BDP have been going live and new work has been starting. The eCPD site has gone into Release 1 stage, and the Skill Boosters site and Team BDP Site have both been nearing completion.

All this activity work-wise and plenty going on elsewhere too, on Saturday we fly to Geneva for a week in the Alps with the Seventy3 crew – very much looking forward to that, especially with all the snow there has been already. There is the chance this could be the best season for a decade, with meters of snow having fallen already across Europe.

This can only be good

Along with the plentiful snow, there has been the end of the WCT tour to browse over. Slater won his 9th title at Mundaka this year, meaning things were a little dull from then on. However the Pipe Masters and Triple Crown still provided some interesting viewing – despite Slater winning the Pipe contest for the 6th time – yes, another record..

Parko was a highlight at Pipe scoring a perfect 20 in a heat.

More from Billabong Pipeline Masters on Mpora TV >>

On the arts side of things, Dotmasters have been at Mutate Britain for the last week or two, and work has been moving along nicely. The show has gathered high aclaim from various places, open only till the 21st December, go take a look if you can…

Lastly, everyone is willing-on Ben in the last week of his mission around Africa. He plans to be home for Christmas – running the last 26 miles in place of the marathon that was cancelled in Zimbabwe ! Lets hope he gets the visa’s he needs to get out of Egypt and back into Europe for the home stretch.

Ive been very busy over the las few weeks, touring europe and working on various projects, as well as taking some time off to visit people.

Lets see, where to begin…

Well Easter weekend was spent up in Beadnell visiting family and friends.
A fairly uneventful  couple of days was punctuated by the train home, which i had arranged to catch with Charlie. We got to Berwick with plenty of time, and had intended to get a weekend-first seat at the head of the train.

Sadly, this is what everyone else was thinking…  it was a busy train on a bank-holiday monday after-all. Infact not only were we unlucky, but everyone was. All of first call was booked. And it looked like we were spending the full 4 hours to Kings Cross standing.

Luckily two seats emptied at Newcastle and we were in the right place at the right time. There were alot of irrate people on the train, and alot of people standing, but i dont have any issue with the train company. They sold booked seats. If you board a train without a reservation, thats the chance you take. Bank holidays are busy.

We hit london late on monday night and i headed home to pack, in the morning I was off to Austria, Mayrhofen and the JibVid.

Mayrhofen rocked, the JibVid setup was smooth, the teams late, and the various staff and crew sorted.

The riding was crappy, with soft slushy snow in warm spring conditions, and my foot was still mending from the ligament damage, so i decided not to go hard on anything… i just hit the park for the first two days… which works well, since straight-lining everything was the call.

It has to be said, the park out there is top rate. Cudos to the Penken shapers.

We were introduced to Scotties (Scotland Yard) on the first night and had instantly found our home-from-home. Cold Erdinger flowed and even colder Jagermeister was issued in test-tubes. Fantastic.

The next couple of days we indulged in the JibVid, scoping the Vans Penken Park, meeting teams, setting up, being briefed, hanging with the Oakley staff and crew and then the eventual running of the contest on the thursday. Friday however was the real highlight, with perfect blue skies joining us for the Best Trick Contest, and of course the hand-in deadline for the teams. In the evening it all kicked off with the film viewing, judging and awards, Clash DJs spinning and Devils Gun raging.

Big congrats to the Onboard crew who stole first place from the infamous Lock Down Projects…

Photos of the contest here.

JibVid Press release here.

This years 15 films here.

So, with JibVid over, we thought we had it sorted… two more days in Mayrhofen to cover the research we needed, then off to Laax.
Almost. We had almost forgotten about Snowbombing…

By the saturday evening, it was clear that something was happening to Mayrhofen. The streets were awash with northern-english accents, posters and branding was everywhere in town… had we forgotten that Snowbombing was one of the biggest prties in the Alps ?

We spent saturday in Scotties hiding from the invaders, drinking Erdinger and Jager on-piece. Consoling each other and talking into cordless 1970′s telephones stolen from the hotel by the fabulous duo of Vicki Warner and Vicci Miller (complete with broken collar bone).

Sunday we decided to venture up onto the other side of the resort, as yet unvisited by us. We walked the short distance to the bottom station of the Ahorn, and bumped into Marc and Brian fro the Clash DJ crew. Once we reached the top, it was decided that snowboarding was out and drinking was in. A quick survey found us all at the nearest mountain restaurant.. including Marc with his slipped-disk.

After a brief chat and much joviality, we decided on a quick run. A good choice as it goes. The simple, short, wide run had rollers-a-plenty and left you wanting more. Sadly the newly visible White Lounge, that we found from the chairlift scuppered plans of riding, again, and we dragged the Clash crew off to the Iglu village for tunes and beer. The weather was stunning and i used the opportunity to roast my face and forearms by refusing to wear anything but a tshirt all day.

One beer turned into many, and before we had said “four Jagereisters please” it had turned 3pm and the fellas were off back to london, the only thing left for us was to ride back down the mountain and complete our days work. Oh, and for Gaby to stack it, and destroy her ACL and Medial ligaments in her left knee.. making her even more useless than me and my bad ankle.

Injuries aside we explored the bar at the bottom of the home-run. Sunk a couple more, then went home for a quick nap before dinner.

Monday – and all was back to work…. we were in super-power mode. we tied-up all the loose ends with research, photography and contacts and then drove out of Mayrhofen bound for Laax and the Brits.

As it goes, it wasnt that bad a drive, it took longer than it should have, we took a wrong turn, and i was stopped and issued a speeding fine by the Austrian police. So about fair i thought. (all hire cars should go at 160 kmph right ?)

We eventually arrived in Laax and found some digs in the recommened Capricorn hotel. The weather was thick and heavy, and you could feel the snow pushing in.

The Riders Palace was just round the corner and we were well setup for a fun few days dodging British champions skiers and snowboarders. As it turns out, everyone else from Mayrhofen was doing the same thing, and the Crap bar and restaurants were laden with riders, staff and industry types we had seen in Austria the day before.

The poor weather and lack of any riding ability between us hampered our exploration of the mountain somewhat, and i found to my dismay that Laax has LOTS of drag lifts… so i decided to drink.
And drink we did.

On the Tuesday night coming off the hill, and after three pints in in the Crap Bar, we headed back to the hotel to change. We got as far as the Riders Palace and decided to have one more…
We immediately bumped into friends and found that the fellas i was arguing with over world politics were actually the headline act for tonights party. Well, what could we do but take them out for pizza ?

The South Central guys were a blast, and we bounced stories and jokes all night before they headed back to prepare for their set. We had a quick change (it was 10pm and i was still in snowboard boots and googles…) then headed back for the festivities. South Central ROCK. End of story.

We socialised, networked and met peope, including Kathryn Miller, winner of 5 medals this year in the various womens snowboarding disciplines – top girl, we love her. Especially her hunger for dry slope kickers and body armour.

The following two days were hampered by heavy snow, high winds and low spirits, we truly had lived beyond our bodies means.
We tied up the work that was needed, drove around the resorts covering the bits we had missed, and packed up ready to leave.
Thursday at 9am and we were driving out of the alps to Innsbruck away from heavy snow…. it felt so wrong.

By thursday night, after a long exit procedure from Gatwick, we were starring at the somewhat brighter, but still depressing sight of the London’s urban sprawl…

Roll-on next season… or at least the summer and beach-time… 

Is set to roll again this year, so get your ass out to Mayrhofen for three days of riding, filming and editing in the snow park.

Its a simple format, ride, film it, edit it together, all in three days and then let the best video be voted to win by the teams involved.

Should be a blast, go check it at  http://www.jib-vid.com/

See you there…

Riding with the Seventy3 crew, JP, Gaby and co. – much fun.

Full set is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/swin_hoe/sets/72157603715621639/

Full report when i get the chance.

Austria and the west has been taking it the brunt of the weather and falling snow, but, the temperature is supposed to hit -7 on saturday – the day before we land in Geneva..  rock on.

Now, im aware that its an El Nina year and all that… but, again this weekend, Ireland is being treated to some of the largest swell to hit its shores in recent memory… and we all know what happened last weekend.. (Go Gabe !)

I’ll be watching carefully…