The Olympic Park

It all started with the the Onsite boulder at the Montreal Olympic Stadium. With three granite blocks weighing over 130,000 pounds, it was the perfect playground for Evans to get back in shape. Tranchida then touched base with her to photograph the problems. He saw potential for interesting photographs on other urban features in the city and they two teamed up for more projects.

After careful planning, they decided to shoot the Onsite boulder at sunrise. Burdened with heavy equipment, the duo slowly biked their way toward the site at night. They then prepared for first light. After failing to get in the right position at the start, they were able to capture the shoot at just the right moment. “When we started climbing/shooting I was still sleepy and having a hard time doing the last two moves of the boulder, I kept falling and Mathieu could not take his ideal photo,” said Evans. “I felt embarrassed and worried that I wouldn’t be able to send the boulder. I gave it one last try and finally managed to top out. It’s funny because Mathieu thought that the ideal timing for the lighting had already passed but finally everything lined up just at the right moment and we got an amazing photo.”

What followed was a series of photoshoots around the park, each time searching for a different way to blend the urban environment with the climbs. Capturing the traverse across a steep wall of an alleyway demonstrated their creativity. With a series of thin pinches running vertically along the wall, Evans took a number of falls before finding the right position. Tranchida then suggested removing the pads to “give the shot a more minimal and focused look.” Evans said this about that idea: “When Mathieu suggested that we remove the pads, I didn’t think it was that important. Throughout the series, he would often ask my artistic opinion of a composition or idea and I would always respond, ‘I don’t know, you’re the artist.’ It was kind of a joke, but this shot shows exactly why. He was always totally right – the photos turned out absolutely stunning.”