lululemon men: Robert King
Utah’s national parks captured in the brilliance of winter
Adventure photographer Robert King has only been shooting professionally for two years, but has spent a lifetime preparing for the role. Now based in Los Angeles, King spent his formative years in Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh before returning to his birthplace of Sydney, Australia. When high school rolled around, King set off for a whole new experience: playing soccer in Wales, which he continued to do Stateside during college. All of this shuffling around gained him a keen interest in traveling, and the endurance to take it to the limits.
Having hung up his cleats in favor of exploring the great outdoors, these days you’ll find King traversing across America’s magnificent national parks, where he captures exquisite landscapes for the likes of Lonely Planet and a handful of inspirational Instagram accounts with millions of followers. As someone who goes to great lengths to get his shot, King was a natural fit as someone who could put lululemon’s new performance-driven outerwear to the test.
“I was incredibly comfortable in the clothes,” says King. “My favorite was the Einn Shell; I’m always hiking places to capture a photo and the shell was comfortable yet breathable. I actually didn’t have to take it off.” To be clear, King doesn’t set out on casual treks. In the past year he’s explored far-flung locales across 16 countries and climbed the peaks of many a mountain back in the US. And with his lululemon gear in hand, he recently set off on a road trip Utah, snapping pics along the way.
“Zion National Park was covered in snow from a storm and the already terrifying Angels Landing hike was a little slicker than usual,” he says. “We got up there 10 minutes before the sunset, then hiked down in complete darkness. We then drove two hours to Bryce Canyon and did the Navajo loop at sunrise. You hike through the hoodoos, which have such a unique look to them. The temperature there was three degrees and I legitimately lost feeling in my fingers holding my tripod and camera waiting for the sun to come up.”
Enter lululemon’s Stay Puff Parka and Surge Thermo Vest, which kept King going in the wee hours of winter. “All in all, it shows you what you can accomplish in under 24 hours with the right gear and a couple of friends,” says King. “It’s crazy that hundreds of people in California haven’t experienced Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. This time of the year the parks are empty and it doesn’t get much better than snow-kissed peaks on a red rock canyon.”
Images by Robert King
