[Editor's Note: Chad Aichs is known, above all else, for his unmatched emotional intensity. When he prepares for a heavy lift in the gym, the entire room stops and stares. When he takes the platform, the audience goes silent just moments before erupting into a roar that matches Aichs' own trademark psych-up. What only some know is that Aichs pursues another hobby with the same passion: photography. We want to give him an opportunity to show that powerlifting isn't the only thing with which Aichs is willing to go all-in — and succeed in doing so. Like all members of elitefts, there's a lot more than meets the eye (even when what meets the eye is huge)].
I would have to say one of the most common questions I get is if I am still doing photography. When I kept an active training log, I posted my work often, and those logs got more hits than my bench sessions! I agree with a lot of you; my photos can be more exciting than my usual training log. Since many people ask, I'm going to share some of the photography I've done recently.
Yes, I am still doing photography, and would like to do it even more than I do. I've been working a lot of hours to try to get caught up and spend more time doing the things I enjoy, like photography and training. I do still get out and always have a great time doing it. I even do some photography on the side to bring in some extra money when I need it. Luckily, the people that hire me usually hire me because of my creativity, which makes the job much more fun.
I sell prints here and there, but only at demand. I do not focus on sales of photos, I simply do it because I love to do it. I shoot for myself and to keep getting better. I love playing around and coming up with new ideas and new things to shoot. I have the most experience in landscapes. I have always liked to spend time in nature away from people. It has always helped my lifting, and now it helps with my photography.
Just like my PRs on the platform, I always have an idea of what I want to do in the future. I already have my eye on my next camera and a few new lenses. I always look for new places to shoot and share through my photography.
I'm currently in a gray-scale niche, so most of these photos are in black and white. The locations of these photos are almost all close to my house, where I like to hike. The desert has many different types of land, so you'll see cow bones in old marsh areas and photos from dry land. You'll also see yellow-headed blackbirds and ducks in marsh areas that still have open water. There are old barns, old water mains, and empty landscapes in the desert.
