I have been drawn to the mountains since my very young age. I admire their shapes, their magnitude and their strength. They have been here for millions of years, which makes me feel so little when I stay next to their giant rock walls. I do enjoy their quietness and some sort of slowness of time while I am there. I can find my own internal peace. However, it was not my interest in climbing or skiing which made me to go there at the first place. It was originally my passion for landscape photography, from which all my other interest slowly evolved.
On the way to Mont Buet, Mamiya RB 67 Pro SD, Bergger Pancro 400
At the beginning I always wanted to go to photograph with some friends, but as most of you know, there is big difference between hiking in the mountains and aiming for some serious landscape photography. So after a while I ended up without any companions, and I had to become independent in accessing the mountains. There is always risk involved, when you go up there. Therefore I started very slowly, and as I was progressing, and gaining some confidence, I ventured to more and more remote and less accessible terrain.
First light on Aiguille du Moine, Mamiya RB 67 Pro SD, Kodak Tri-x 400
The big change happen last year, when I finally ventured to the high altitudes. It opened up totally new perspectives, but also brought some new and much higher risk. Despite my decent experience, there is still very steep learning curve in front of me to be able to deal with the new environment. It is not going to be easy, but I really feel very excited about it. I am finally able to combine all of my hobbies together. I can ski, climb and photograph in the same time. The possibilities for my landscape photography have became endless.
Glacier de Talefre, Mamiya RB 67 Pro SD, Kodak T-Max 100
However, there is one thing I always have to remember, the higher I get, the more I have to be prepared. It is crucial to evaluate and understand all the risks which I can encounter during these adventures. Sometimes I even have to turn back before I can reach my goal, and come home without single photograph. Believe me it can be very frustrating, but no photograph is worth an injury or even higher consequences. In these situation it is important to realize the simple fact, that I can come back some other time. For all of us photographers and adventures, I would just rephrase the famous Ed Viesturs motto, which we all should always remember “Getting the photographs is optional, come back home is mandatory”. So have fun out there and STAY SAFE!!!
The Crown Jewel of Mont Blanc Massif - Grandes Jorasses, Mamiya RB 67 Pro SD, Kodak T-Max 100