Hugo Vincent
Bern, Switzerland
Canon EOS 6D | Bessa R2a | Fuji GS645S
Your hobbies seem to take you to some spectacular heights! What are some of the challenges faced when shooting in extreme mountaineering conditions?
There are different challenges when shooting in such an environment, primarily the weather conditions: it can rain, snow, be very hot and shortly after freezing cold, in general quite rough conditions for your gear. Itâs important to invest in reliable equipment, a robust camera which can stand spindrifts, a light shower or shocks. In winter or in altitude, cold temperatures will cause your batteries to be depleted very quickly, so I always keep a spare one inside my jacket. Cold can also cause severe pain in the fingers and eventually frostbites, which means you have to manipulate your camera with gloves on. Another challenge is the safety: when you take a picture, you are distracted, and in alpine environments a mistake can have dramatic consequences. I always try to stay focused, be on a safe and comfortable position for shooting, and make sure my partner is also safe at this moment. Finally, the window for a good picture can be very short: before a tour, I search for pictures taken in the area, to see what has been done and what could be interesting to do, which can allow me to anticipate and be ready for the shot. This said, the best pictures are often the least expected!
There must be some spectacular views all the way up your climbs, it must take some serious restraint to not take your camera out and shoot the whole way up! Do you generally snap during rests or do you have specific points where you feel like you need to slow down to get that special shot?
Mountains are beautiful, so itâs indeed tempting to bring hundreds of pictures from every trip, but thatâs also a challenge: how to translate such strength and beauty in a simple picture? There are actually not so many occasions to shoot a very good one. Light conditions can change fast in the mountains, and the posture of a climber will be good during a few seconds only. Bivouacs, huts or summit tops are always good to capture landscapes, but I mostly take pictures during the climbing. And as Iâm not really an experienced mountaineer, and as safety is the most important thing, I often miss a good shot because Iâm not in a comfortable position or I need to pay attention to my partner. One can probably get more pictures by setting up a proper shooting, for instance hanging on fixed ropes, but my aim is to give people a glimpse of what you can experience in the mountains, share the atmosphere of an instant. To me, shooting while being in the action feels the most natural way for adventure photography. When we go for more relaxed hikes or ski tours, I take all my time for a picture and can get a bit directive: for one of the photos featured here, I asked my friends to pass three times in front of this pond to finally get the shot I wanted!
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