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Facing the Elements
December 2002
Winter has arrived, and our cover photograph shows a skier moving along a blanket of snow, looking at an adjacent hillside. The forest of evergreens hugs the lower landscape. Above there are clusters of leafless trees casting their shadows on the white background. It is an ideal image to introduce our December issue.
A lone trekker in snowshoes arrives at the top of a promontory and looks at the landscape below. He sees snow resting on the evergreens in the forest, with an inspiring view of hills beyond. The sky is gray, hopefully promising more snow. Next, a warmly dressed individual, most likely an ice climber, looks out from a cave of ice miraculously created by the freezing winds.
In the double spread of cross country skiers there are two different panoramas. On the left we see the skier facing a hill of small snow frosted trees, with beautiful branches encased in white and a snow-covered panorama in the distance. Opposite, a figure is walking across a snow-covered field, with the glow of the late afternoon sun casting its light across the scene.
Next we see two extraordinary images. On the left an experienced, well-equipped figure is climbing up a vertical sheet of ice, using his hand tools to get a grip on the surface above and digging the metal spikes of his shoes into the ice to maintain his foothold. Fortunately his safety rope will protect him from any missteps. On the next page we see a paradise of snow laden trees glistening in the sunshine, as the skier moves across the open terrain.
And finally there is a cross-country skier winding his way along a lonely path.
Our photographers have captured the wonders of our winter mountain landscape, which entice adventurous souls to brave the cold, venturing out into nature’s stark beauty, seeking challenges in the snow-covered fields, slopes and cliffs.
—David Finn
<i>David Finn is Founder and Chairman of the Ruder Finn Group, which is proud to sponsor the monthly photography portfolio in this magazine.</i>
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