Ski and Snowboard
Photography
Y Couloir, Argentiere Basin, Chamonix, France (photo: Ben Tibbetts)
Aiguille du Tacul, Northwest Shoulder, Chamonix, France (photo: Cedric Bernardini)
Rectiligne Couloir, Pas du Chevre/Vallee Blanche, Chamonix, France (photographer David Hewett)
Engelberg, Switzerland (photo: Oskar Enander)
Endless Couloir, Jackson Hole backcountry, GTNP, Wyoming (photo: Jack Brauer)
North face of the Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, France (photo: Ross Hewitt)
Piccolo Mangart, Slovenia/Italy (photo: Marco Battistutta)
Col du Plan, exit couloir, Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, France (photo: Ben Tibbetts)
Southwest Couloir, Aiguille du Chardonnet, Chamonix, France (photo: Ben Briggs)
Lohtse Couloir, the world's highest, photographed from the summit of Everest, by Paul Pottinger, Powder Magazine.
Poubelle Couloir, caked in Rime, Les Grands Montets, Chamonix, France (photo: David Hewett)
Brenva Glacier, Peuterey Ridge, Mont Blanc du Courmayeur, Italy (photo: Mattias Fredriksson)
Arete de l'Aiguille du Midi, with l'Aiguille Verte, Les Droites, Mont Dolent, and Mont Fort in the far distance, left to right, Chamonix, France (photo: Ross Hewitt)
Somewhere in the mountains above Haines, Alaska (photo: Oskar Enander)
Grand Envers du Plan, with the Aiguille du Plan, Aiguille du Grépon, and the Aiguille Verte in the background (photo: Mattias Fredriksson)
Blue hour La Grave, France (photo: Mattias Fredriksson)
Ascending the SE Couloir of Aiguille du Chardonnet, Argentiere valley, Chamonix, FR (photo: Ben Tibbetts)
Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, France (photo: Morgan Bodet)
Aigle/Mt. Blanc West
The World’s Best Ski Photographers
Much of the photography on this site can be attributed to the following individuals and organizations. The Biggest Lines would not be possible without their contributions. Many of these photographers are by extension some of the world’s best skiers and/or climbers. A few are trained professionals whom you can hire to guide you on your next adventure. Please check them out. Consider purchasing a high resolution print for personal use, or contact them directly to obtain licensing/permission for any images you may wish to use for commercial purposes. You would be hard pressed to find better mountain photography anywhere (website links below). Special thanks to Morgan Bodet, Jack Brauer, Benjamin Briggs, Adrian Earlyup, Fred Degoulet, Joel Evans, Noah Howell, David Hewett, Paul Pottinger, Sawtooth Mountain Guides, Erin Smart, David Stubbs, Aaron Teasdale, and Jamie Walter for their generosity and support. They are all highly skilled mountaineers and/or visual artists who lead super interesting lives, exploring, documenting, and sharing images of beautiful, amazing, and far-flung places. They are the earthbound equivalent to astronauts. Biggest Lines is forever awed by and indebted to them.
Marco Battistutta is a photographer/ski mountaineer from Udine, Italy. His blog “aims to share [his] passion for alpinism and photography with those who have time and eye to enjoy it.” Many of his portraits, mountain landscapes, and adventure photographs are taken in and around his home at the base of the Julian Alps.
Cedric Bernardini is an incredible, if elusive photographer whose work can be found in books and souvenir shops all over Courmayeur and in the Chamonix valley. As is apparent in his work, he is also an extremely accomplished mountaineer, and has many friends of similar caliber in his circle of climbing partners, ski buddies, and photography subjects.
Jimmy Chin is a professional mountain athlete, National Geographic photographer, Academy Award-winning film director, and New York Times Best Selling author. In his multiple careers as an athlete, storyteller and artist, he is equally respected for his groundbreaking climbing, mountaineering and skiing achievements as he is for his photography and filmmaking. Jimmy’s fitness, awareness, and technical skills have allowed him to partner with some of the greatest adventure athletes and explorers of his generation.
Oskar Enander is a professional photographer and skier based in Engelberg, Switzerland. “Oskar’s style is easily recognizable for its deep-blue, contrasting shadows and distinctive use of back and side lighting—perhaps a result of Oskar being colorblind…he often asks the folks he’s shooting with to tell him the color of their jacket or pants. And he doesn’t know what purple is at all.”
Based in Chamonix, France, Jonathan Griffith has climbed the world over and firmly established himself as one of the world’s leading mountain sports photographers. His incredible images affirm this designation. Jon’s professional website is here: Alpine Exposures
Ross Hewitt is a highly accomplished skier, climber, mountaineer, and mountain biker living and working in Chamonix, France. He is an IFMGA certified mountain guide who also happens to be a great photographer. Hit him up if you’re in the area and need a knowledgeable and highly experienced local guide. Hint: because Ross is an expert among experts, well known, and just fun to be with, his calendar fills up quickly…often with repeat clients. Be sure to make plans with him far in advance!
Mattias Fredriksson “Mattias Fredriksson is one of the most prolific adventure photographers of our time. For the past quarter-century he has travelled the globe with some of the world’s best skiers, mountain bikers and outdoor athletes on assignments for a vast array of editorial and commercial clients. With a strong dedication to document real stories, Fredriksson combines his skills as a photographer and journalist like few others. Add in a farmer’s work ethic and passionate personality and the result is an impressive body of work combining the subtleties of natural light and motion in a potent mix of quiet alpine moments, intense action, and creative portraiture.” Freeskier magazine recently profiled Mattias. Check it out here: Fresh Canvas
Christian Pondella “Christian Pondella is one of the top adventure sports photographers in the world. A senior photographer for Powder Magazine, a SanDisk Extreme Team member, F-stop Global Pro, he has published work in Sports Illustrated, ESPN Magazine, Outside, Men’s Journal, Maxim, FHM, GQ, Climbing, Outdoor Photographer, Shutterbug, and a variety of other publications throughout the world. His images have also appeared in commercial campaigns for Red Bull, Patagonia, SanDisk, Oakley, Atomic, Eddie Bauer, Clif Bar, and many other brands.” He and his subjects are widely regarded as some of the greatest explorers/athletes in the outdoor world.
ALPS INSIGHT Based in the Swiss alps, Dan & Janine Patitucci have access to some of the world’s most beautiful mountain locations. “As real athletes, each has a thorough understanding, high level of technical skill, and passionate enthusiasm for the subjects they photograph. Whether it be with Ueli Steck in the Himalaya for his monumental Piolet d’Or winning solo ascent of Annapurna, or on assignment in North Korea, for which they won a 2015 Best American Photography Award, Dan & Janine bring 20 years experience to the work they produce. In 2016, the couple created ALPS INSIGHT, a site dedicated to communicating the alp’s mountain sport lifestyle through inspiring experiences, photography, stories and tips. After a life spent in the mountains, ALPS INSIGHT offers an outlet to publish their own content and to work more closely with supporting brand partners.”
Ben Tibbetts is an adventure photographer, filmmaker, artist, author, climber, and IFMGA mountain guide. “He specialises in working in wild and remote environments and has climbed and skied new routes in Antarctica, Greenland, Kyrgyzstan, and the Alps. Ben’s images have won numerous awards and his films have been selected in festivals all over the world, including as a finalist in both film and book categories at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival. He has spent nearly two years working in the Antarctic, and over four months in Greenland. Ben is also an accomplished ski mountaineer, having made a single push, 31 hour traverse of the Haute Route, gained 3rd in the Patrouille des Glaciers (Z1–2014), and competed for Britain in the European and World Championships.”
Alex Buisse is a photographer, climber, and ultralight pilot based in Canmore, Alberta (CA). Among his many diverse projects, his large scale aerial documentation of climbing and skiing routes on the most iconic cliffs and mountains in the world stands out. These incredibly detailed images are available as posters and as free digital downloads and offer a unique perspective on many of the most iconic routes in the world. There is also an award-winning 2021 book Mont Blanc Lines in French, English and Italian, focused on the Mont-Blanc range itself. His website and full bio is here: www.alexbuisse.com (thumbnail photo: AH HA Represents).
The Photographer’s Gallery
*Click on images below for a link to the photographer’s website. For a SLIDESHOW, click on the first or last image in this gallery and use your keyboard and/or on-screen navigation arrows
“There comes a time in life when one must risk something or forever sit with one’s dreams”
—Herb Brooks
American ice hockey player and coach who led the U.S. Olympic team to an unlikely gold medal victory against a heavily favored Russian team in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
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