Mont Blanc, meaning “White Mountain”, is the highest mountain in the Alps and the European Union. It rises 4,810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. It is also sometimes known as La Dame blanche, the “White Lady”.
Dutch Ski- and Snowoardtest
Client: Wintersport Magazine
Les Arcs, France
Short photo-story of one week in the Zweisimmen/Gstaad region in the Swiss Alps. Eight days packed with fresh snow and the occasional ray of sunshine.
Just shows that one doesn’t need good weather to take fun photos.
© 2013 www.rudgr.com.
Client: Tulp Magazine
View from the Hamilton Lodge.
Zweisimmen – Golden Pass railroad HQ.
Travelling in the luxureous 1920′s first class Golden Pass classic rail car.
Black & White trees.
Summer hut in winter times.
Gstaad Palace.
Tons of snow!
View over the Zweisimmen area.
And another view over the Zweisimmen area.
Chateaux d’Oex balloon festival as seen from the Golden Pass train line.
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And that’s a wrap: winter season has finally come to a halt for me with amazing snow conditions in my final week in France. What a season it has been, the Alps haven’t seen this much snow in years. Sadly enough, I didn’t always manage to time perfectly but I have no complaints whatsoever, having had some perfect powder, froze my everything, saw and photographed fantastic hotels and enjoyed stunning views for three months.
Enjoy this supersmall teaser, full photo series will be online from October.
Heavy clouds over the Swiss Laax region during Snowfest 2012.
Working the ridge… St. Anton am Arlberg, AUstria.
View from the Dachstein gondola in the Austrian Ski amadé region.
Tour Skiing in the Gargellen region, Switzerland.
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6710471831_61355a3b55_b.jpg)
Scraping left-over bits of powder from everywhere we came up with quite a few great shots on this Austria roadtrip. No wonder, because when shooting with Timo Hermeler it’s usually impossible not to return with gems like this. [St. Anton, Austria. 2008]
A few weeks ago I was asked to setup a showcase series with my favorite wintersports photos for the popular Tacky website. But as they have a strict policy of not showing ski-photos, which I love taking, I decided to upload the whole series of 44 images onto my own website too. I’m a wintersports photographer in a broad sense, I hope this shows a bit of what I love doing so much and why. It’s a story into my work, I hope you enjoy it! Click here for the full gallery!
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6710471107_a25c19c1bc_b.jpg)
Simply the best view in the Alpes, high on top at Les 2 Alpes watching over the Mt.Blanc. Privileged! [Les 2 Alpes, France.2007]
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6710469035_3ff5c17601_b.jpg)
There’s no better start to a skitest photoshoot than this! Fresh pow, a deserted skiresort and a mountain with a perfect angle. Even better when it’s snowboardcross coach Frank Germann kicking ass! [Bad hofgastein, Austria.. 2009]
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6710407185_5d715a0c52_b.jpg)
As the Dutch Ski Associations head photographer I also do the skiing. From a photography point of view a very worthwhile job, espcially if you get photos like these from the champ; Alwin de Quartel. [Schladming, Austria. 2009]
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6710430235_bbe51898df_b.jpg)
The Belgium freestyle champsionships is an insane party week that features some amazing snowboarding. Especially the kickers are always huge and Seppe Smits knows what to do with them. [Les 2 Alpes, France. 2010]
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6710450881_daf0b2cf7a_b.jpg)
Bad light is no excuse for bad photos. Though it does help when your subject is Richard Molenaar, one of the most stylish skiiers I know, dressed in near-fluor colors. Ans yes, this is very close! [Sölden, Austria. 2011]
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6710470591_2886762017_b.jpg)
The Berghuis sisters have become like sisters to me after all these years of shooting. But Britt somehow managed to avoid getting a decent powder photo taken. Then, suddenly, it all came together: a small stretch of fresh cold powder that needed to be shredded. After a small discussion we both ran to our positions and this was the result. Ten minutes later that whole stretch was completely done for by a zillion tourists. [Les 2 Alpes, France. 2007]
![Winter-Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6710467921_fcf45ab30c_b.jpg)
Perhaps one of my all-time favorite ski-photos. It all came down to a matter of good timing and Gebke Compeer understood just that. To me it just shows the ultimate freedom of beeing in the snow. [Bad hofgastein, Austria. 2009]
![Winter -Showcase [2007-2011]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6710454703_2cec3907b3_o.jpg)
After a long testweek photoshoot it is fun to fool around a bit with a massive block of icey snow, leftover from the Hannibal show on the Sölden glacier. Rens de Wild knows what to do with it. [Sölden, Austria. 2011]
This photo was nominated for a WePowder Award this November. It’s a photo of Irian van Helfteren cliffjumping in Sölden with tons of sluff creating a supersmooth image. I simply love his style and riding technique. By far the best Dutch freerider at this moment.
Client: Wintersport Magazine
© 2011 Fotograferen net
Cover for the 2011/12 Wintersports Brochure.
Sunweb is the largest Dutch wintersports travel broker.
Photo taken in Flaine, France. March 2011.
Client: Sundio Group
© 2011 Fotograferen net
First issue of the 2011-12 Wintersport Magazine.
Photo taken in Solden, Austria, during the ski- and snowboardtestweek for the magazine.
Skier: Falco Teitsma
Client: Dutch Ski Association
Publisher: RHBM
With the last dump of fresh snow being weeks ago in the European Alps a powdertrip throughout Austria perhaps wasn’t the brightest of ideas. But, hey! The snow must go on and we just went a bit higher to get to those last bits of untracked freshness. Luckily a cold spell kept those tiny heavenly spaces a bit better than expected.
Anyway, since a photo says more than a thousand words, and I’m to lazy to write down a full report I thought a photostory might be in order. Please enjoy! The full story is featured in this months Snowboard Magazine.
First shot of the day, not a bad way to start out in the overtracked Silvretta Nova region. Bit of scary-ass hiking from Bas Elhorst was all it took.
A bit of black and white freshness, Bas Elhorst again.
A long easy hike, a few relaxing turns and finally: a nasty hike out of the bow. Anne-Fleur Eiff and Martine Veldhoen don’t mind at all. This was perhaps the last bit of untracked snow for miles around. Not any more!
Silvretta Nova actually has quite a good park for Euro standards. The wallride is particularly nice at the end of the day. Bas rocks to fakie.
The drive from Silvretta to Arlberg is a supernice, and not too long, one. Especially when the mountain pass is open (it hadn’t snowed for a while, remember!) you can enjoy some crazy views.
It’s extra fun by the way when the Volvo dealership lends you the new C30 T5, a small (not very practical with tons of snowgear but who cares) 250 horsepowered piece of metal that will set you back about 40.000 euro’s but manages to do a decent 230km/h on the highway with roofcarriers on it and three people and their bags in it…
Timo Hermeler and his girlfriend Irene Bauer live in this mountain paradise and managed to squeeze out some minute pieces of powder. Perhaps it wasn’t that smart to visit this place in the highest of high season…
Expensive resorts have expensive lifts… this whole thing lifts up the gondolas so you don’t have to take some stairs… whatever, it looks cool though!
Scary rocks don’t scare Timo Hermeler.
I love backlight! Irene Bauer too.
Anne-Fleur Eiff.
Perhaps the smallest lift in Austria? It holds six people… barely.
But the view is worth the cramped ride to the top of the Valluga. Normally a great place to find the last bits of fresh snow…
Some of those last bits…
Tijs Goossens in action on the Valluga.
And so is Timo.
So the day ends.
Mayrhofen
This place needs no introduction bus just as our luck had it: the pro-line was closed for some massive building action for the Ästhetiker Wängl Tängl in two weeks. Bummer!
Fortunately rookie Steef van de Meer doesn’t mind using the massive rail instead.
Ahhh… Mayerhofen park pizza.
Too much stuff and Gin&Tonic. It’s nice being a photographer!
No animals were harmed during the making of this Austrian funtrip, some snowboarders didn’t get away that easy… it’s nice having weird layers underneath powder!
Flatlander Dolf van der Wal ended his season with a well-deserved first place at the Burton Half-Pipe Invitational in Åre, Sweden. Great solid run that finished off a grey and miserable day on the slopes.
Pity the whole week of shooting didn’t give us more than just one morning of nice weather. As to be expected: we left a day after the contest under bright blue-skies!
Check out the fall edition of Snowboard Magazine for the full report of our week with the Dutch Snowboard selection. A lof of different pictures for a change!
UPDATE: Check out a full video of the event (and the shitty weather on the final day) over here. Swedish-language alert!
Finally got a video that was aired in Rotterdam on RTV Rijnmond last year on my work as a wintersport/snowboard photographer. It’s in Dutch though, the item was taped at the Oxbow Opening of the 2007 season in Les Deux Alpes (France).
