Behind the scenes with adventure photographer Paolo Sartori
If you think about it, climbers and photographers have a lot in common. Both are constantly seeking out the right angles and keeping tabs on the weather. But in some cases, they look at things quite differently. Take the weather, for instance. In the words of mountaineering photographer Paolo Sartori, “everybody likes clear skies and bright sunlight except photographers.”
“The images become really boring, especially in the middle of the day when shadows are short and hard,” he continues. “But varying conditions are a big part of the charm with photography—and that is the same as with climbing. In different conditions the same route will be a totally new one. And every time the weather changes you get a different image.”
Paolo’s meticulous attention to every element is evident in his work. He’s the photographer behind the epic shots featuring our new SS23 ROC Series. They were taken during an expedition in the Dolomite Alps in northern Italy last fall.
”We spent two days in Tre Cime di Lavaredo and two days in Pale di San Martino,” he recalls. “The weather changed a lot over these few days. On the first day it was summer and then everything quickly became a lot colder and wintrier. The day after we left the area it got 30 centimeters of snow.”
“I need to find an angle that the eye doesn’t catch”
A passion for preserving great outdoor moments
Paolo Sartori is an Italian photographer whose work is characterized by his passion for mountain activities and outdoor adventures. Born and raised in the Alps, he’s been skiing and hiking since he was a child. He was focused on rock climbing for a few years, until he picked up a camera and started documenting his adventures.
Today, the popularity of his captivating style of photography has taken him across every continent, working with some of the world’s best mountain guides and climbers. Thanks to his knowledge and ability to move quickly and safely in mountain terrain, he is able to capture moments even in the most demanding of situations. When he’s not out on assignment, Paolo can usually be found training for the next one in his home mountains in the Ossola Valley.
“To me photography is deeply intertwined with creating memories,” he says. “That’s what got me into this in the first place, to preserve the moments. But the photographs actually alter the memory of the experience, and I think they do for most people. When I come across a picture from ten years ago, I suddenly remember a version of that situation, but the perception of what I felt and what it really looked like will adapt to the image.”
“To me photography is deeply intertwined with creating memories. That's what got me into this in the first place, to preserve the moments.”
Setting the route for a successful photographic expedition
Paolo always does meticulous planning ahead of every expedition, checking maps and old images to find the angles that you normally wouldn’t see. But still, according to Paolo, great preparation doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a great shot.
“It’s extremely rare that a snapshot becomes interesting,” he says. “A photograph can’t compete with reality on equal terms: it’s never going to look as good as what I see with my own eyes, so I need to find a perspective that the eye doesn’t catch. In the mountains, if you change the vantage point, the whole scenario changes because there are so many layers at different distances. The landscape, the shadows, and the different shapes all affect each other. I try to imagine the shot to figure out where to place the climber and the camera in the landscape.”
Another piece of photographic wisdom: there is a vast difference between a photographic expedition and an excursion where you are just there to document it.
“On photographic expeditions, everything is adapted to capturing the best images,” says Paolo. “You want the low morning light and that means you’ll have to set your alarm for 3 AM. The climbers complain quite a bit about this. But once they get the view of the sunrise over the mountains they come around – it’s really worth it, even for them. Sometimes, it’s the other way around, where your job as a photographer is to document the ascent. Then, you have to plan ahead so that you position yourself in the best way for the shots while staying out of the way of the climbers.”