THOMAS CRAUWELS - FROM ADVENTURE TO SPLENDID MOUNTAIN PHOTOS
An interview by Helen Roye.
Browse through Thomas Crauwels works via this link: https://petragut.com/collections/thomas-crauwels
Crauwels Thomas I Biancograt and Piz Bernina
Nature, and especially the mountains, captivate us with their beauty and majesty.
How can you not be captivated by a beautiful photo of a snow-covered mountain melting into the clouds?
The grandeur of nature is revealed with a mystical side that inexorably draws us in.
Capturing images capable of revealing all the beauty of nature with dignity is a whole adventure that the photographer lives every day.
Behind each picture of the Swiss or French Alps taken by Thomas Crauwels is a whole story: research, waiting, hoping and an expedition to the best viewpoints to immortalise these unique moments.
From adventure to photography, Thomas Crauwels tells us...
FROM PHOTO TO PHOTO, WE FIND A SPECIFIC ATMOSPHERE, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT OR IS IT A FORM OF CHANCE?
You should know that I come from Belgium, a country that is not really known for its high summits.
When I arrived in Switzerland, I was captivated by the mountains. It is not just the beauty of the landscape that amazes me, but the protective and threatening aspect of the high summits that surrounds us.
Depending on the weather, and typically just after the snowfall and before the sun returns, the mountains reveal a magical, even mystical atmosphere.
It is this very special atmosphere that I try to immortalise through my photos.
I hope that when people look at one of my pictures they can feel this very special emotion.
Since the beginning, I have been looking for this specific atmosphere, which I like to translate into black and white pictures, which emphasize the contrast between light and shadow.
HOW DO YOU FIND THE PERFECT MOMENT? DO YOU GO TO THE MOUNTAINS WITH YOUR CAMERA AROUND YOUR NECK HOPING TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME?
This perfect moment, when the mountain is still dusted with snow and just beginning to uncover its clouds, occurs only a few times a year for a given location.
So there is no room for chance, even if there is, I must admit, always a small element of luck.
Before each photo, there is a daily weather watch.
This monitoring can last for weeks or months. For example, I haven't been out to take a picture for over 6 weeks now, because there is no precipitation.
To monitor the weather, I use applications and I am in contact with independent meteorologists.
When I see a weather forecast that fits with what I search want to photograph for one of the summits , I put the rest on hold and organise the trip, usually a few days later.
This requires a great deal of flexibility in my daily life, as I can very well decide three days before I leave for the other side of the Alps.
But weather forecasts are never 100% reliable, and this is even more true in the mountains.
So I regularly go out and don't find the atmosphere I want search. So I return without the perfect shot I was hoping for and continue the day before to get a new opportunity.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE VIEWPOINTS FOR YOUR MOUNTAIN PHOTOS? DO YOU GO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK AT SEARCH TO FIND THE PERFECT SPOT TO GET THE PERFECT ANGLE?
Finding the right viewpoint is not something you can improvise.
First of all, because it would be dangerous to set off blindly, and secondly, becausea good viewpoint is not found by chance.
Before anything else, when I decide that I am going to photograph this or that summit, I immerse myself in maps and in particular in Google Earth, to get to know the terrain.
This is when I pre-select the different places where I can stand to get a good angle.
So on the day, I know where I have to go to catch the right moment in the right place.
It is a long term job, which is crucial to increase my chances of getting what I am looking for and not going home without a photo.
YOU REGULARLY GO TO THE MOUNTAINS, HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOUR TRIPS? DO YOU FOLLOW A SPECIFIC PHYSICAL PREPARATION?
First of all, I'm not a high level climber, I stay on the normal routes, the easiest or least committed ones.
I select my views based on my experience in the mountains.
Therefore, I don't follow a specific physical preparation as mountaineers might do.
On the other hand, I maintain my physical fitness with regular outings in the mountains.
It keeps me ready at all times!
For some summits, there are no viewpoints accessible by land. In this case, I am lucky enough to be able to use a helicopter.
This allows me to make possible certain angles of the massif that cannot be captured from anywhere else.
It is important to me to immortalise these mountains for future generations!
Interview: Helen Royce
Browse through Thomas Crauwels works via this link: https://petragut.com/collections/thomas-crauwels
