T2B: Photo Annual by BlizzardTecnica

Volume 1.6 January, 2023

PHOTO ANNUAL THE BLIZZARD / TECNICA

FOR THE FUN OF IT ALL.

By nature, skiing is a fleeting experience. The mountains, the weather, the snowpack No two days, nor two turns, will ever be the same. Everything changes over time.

Except skiers.

You can stumble into any dingey ski town dive from California to Chamonix and find someone who has set their life up to revolve around our silly little sport. You’ll find that none of them identify themselves as “someone who likes to ski”, but rather, they simply refer to themselves as skiers. That’s because skiing is a lifestyle. It’s not just something we do, but a part of who we are. It’s a way of life dedicated to chasing those fleeting, irreplaceable moments on snow.

But every real skier knows that there are indeed friends on a powday, and that the high-fives and hell yeah’s are what make these moments worth sharing. Afterall, it’s skiers who make skiing so fun, and we’re lucky to work with a lot of really, really good ones.

So, welcome to our first-ever photo annual. This collection of our favorite photos from last winter is our best attempt to hold on to just a few of those precious moments forever. But more than that, it’s a reminder — A reminder of why any of us ski in the first place.

For the fun of it all.

Right: Connery Lundin Frank Shine Engelberg, Switzerland f/5.6 @ 1/2500 Cover: Marcus Caston Oskar Enander Engelberg, Switzerland f/6.3 @ 1/1250

f/7.1 @ 1/1250

Johan Jonnson Oskar Enander Engelberg, Switzerland

Caite Zeliff

Frank Shine

Jackson Hole Backcountry, Wyoming

f/5.6 @ 1/2500

f/8 @ 1/1600

Chad Sayers Guy Fattal British Columbia

Connery Lundin Guy Fattal British Columbia f/8

@ 1/1600

Johan Jonnson

Frank Shine

Engelberg, Switzerland

f/5.6 @ 1/4000

Tom Pieffer

f/20 @ 1/50

Guy Fattal British Columbia

Connery Lundin Frank Shine Engelberg, Switzerland f/6.3 @ 1/2500

Morgan McGlashon, Caite Zeliff Charlotte Percle Jackson, Wyoming f/8 @

1/2000

Tom Pieffer Rick Sorensen Jackson Hole Backcountry, Wyoming f/2.8 @ 1/8000

BOTH SIDES OF THE LENS

Words by Anne Wangler

Blizzard Tecnica Athlete and Photographer

BOTH SIDES OF THE LENS

Words by Anne Wangler

THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY.

The ability to capture this one moment that goes by so quickly that it’s gone in the blink of an eye.

Some moments, very few of them, will stay in our memories. It’s usually those that are far from the ordinary, those that stand out for a certain reason. Most will be forgotten; this is simply how our brain functions. Imagine if our brains remembered everything we’ve ever seen, eaten, smelled, felt, liked, disliked, and experienced.

I know, it’d be great but that’s simply not the way it is.

I like the idea of using my photography to exactly capture this one moment and turn it into memories. Create my memories. But let’s take a step back. I didn’t start out as a photographer. I kind of stumbled into it. I am, first and foremost, an athlete and spend a lot of time in front of the lens… Photographers shooting me.

@ 1/1000

Anne Wangler

f/4

Anne Wangler

Max Draeger

f/4

1/5000

Over the last few years, I’ve had more and more opportunities to be in photo shoots, in front of the lens. I’ve worked with a lot of different photographers from around the world and from those I also got a glimpse behind the scenes. I was super curious and learned about settings, lenses, light, angles, the use of terrain and developed an eye for the shot myself.

Sometimes, actually often, I see the shot differently than the photographer behind the lens, but at the same time we are talking about the same thing: Sharing knowledge, learning, and understanding each other. I bet you can put three amazing photographers in a 5 square meter room, and you will get 3 different images.

Understanding both sides of the lens helps immensely with creating great images together. It’s basically about listening to the instruction, envisioning the final image, and translating it into the right turn so the photo works out the way we want. In the end it’s a team effort and for sure having worked together several times will make the job easier, better, and more enjoyable.

Some days shooting ski photos is great fun. It’s fun when everything comes together: Good snow, good light, a day spent in the mountains with good people and, finally, great images in our pockets.

And then there are some days that are rather tough. These are the days when the conditions are not in your favor, and you still somehow have to make it work. “We must make gold from shit” kind of days or the “Fake it until you make it” kind of days, as we call it.

But either way, we have to make the effort pay off.

IN FRONT OF THE LENS

Anne Wangler Frank Shine Engelberg, Switzerland f/6.3 @ 1/2500

I LIKE THE IDEA OF USING

MY PHOTOGRAPHY TO EXACTLY CAPTURE THIS ONE MOMENT AND TURN IT INTO MEMORIES...

Anne Wangler

BEHIND THE LENS

Some time passed and I bought my first camera. At the time I traveled solo a lot, spending most of the summers wandering around, living in my van and exploring whatever crossed my path. There was never a plan, route, or goal. I simply wanted to be. I wanted to do whatever felt good, so I did exactly that.

Photography came in handy since spending so much time alone is not always easy. It can make you feel, well, lonely. It gives you time to reflect and ask yourself uncomfortable questions. It can even make you question yourself.

The hardest part for me though were not these tough times, rather it was the beautiful moments, the moments that take your breath away. What was tough about that was not being able to share those moments when traveling alone!

Through photography I was able to capture what I witnessed. These special moments didn’t just vanish, they were still there and will always be.

I like showing things from a different perspective. I like to shoot images that are not that obvious and might need some thought to figure out what I want to show.

I do it for the art… For the creativity.

I can easily get lost in finding the right angle, perspective, and light. I can spend hours taking a photo of one subject. I can also easily take 100 photos of the exact same scene and then have a hard time deciding which one of the 100 (same) shots I am going to keep!

I have no idea where photography is going to take me, but what I do know is that I love everything about it. It gives so much back. I love seeing the immediate outcome after putting in the effort, grinding all day and working towards something that you hope will be great in the end.

You always get rewarded. It’s a craft. It’s your own. It’s your creativity and imagination. It has your signature. It’s your art.